3 Tips To Avoid Stiffness While Traveling By Plane
- Jeremy Tarwater PT, DPT
- Aug 15, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated August 8th, 2022
Introduction
Have you flown recently? Or do you have a fun vacation coming up? The majority of people traveling will sit in a car on the way to the airport, sit in the airport until they board the plane, sit on the dreadfully long plane ride, then sit in another car upon arrival. All of this sitting leads to a lot of tight muscles and soreness for what seems like no reason. But here is the nerdy reason:
Low level muscle activity during chair sitting causes a restriction of muscle metabolism (stay with me here). This restriction alters blood flow, decreases the flow of oxygen to muscle tissue, and harms the regulation of inflammation. Therefore, sitting in a prolonged position causes muscle stiffness and soreness due to underuse instead of overuse (1).
Frequent Movement
Although it may seem like it, there is no rule that you HAVE to sit down to wait for your plane to board. You could stand up or walk. Or if you're a complete nerd like me, do some exercises in the airport. I’m not talking about full sprints or jogging down the hall. Just some simple movements like the video below to keep your body active and moving before you go sit for a few hours straight on the plane where you don’t have a lot of room to move.
Plane Stretching
Movement prior to boarding is VERY important because we all know how much room you have in that little seat. One option for movement on the plane would be to get up and walk every 20-30 minutes. Even if you don’t have to go to the bathroom, just walk back there and do a few stretches then come back. You may be annoying the person sitting in the aisle seat, but your mobility and health are worth it.
Stretching is definitely doable on the plane, depending on your flexibility. I attached a few pictures of stretches below for you to try before the next time you fly. These stretches hit the major muscle groups and can be held for 20-30 seconds. I have also included a few exercises you can do right from your seat, about 10-15 repetitions of each one! I usually do these at least once per hour on my flights.
Hamstring Stretch (don't get hit by the flight attendant;)
Quad Stretch
Piriformis Stretch
Airplane Marches (bonus points if you can do it with your butt off the seat)
Reverse Sit-ups (start with just lifting both legs, more points for holding your butt up)
Baggage Claim
So picture this: you are finishing up a long 5-6 hour flight and you have to go get your bag. The bag you checked was 49.9 pounds to avoid paying a fee for going over 50 pounds. Now you have sat in the car, airport, and on the plane for a total of 10 hours or more. If you haven’t moved at all during this time or stretched, how will your muscles perform when you go to pull this massive suitcase off of the belt? Not well. Multiple studies have shown that muscle stiffness leads to decreased muscle performance during athletic competitions and everyday workouts such as jumping or squatting (2). And you should be squatting when you take that suitcase off the belt.
Since you guys know I’m a nerd by now, I also created a bonus video showing proper form for taking your luggage off the belt. People were definitely staring, but I know what they were thinking: “wow, that guy has impeccable form”
Conclusion
Give some of these tips a try next time you travel! The last thing you want on vacation is to get to your destination and be too stiff to move or be vulnerable to an injury while you’re walking around all of the tourist shops. Send us some questions if you want more tips or have more to add!
References
Kett AR, Milani TL, Sichting F. Sitting for Too Long, Moving Too Little: Regular Muscle Contractions Can Reduce Muscle Stiffness During Prolonged Periods of Chair-Sitting. Front Sports Act Living. 2021 Nov 3;3:760533. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.760533. PMID: 34805980; PMCID: PMC8595117.
Bojsen-Møller J, Magnusson SP, Rasmussen LR, Kjaer M, Aagaard P. Muscle performance during maximal isometric and dynamic contractions is influenced by the stiffness of the tendinous structures. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2005;99(3):986-994. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01305.2004
DISCLAIMER
Last updated April 24, 2022
WEBSITE DISCLAIMER
The information provided by Peak Movement Health ("we," "us", or "our") on peakmovementhealth.com (the "Site") and our mobile application is for
general informational purposes only. All information on the Site and our mobile application is provided in good faith, however we make no
representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy; adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the Site or our mobile application. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL WE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE SITE OR OUR MOBILE APPLICATION OR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE SITE AND OUR MOBILE APPLICATION. YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND OUR MOBILE APPLICATION AND
YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITE AND OUR MOBILE APPLICATION IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
EXTERNAL LINKS DISCLAIMER
The Site and our mobile application may contain (or you may be sent through the Site or our mobile application) links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness by us. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THE SITE OR ANY WEBSITE OR FEATURE LINKED IN ANY BANNER OR OTHER ADVERTISING. WE WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS
OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.
PROFESSIONAL DISCLAIMER
The Site cannot and does not contain medical/health advice. The medical/health information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to
consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of medical/health advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION
CONTAINED ON THE SITE OR OUR MOBILE APPLICATION IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
AFFILIATES DISCLAIMER
The Site and our mobile application may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links.
TESTIMONIALS DISCLAIMER
The Site may contain testimonials by users of our products and/or services. These testimonials reflect the real-life experiences and opinions of suchusers. However, the experiences are personal to those particular users, and may not necessarily be representative of all users of our products and/or
services. We do not claim, and you should not assume, that all users will have the same experiences. YOUR INDIVIDUAL RESULTS MAY VARY.
The testimonials on the Site are submitted in various forms such as text, audio and/or video, and are reviewed by us before being posted. They appear on the Site verbatim as given by the users, except for the correction of grammar or typing errors. Some testimonials may have been shortened for the
sake of brevity where the full testimonial contained extraneous information not relevant to the general public.
The views and opinions contained in the testimonials belong solely to the individual user and do not reflect our views and opinions. We are not affiliated with users who provide testimonials, and users are not paid or otherwise compensated for their testimonials.
The testimonials on the Site are not intended, nor should they be construed, as claims that our products and/or services can be used to diagnose, treat,
mitigate, cure, prevent or otherwise be used for any disease or medical condition. No testimonials have been clinically proven or evaluated.
Disclaimer created using Termly.
Comments