In-Flight Exercises That Aren't Totally Embarrassing

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

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There’s one on every long flight: the well-intentioned passenger who takes to the aisle for a very public stretching session involving serious-faced lunges, side bends, and maybe even a yoga pose or two. Inspired—but also horrified—by these close-quarters calisthenics, I decided to take to the skies and try out more than two dozen in-flight exercises recommended by airlines then whittle the list down to the least embarrassing of the bunch.

On this list, you’ll find no thrusts of any kind and no attempted contortions that would make the stranger in the next seat blush. Read on for dignified and discreet stretches to keep blood flowing and muscles from tightening up on a long flight.

Bent-Knee Lift

While sitting with your knees bent, lift your right thigh up by contracting the muscles and elevate your knee a few inches off the seat. Lower your thigh and then do the same thing on the other side. Repeat 20 or more times for each leg.

Bent-Knee Lift

Full-Body Stretch

This one feels great, but it's also the most visible of the bunch. If you're self-conscious about it, stand at the back of the plane where only the flight attendants can see you. Reach up with both arms and stretch in that just-woke-up-ready-to-start-the-day sort of way. The best thing about this stretch is that once you initiate it, your body will know what to do, so just follow its lead.

Ankle Rolls

Virgin Atlantic calls this one "the revolver." From a seated position, raise both feet a few inches off the ground. Using your ankles as the hinge point, rotate both feet in circles. Do five or more rotations in each direction.

Walk

To get blood pumping and stretch inactive muscles, nothing beats an in-flight stroll. Walk up and down the aisle at least once an hour while you're awake. If you get up to go to the bathroom, extend your walking time by first heading in the opposite direction then doubling back or by choosing to visit the washroom that's farthest away from your seat.

Foot and Calf Stretch

Begin seated, with both feet flat on the floor. Keeping your heels rooted, draw your toes up as high as you can, flexing them for maximum stretch. Return feet flat to the floor, then lift your heels as high as you can while keeping the balls of your feet and your toes on the floor. Repeat in a fluid motion for 30 seconds to a minute.

Shoulder Shrug

Lift your shoulders up, then roll them backward, downward, forward, and back up again, all in a fluid and gentle circular motion. You can also switch directions and roll in a forward motion if you wish. While this is slightly more conspicuous than the other seated stretches, it's still fairly low-profile and feels great when you're sitting for long periods.

Neck Roll

Drop your right ear to your right shoulder as much as it naturally wants to go (don't force it), then, using the weight of your head to facilitate the movement, gently roll your head around to the front (dropping your chin toward your chest) and then to the left side. Hold the side, front, and other side positions for a few extra seconds to maximize the stretch.

More Stretches

Ready to work some other undercover stretches into your flight time? Try these:

Reach up and spend some time fiddling with the air nozzle, stretching your shoulders, back, arms, and hands.
Lean down to fish something out of your bag (stowed under the seat), getting a nice upper-back stretch. This one only works if the person in front of you hasn't fully reclined their seat.
Stand up and reach into the overhead bin with both arms, feeling the stretch in your arms, shoulders, and along your spine.

Stretching Don'ts

Airplane cabins are close quarters, and it's up to passengers to avoid invading the space of those around them. When you're plotting your stretching strategy, keep these don'ts in mind:

Don't get up to stretch during meal or beverage services or when the flight attendants are patrolling the aisles for trash. Choose a time when the path is fairly clear.
If you're going to stand in the aisle and do any sort of stretching that involves holding onto a seat, make sure it's your own. That way, you won't be shaking someone else's seat.
Don't invade your seatmate's space. If you need extra room to stretch, exit to the aisle or simply wait until your neighbor has gotten up to go to the bathroom.

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