Spending hours on a plane can take a real toll on your body and mind. The cramped seats, limited movement, and dry cabin air can leave you feeling stiff, anxious, and uncomfortable
A yoga teacher has shared her top tips for keeping calm, comfortable and the blood flowing when flying.
Popping a downward dog or forming the crane in an aisle may not be completely typical behaviour, but according to Antonia Balazs, it should be.
Spending hours on a plane can take a real toll on your body and mind. The cramped seats, limited movement, and dry cabin air can leave you feeling stiff, anxious, and uncomfortable. Long periods of sitting can also reduce blood circulation, causing swollen ankles and, in extreme cases, increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). On top of that, the stress of travel—delays, turbulence, and crowded spaces—can leave your nervous system in overdrive.
Sitting for long periods during a flight can lead to poor blood circulation, causing swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet. Gentle yoga movements and stretches can improve circulation and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis, according to Antonia.
At the same time, cramped seats and limited movement often cause neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Simple yoga stretches can release tension and prevent long-lasting aches.
Because putting your hands down on a very well-trod carpet doesn’t sound ideal, the limbered-up educator has adopted a series of simple, standing yoga poses specifically for air travel. These moves are easy to do in your seat or in the aisle, focus on keeping your blood flowing, your body comfortable, and your mind calm, and they’re the exact ones she uses herself when flying.
Antonia’s plane moves
1. Grounding salutation
• Stand with your feet firmly planted on the ground, hip-width apart. Tune into feeling grounded
• Sweep your arms down, around, and up into an Upward Salute, stretching your body long and tall.
• Exhale as you hinge forward into a Forward Fold , keeping your back extended. Bring your hands to your shins or tops of your feet.
2. Roll up to stand
• Slowly rise back up to standing, feeling each vertebra align one by one to bring your spine back into alignment
• Sweep your arms down, around, and up again into an Upward Salute, keeping your arms in the air.
3. High lunge with a twist
• Step one foot back into a High Lunge. Keep your front knee aligned over your ankle, or keep it straight if that’s better for you.
• Engage your core, lift out of your hips, and stretch your arms overhead, enjoy the opening
• Option: Bring your hands to the heart centre
• Twist your body to one side and then to the other side, with your gaze following
• For a deeper twist, bring the opposite elbow to the front knee.
4. Return and repeat
• Step forward, bringing your back foot to meet your front foot.
• Fold forward again, clasping both elbows. Sway gently from side to side, allowing your upper body to release tension.
• Slowly rise back up to standing, rolling up through the spine.
• Clasp your hands behind your back and even move them away from your body. Bring your gaze up to the sky and enjoy the feeling of your body opening. If you prefer, you can bring your hands to your lower back instead of clasping them.
5. Switch sides
• Repeat the High Lunge with a Twist sequence on the other side, stepping the opposite foot back and incorporating twists and stretches.
6. Closing stretch
• Return to standing, feet hip-width apart.
• Sweep your arms down, around, and up into an Upward Salute, then lower your hands to the heart centre.
• Pause here, taking a few deep breaths to feel grounded and centred.
If you don’t fancy Antonia’s standing routine, then she has some suggestions for movements which can be done while seated.
• Roll your shoulders forward and back several times to release tension.
• Perform gentle neck stretches by tilting your head or looking over each shoulder.
