Luggage bag type and weight.
Get a four wheel luggage bag, and less weight in the bag, the better. You will thank me later when you actually don’t have to lift/push/pull the weight during the travel and see other people around having to do that.
Phone Use.
Try not to be in the phone(as most people do), as that can cause a lot of neck tightness. Your flight will demand a lot of neck awkward movements anyway and you don’t want to bring on more.
Stretch before the flight.
I know, you may feeling…”What..? You want me to start stretching in front of everybody, over here where its so crowded…”
Well, the aim to get the muscles looser and prepare you for having to sit for long time. So, see if you can sneak to the bathroom or find a corner where you can do the stretches. Particular muscle groups you definitely want to hit are:-
i. Hip flexors ii. Quads iii. Lower back extensors iv. Pectorals v. Calves
Take a neck pillow
Airplane head rests are not the best for getting you a comfortable position head/neck position and the last thing you want is a “crick” in your neck, when you wake up.
Get up and move
Find opportunities every 45 mins to an hour to see if you could get up and walk the aisle area, just one way back and forth.
Keep a Resistance band (Theraband) in your pocket and exercise you Gluts.
Gluteals are one of most underused muscles when you are stuck on your seat. This muscle group provides support and keeps pressure off of your spine. Make a loop out of the resistance band(you can actually get looped bands) and when you are sitting on the flight, see if you can slide the band up the legs up to the knees. Then, slowly open the knees apart stretching the band to build tension in your gluteals/buttocks.
Walk everything out.
Don’t try too hard trying to get the tight areas right away as soon you get off the plane and reach your destination. Try to get a nice 15-30 minute walk and let everything settle in by itself.
Do some simple stretches next day.
Try to stretch again the same muscle groups that we talked about.
i. Hip flexors ii. Quads iii. Lower back extensors iv. Pectorals v. Calves
Hydrate yourself.
Drink plenty of water next day as you would want to flush out everything that has been stagnant in the body over the flight as well as making sure the muscle cramps stay away.
Be in the moment.
At times we stay stuck on how crowded the plane is, or will you reach the destination on time, and forget to enjoy the ACTUAL travel. Enjoy the travel, the breathtaking views from the plane, the pit stops and the music around you.