Hopping in and out of planes is exercise enough, you say. But that’s not the kind of exercise that will condition your heart, make your reflexes and joints more fluid, keep the sugar levels or keep you from swinging from one mood to another!
Nor is it the kind of exercise that will make you euphoric after a good cardiovascular session. You need to counteract the effects of jet lag, artificial air in pressurized aircraft cabins and sky fatigue. Suzanne Schlosberg says,
“Sometimes your travels help you recognize how humdrum your workout routine has become. At home, it’s easy to fall into a rut – to use the same weight machines in the same order, week after week, month after month, simply out of habit. But a trip may take the routine out of your routine. You may have no choice but to try new strength exercises or jog in the pool instead of swim laps. And you might find these new pursuits so enjoyable that you add them to your fitness repertoire at home.”
Common Obstacles
What are some of the reasons why travelers do not incorporate exercise while they’re on the road?
- They’re stressed or too tired
- They don’t feel comfortable about working out in unfamiliar surroundings
- They don’t have access to a hotel gym
But if they made just a tiny effort to change this thinking, they’d be on the road to fitness sooner.
Engaging in exercise allows you to get out of that bubble of meetings, seminars and tours.
Walk when on the road
When traveling, have a pair of good walking shoes (trainers preferably) so that you won’t feel so daunted about getting from one side of the airport to another.
Having the right pair of walking shoes will encourage you to walk up the stairs instead of take the escalator, to walk instead of taking the conveyor belt, and to transfer from one concourse to another on foot instead of taking the shuttle service.
You may not know it, but walking these long distances with your luggage in tow serves as a combination/weight-lifting exercise!
Fitness while flying
Once settled comfortably on the plane, make sure you time your stretching and walking periods. If it’s just an hour’s flight, walk around the plane once and do your stretching at the back of the plane; if it’s a three-hour to five-hour flight (east to west in the North American continent), try to get up from your seat and walk around at least once every hour, doing leg extensions and trunk/neck movements.
If you’re crossing the Pacific or Atlantic oceans, those killer flights need not kill you. Increase the frequency of your stretches and walking.
Airlines such as Japan Air Lines show videos of how travelers can incorporate flexibility movements while seated or standing. Take full advantage of these videos. The exercises may help you ward off fatigue and jet lag.
A note about DVT
In the last five years, there have been reports about flight passengers, especially in economy class, suffering from DVT – deep vein thrombosis.
The link between confining airplane seats and deaths from DVT (formation of deadly blood clots) has been established by the United Nations World Health Organization. It has nothing to do with gender, risk factors, or genetics. Everyone is at risk – especially in economy class!7 This should constitute a compelling reason to integrate exercise while high in the sky.
To make an exercise possible while traveling, schedule your flights so that when you get to your destination, you don’t rush through dinner and then go to sleep.
Try to arrive during the late afternoon/early evening, to give you time to shake off the fatigue from the trip, and have at least an hour to do exercises either in your hotel room or in the hotel gym. Or use compression socks!