Hi there,
Sitting in an airplane for 10-12 hours in an international flight has always been a terrible experience, and I'm sure it's very unhealthy for our posture. Can you recommend any best practices on how to best deal with long airplane rides?
Ofer
2 months 2 weeks ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
Such a good question. Airplane seats are almost as bad as car seats! Let's up the ante on this. Instead of "how do we DEAL with long flights" how about "how can we make that time that really good for our posture?" Since you can't go anywhere else, what a great time to focus a little on stretchsitting and even add in some seated hip hinges and neck stretches and seated inner corset work periodically to keep your spine long and your body active.
If you bring your stretchsit cushion, fabulous. If you don't, use a jacket or sweater to fill in the C shape of the seat and give you something to hook onto. My experience is that plane seats don't "bucket" much, so you probably won't need to fill in the bottom of the seat, just the back. Esther has a short blog here about plane flights: https://gokhalemethod.com/blog/56595.
Assuming you've taken the Gokhale Method Foundations Course, you can review stretchsitting, stacksitting, the inner corset, and even some of the neck stretches while inflight. You can download the book on your device so it's there with you. Then, with your spine long and happy, settle into your movie or sudoku--or even a nap. To sleep, stretchsit on your reclined seat, add neck length, then support your head as best you can with a rolled up sweater or pillow.
3 years 4 months ago
01/19/2019 - 10:39am
Thanks.
What specifically canbe done for legs? IF someone has a tendency to swelling legs after long sitting. I heard about getting up and walking but if you sit in the middle seat and are shy to disturb the neighbor often=?
2 months 2 weeks ago
06/12/2012 - 12:49pm
This is a question that is bigger than just the airplane ride, and should be addressed comprehensively before (and after) you get on a plane! Getting exercise, stretching and even good nutrition can help with circulation in the legs.
While on the plane, avoid crossing your legs or doing other things that could impede circulation. Also, dehydration--which seems almost inevitable given the constant blowing and recirculating of air on a jet--can contribute to poor circulation in the legs. Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after your flight. I usually bring a reusable water bottle that I fill in the airport--after passing through security but before boarding the plane--because I need more hydration than I get from the beverages served inflight. Of course, that will also mean you have to get up and bother your neighbors, but at least you have a good excuse!
If you are still experiencing swelling, you could try wearing compression socks on the plane.
Good luck!
Abeja