Airplane exercise is the key to preventing stiffness, poor circulation, and even dangerous blood clots on long flights.
Why You Need Long Flight Exercises
Ever stepped off a plane feeling sluggish or swollen? Sitting for hours can do this to you. Long periods of sitting can slow blood flow, increasing discomfort and potential health risks. But with a few simple in-seat and aisle exercises, you can boost circulation, stay comfortable, and arrive feeling refreshed—no special equipment needed!
Many people have experienced discomfort from sitting too long on a plane. Things like swollen feet, stiff joints, and a general feeling of sluggishness are all common symptoms of prolonged sitting. Sitting for long periods decreases circulation and without movement, blood flow slows down significantly, increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). And DVT is a serious health issue, just ask Victor Wembanyama.
DVT is where a blood clot forms in the deep veins, usually in the legs, due to prolonged inactivity. When you sit still for hours, the blood flow in your legs decreases, causing blood to pool in the veins, which can form a clot. The longer the flight and the less movement, the higher the risk of developing DVT. If the clot travels to the lungs, it can cause a pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal.
In this article, we’ll go over a few of the best simple, space-friendly movements to help keep you loose, get the blood pumping, and prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) while on an airplane.
How Movement Helps Circulation
Muscle contraction and blood flow: Muscle contractions are key to boosting circulation. Every time you move, whether it’s stretching, flexing, or walking, your muscles help pump blood back toward your heart. This helps with preventing the blood from pooling, which we discussed how dangerous that can be for you earlier.
Oxygen and nutrient delivery: Movement also promotes the flow of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, ensuring your tissues stay nourished and preventing cramps or stiffness.
Flexibility and mobility: Movement improves joint mobility, reduces tension, and helps keep your body flexible and comfortable during long flights.
Every time you contract a muscle, you’re helping to push blood back toward your heart. This simple act of muscle movement is crucial for maintaining circulation and reducing the risk of swelling and discomfort.
Airplane Exercise 1: Seated Ankle Pumps (Boosts Circulation & Prevents Swelling)
One of the easiest exercises to do on an airplane is Seated Ankle Pumps. They will help keep your legs from swelling, and best of all, you don’t even have to get up!
How to do it:
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your heels while keeping your toes on the ground.
- Lower heels, then lift toes.
- Repeat for 30-60 seconds every hour.
Video Tutorial: https://youtu.be/Ow8AQubtCCI
Think of this movement as if you had both of your feet on the gas and brake pedals of a car at the same time. All you’re doing is pressing both pedals, then releasing with both feet.
Why it works: This movement encourages blood flow in the legs, reducing DVT risk and swelling.
Tip: Try alternating between slow and fast reps to keep blood circulating.
Airplane Exercise 2: Seated Spinal Twist (Relieves Back Stiffness & Improves Posture)
Now, let’s work on posture and back stiffness. Spinal twists are a fantastic airplane exercise because they counteract hours of sitting and can help loosen up the lower back.
How to do it:
- Sit tall with both feet flat.
- Place your right hand on the outside of your left knee.
- Twist your torso gently to the left, holding for 5-10 seconds.
- Repeat on the other side.
Video Tutorial: https://youtu.be/HwAkRrqbXo8
Why it works: Spinal Twists loosen tight lower back muscles and realign your posture.
Tip: Keep your shoulders relaxed and don’t force the twist.
Airplane Exercise 3: Standing Calf Raises (Encourages Blood Flow & Reduces Leg Cramps)
Standing calf raises are an effective exercise for the airplane that keeps blood flowing in your lower legs. The only drawback is that you have to be up and out of your seat to do them, but this isn’t too big of a problem. If you don’t want to stand up and do calf raises in the aisle, head to the bathroom and knock them out in complete privacy.
How to do it:
- Stand near your seat or in the aisle (when safe).
- Rise onto your toes, lifting your heels off the ground.
- Hold for 1-2 seconds, then lower slowly.
- Repeat for 15-20 reps every few hours.
Why it works: Standing Calf Raises activate the calf muscles, reducing your leg cramps and stiffness.
Video Tutorial: https://youtu.be/Uyg2QR1WAq8
Tip: Try shifting weight slightly from side to side for extra engagement.
Bonus Airplane Exercise: Walking
In addition to seated exercises, you should also be walking because, as we noted earlier, sitting too long can slow circulation and increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
How Often Should You Walk on a Plane?
A good rule of thumb is to stand up and move at least once every hour during a long flight.
How much to walk:
- Short flights (under 4 hours): Stand up at least twice and walk for 1-2 minutes.
- Medium flights (4-8 hours): Walk for 2-3 minutes every 1-2 hours.
- Long-haul flights (8+ hours): Walk the aisle for 5 minutes every 1-2 hours.
[RELATED: The Truth About Cardio: How Much for Weight Loss?]
Pro Tips: If you’re too shy to walk around the plan, disguise your walks as trips to the bathroom. If the distance is too short because you’re right next to the bathroom, walk in place while you’re in there for a minute or two to get the old ticker pumper. If you’re stuck in a window seat, set a reminder to stretch your legs while seated and take an aisle walk when your rowmates get up.
Tips For The Introverts: Use The Bathroom
If you don’t want to stand out on the plane doing a bunch of exercises but still want to keep moving, use the bathroom. No, I don’t mean go and drop a deuce (unless you need to), get up and go to the bathroom to do all of these exercises. This way you can have a little more privacy to do what you need to do to keep moving and get your blood circulating throughout your body.
All of these stretches and exercises can be done inside of an airplane bathroom. Some toilets don’t come with a seat cover, so in those cases, lean your hand against the wall to do your ankle pumps. Do them with one foot at a time so you can fully lift your toes off the ground without losing your balance. The same goes for the spinal twists, just do it while standing in the bathroom and lightly twist your torso to loosen up your back. You can also walk in place for a minute or two while you’re in there to get your heart pumping and boost your step count for the day.
There are ways around drawing attention to yourself if you care about that, it’s understandable. Just don’t allow yourself to make excuses to not take care of yourself. On top of that, it looks completely normal to get up and go to the bathroom once every hour or two. You could schedule this as your mini workout every hour if you wanted to. Just don’t allow yourself to make an excuse to damage your health because you’re afraid of what others may think. It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself, and that’s all you’re doing.
Key Takeaway: Stay Comfortable and Prevent Discomfort with Simple Airplane Exercises
Long flights can leave you feeling stiff, swollen, and sluggish, but with a little effort, you can prevent these uncomfortable effects. Incorporating simple airplane exercises like ankle pumps, spinal twists, and calf raises will help improve circulation, reduce swelling, and keep your muscles from stiffening up during your flight.
Remember, moving every hour, even if just a little, is key to feeling more comfortable and arriving at your destination refreshed. So next time you’re on a long flight, take a few minutes to get up, stretch, and do some quick in-seat exercises to keep your body feeling its best.
Do you have a favorite airplane exercise or stretch you use while flying? Drop it in the comments below!
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