Over the past twenty years of treating patients, I have had a countless number of patients see me in my office for neck and/or back pain after a long drive or airline flight. Unfortunately, having to sit in one spot for hours at a time is enough to make anyone at least a little stiff.
However, if you have a mildly stiff neck or back before you even commence travelling, you will be even more vulnerable to becoming acutely sore.
In extreme cases, some long international flights that require passengers to sit in one spot for multiple hours can even result in blood clots forming in the lower legs.
In order to prevent neck and back stiffness, and maybe even a blood clot, while sitting in a car or plane, I thought it would be beneficial if I gave you some simple exercises that you can do while sitting in a plane or car seat.
Not only will doing light exercises while driving or flying make your actual travel time more comfortable, but the muscles that undergo even low levels of exercise or stretching will be more relaxed.
In regards to the blood clots, the more often the lower leg muscles contract and relax, the better the blood will travel along through the veins.
The more efficiently the blood travels in the veins, the less likely it is that blood clots will form.
The exercises are as follows:
1) Sitting upright, pull your shoulders back and forth and hold for five seconds. Rotate the shoulders slowly in a circular motion from front to back, and then back to front. Repeat this 10 times.
2) Slowly turn your head to the right and hold for five seconds. Bring the head back to the center and then do the same to the left. Repeat this 10 times.
3) Holding the right armrest with your left hand, gently twist your back and hold for five seconds.
Reverse directions and again hold for five seconds. Repeat five times per side.
4) With the balls of your feet on the floor, raise both heels, hold for five seconds and then relax. Then, with your heels on the floor, lift the balls of your feet, hold for five seconds. Repeat five times.
