Some Workouts while on the Road

Workouts for Travelers

Excited about your vacation? Even though traveling is fun, getting to your vacation destination-whether by plane, train, automobile-often involves lengthy periods of sitting. Hours of sitting associated with air travel-first in the airport lounge & then on the plane can leave you tight before your vacation has even started!

L. Leiber, from the Univ. of California, Berkeley is offering some great suggestions on how to combat the problem of travel related body stress.

Seated Exercises

What can you do when you find yourself in the captivity of an airport lounge? Try some of these exercises for improved posture.

Put your feet on the floor, just a couple inches away from each other.

Sit up straight.

Take your hips to the neutral position. Do this by bringing it vertical.

Push your shoulders down, away from your ears.

Breathe in, then exhale. When you exhale, be sure to pull your abs in. Do this after every seated exercise.

Figure-Four Stretch. Place one ankle on top of opposite knee. Hinge forward at hips, keeping spine neutral. Hold for 15-30 seconds, feeling a deep stretch on outside of hip. Repeat on other side.

Seated Twists (Do not do this if you have disk issues). Keeping your knees & hips to the front, then reach to one side with both hands and hold the back of your chair. Breathe in. When you exhale go farther while maintaining a tall posture. Hold stretch for ten to fifteen secs. Repeat on the other side.

Shoulder Shrugs & Rolls. Inhale and lift shoulders up to your ears. Exhale as you push your shoulders back and down, open your chest & let your shoulder blades move together. Continue to push your shoulders down and back. Repeat this exercise three to five times.

Neck Stretch. With chin slightly tucked, let right ear drop toward right shoulder. Hold stretch for 3-4 breaths, letting weight of head stretch left side of neck. Gently release stretch and repeat on other side.

Rock the Baby. With right hand on left elbow and left hand on right elbow, hold folded arms out in front of chest. Draw right elbow as far as you can to the right to stretch outside of left shoulder. Draw left elbow as far as you can to the left to stretch outside of right shoulder. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.

When You Are Standing: Waiting to get passed security at the airport is the first of many times your will stand in line on your trip. Make the best use of your time with some of these exercises.

Footwork. Stand, feet side-by-side, two or three inches away from each other and balance your weight evenly. Raise your heels off the ground slowly and evenly. Repeat eight to ten repetitions.

Prancing in Place. Use same start position as in exercise above. Come up onto balls of feet. Lower one heel to floor while keeping other heel raised. Alternately press one heel up as other heel comes down to floor. Repeat 12-15 times.

Knee Raise. Keeping hips level, raise one knee until thigh is parallel to floor. Maintain neutral spine, and balance in this position 15-30 seconds. Place foot back on floor and repeat balance on other side. (You can also balance on standing leg, slowly raising and lowering knee, touching toe to floor.)

Back-Curl. While standing upright begin curling forward one section of your spine at a time until you are bent over at the waist, arms hanging forward. Be sure to keep your knees slightly bent during this exercise. Come back up to a full standing position one vertebrae at a time. Repeat 3-5X.

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