Is it possible to actually feel good after a flight? Check out these Yoga for Travelers moves for simple ways to feel better on your next trip.
Travel by plane is efficient and often times necessary, but I secretly kind of hate flying. I love to travel and I’m not afraid of flying, but the toll it takes on my body is rough. I’m a cheap traveler and you’ll *almost* never see me upgrading to first class or throwing in a few bucks for extra legroom. I’m only 5’2 so I figure most people have it worse than me.
With flights scheduled every month for the foreseeable future, I’m setting out to make flying the best experience possible. That’s where yoga for travelers comes in. If I had to think of the opposite of how I feel on a plane (cramped, stressed and stiff), the opposite would be how I feel while practice yoga, (flexible, serene and open).
I went about figuring out how yoga can improve the flying experience and as a novice yogi myself, I went to an expert for advice. Charlotte Munn, master trainer at CorePower Yoga shared her best advice for Yoga for Travelers. Many of these tips are super simple. This is applicable whether you’re comfortable in a handstand to those that can’t quite reach their toes.
What poses or stretches can travelers do in an airport to help prep their body for travel?
Charlotte: When you are going to be holding a position for a long time, like sitting in an airplane seat, prepare the body with the most opposite movement prior to your flight.
Stand up and walk around the airport prior to boarding or do a restorative rag doll forward fold with your feet hip distance apart. Slowly roll up and practice Mountain pose with your arms overhead to stretch your whole body. Step one foot back into a lunge position and open your frontal hip compartment. Switch sides.
To free your spine with some gentle rotation, stand tall with your arms at your sides like you’re jogging. Rotate your whole body from the hips and let the spine follow.
Don’t stress about what people think of you as you take care of your wellness. Always be respectful of their space. You may inspire them to do a stretch or two of their own.
What simple movements can travelers do in their seats to help ease body pains?
Charlotte: Figure 4 stretch. Cross your right ankle over your left knee (always be mindful of your neighbor!). Lean forward to deepen the hip stretch. Switch sides. Open your spine with seated mountain pose. If you don’t have room to reach your arms up overhead, interlace your hands behind your head, point your elbows straight forward and lift up from there. Traction your skull up and explore a gentle backbend.
To keep your ankles feeling well, practice pulling opposite knees into your chest and ankle rolls. Twist positions are also possible from an airplane seat. Never underestimate the power of deep breathing to vitalize the body mid-flight.
After getting off a flight, what’s your favorite pose to release post-travel body stress?
Charlotte: I love to follow the same routine as pre-flight. Follow your bodies intuition to know what else would feel good. I am always a fan of a classic quad stretch or event a few deep squats.
For travelers experiencing jet lag, what poses are best before going to bed?
Charlotte: Legs up the wall is the perfect pre-bed pose for travelers. Lie on your back with your legs resting up a wall. Rest your pelvis (sits bones) on the wall like you are sitting on the wall. Slowly bend and straighten your legs, sliding your socks up and down the wall. Rest with legs extended and arms resting by your sides for up to 10 minutes. Breathe deeply.
If travelers have a CorePower Yoga location at their destination, what’s the best class to take the day you land?
Charlotte: The best class to take is the one that fits your busy travel schedule! We all love different formats for a reason, so find the class that works for you. I love CPY Hot Power Fusion after a flight because sometimes airplanes and airports are on the cooler side and it is a masterful class for realigning the spine.
If you have any additional travel wellness tips to share, please do!
Charlotte: Travel with your wellness routine, just like if you were home. Cut no corners. I travel with lemons (for morning warm lemon water), a neti pot, sesame oil for self-massage in the winter, wellness formula – the works. I travel light on other items so I have room to pack and plan for wellness as a top priority.
A huge thank you to Charlotte for sharing these tips! One of the things I miss desperately about SF was my easy access to CorePower Yoga (there was literally one connected to my apartment and one connected to my office, it’s like it was meant to be).
If you haven’t been yet, your first week is free (sign up online). There are studios sprinkled across the US, so hop into a class either near home or on your next trip!
