When you go on long trips, whether by car, bus, or plane, you are often sitting in the same position for hours on end. This prevents your body from being able to stretch out fully and release muscle tension. It also can cause poor blood circulation especially in the legs which sometimes leads to the familiar and unpleased tingling sensation when your feet fall asleep.
The most common complaints after long travel days include muscle stiffness, blood pooling, poor posture, digestive sluggishness, and low back pain. You might also experience stress or travel anxiety which can also lead to increased muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders.
To help prepare for your next long trip, we’ve put together a list of some great exercises to reduce discomfort before, during, and after a long flight or car ride. They are intended to reduce muscle stiffness and soreness and keep your blood flowing.
Travel Fitness: Easy Exercises to Keep You Comfortable on the Road
Before Travel
Think of your long travel day as a marathon – you will want to do a warmup routine similarly to warming up before a run. Some helpful movements to do a few days before your trip are mainly geared to loosen your muscles and increase blood flow to the main areas that could be stiff from the trip. Some of our favorites warm-up exercises include:
- Dynamic stretches like leg swings, arm circles, toe touches, and shoulder shrugs
- Bodyweight squats and lunges
- Cat cow and good morning poses to loosen the spinal muscles
- March in place or simply go for a walk
During Travel
It’s a good idea to keep moving your body even when you’re seated to prevent blood pooling and wake up your muscles periodically. Try to do them every hour or so to keep the blood flowing. Some exercises we recommend while you’re on the flight or in the car are:
- Seated shoulder stretch
- Seated forearm stretch
- Seated upper back stretch
- Neck rolls
- Wrist and angle circles
- Knee lifts
- If possible, stand up and walk the aisle every hour or so; do some calf, hamstring, or quad stretches if you have room
After Travel
Once you arrive at your destination, it’s important to do some recovery stretches or a simple yoga routine. This helps reduce low back pain and release stiffness from poor posture and cramped limbs. Below are some great options to get you started – hold each for 20-30 seconds for the best results.
- Figure 4 yoga pose – cross one ankle over the opposite knee and bend down like you’re sitting in a chair. This is a great hip flexor stretch.
- Downward dog yoga pose
- Standing forward fold to stretch the spine and lower body
- Lay on the floor and place your legs up against the wall – this is a great option as well if you are experiencing travel stress as it helps calm the central nervous system and reduce anxiety
- Spinal twist while laying on the floor
- Bridge – lay on your back and lift your hips off the floor (you should feel the stretch in your lower back)
Although a bit of muscle stiffness while traveling is pretty much unavoidable, the exercises above will help prepare you for the trip and minimize some of the discomfort you might experience. By following our tips for before, during and after a long travel day, we’re sure you will bounce right back so you can get out there and explore your new location!
