How to Exercise on an Airplane
It's all too easy to feel like a sardine in a can on a long airplane flight. During a trans Pacific flight to Japan I was startled to see that after the movie an image of airplane travelers faced me, an Asian man and woman, with a single Caucasian. To a Japanese narration, they started exercising as did the entire plane. I soon joined them feeling refreshed after a ten minute session. Exercising on a plane can help you feel better, more importantly it can prevent a major health threat caused by immobility, deep vein thrombosis, DVT the creation of blood clots that can be extremely dangerous. It's an ailment that was suffered by President Richard Nixon and Vice Presidents Dick Cheney and Dan Quayle. If a DVT clot breaks free and moves to a lung, it can cause a pulmonary embolism leading to a quick death.
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Instructions
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Know the risk factors of DVT. There is a genetic component that is tied to varicose veins, cancer, heart failure and obesity. Pregnant women are at greater risk as are those on estrogen therapy. Smokers and people over 40 are more susceptible as are those who have recently undergone surgery. Two causes you can readily control are immobility and dehydration.
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If on a flight or shortly thereafter you develop fever, a sudden unexplained cough, rapid heart beat, enlarged veins, joint paint and soreness or pain and swelling of the lower leg or thigh, these could be symptoms of DVT. Seek help immediately, either from the flight attendant, or from medical professionals if you're on the ground.
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You best strategy to forestall DVT is to get your blood flowing. Wear comfortable loose fitting clothes. If possible, try to get an aisle seat to allow you to get up more readily and move around the cabin every half hour. Simply standing and walking a bit can help circulate the blood. Here are more exercises to try:
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Begin with your feet. Wiggle your toes. Lift both feet from the floor. Rotate one foot clockwise, the other counterclockwise for a 15 count. Reverse direction. Rest your heels on the floor again. Stretch and flex your ankles bringing your toes up as high as possible. Now reverse the direction. Keep your balls of your feet on the floor and flex your heels. Hold the stretch for a 30 count.
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Now move up to your knees. While keeping them bent, raise each leg while tensing your thigh muscle. Repeat with the other 25 times.
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To work your arms, begin with your shoulders, raising them up forward down and back. Repeat several times. Stretch out your left arm. With your right hand, grab your left elbow and pull you left arm slowly toward your right shoulder. Hold for a fifteen count, then repeat with the other arm.
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Arm bends are like doing free weight curls without dumbbells. Rest your arms on the arm rests of your chair at a 90 degree angle and then curl them to your chest. Repeat 10 times each. Stretch both arms high over your head. With your right hand, grasp your other wrist and pull this slowly down to the right. Hold for a 15 count then change arms.
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These two will help your torso. Bend forward slightly. Wrap your arms around a knee and draw it to your chest. Hold it for a fifteen count and repeat with the other knee. Do this 10 times with each knee. Place both feet flat on the floor and tuck in your tummy. Bend forward and start to inch along your shin to your ankles. Hold for a fifteen count and sit up slowly.
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Finish with a neck roll. Relax your shoulders. Let your head sag toward your right shoulder. Roll it first to the front and then the left side, holding each for a five count, then roll your head in another direction.
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Tips & Warnings
These exercises are great for the office as well, so print out this piece and keep it handy. This could be just the afternoon pick me up you need at work.
