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6 In-Seat Stretches you can do on a Bus or Plane

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6 in-seat stretches you can do on a bus or plane

If you are a fitness junkie, chances are that you don’t really want to miss out on your regular physical activities easily. However, some days that might be not be easy since you might be travelling all day to a conference or a wedding.

So, what better option that to stretch out those muscles while on a charter coach bus so that you get your exercise and even reach your destination looking all fit and fine. These stretches can also be done by people who get backaches or headaches while travelling in a bus or flight.

When you sit on a bus or plane for hours on end then you might get sore as blood flow might be restricted to some areas of your body. Doing these stretches can ensure that the blood flows to all your body parts, thus preventing soreness and aches in joints, shoulders, head, limbs etc.

But, before you get into full work out mood, here are some pro-tips you should remember before you actually board the bus:

Healthy nutrition

Yes, this one is rather obvious, but sometimes we tend to forget how eating junk food before and during a journey can make you feel queasy or bloated. Hence, it is essential that you eat a decent meal that has the balanced amount of nutrients. Also, choose a meal with a good amount of fibres to help with your digestion, instead of just opting for burgers and fries.

Stay hydrated

You can find a pretty decent bathroom on a charter coach bus.Hence, make sure you drink plenty amount of water while travelling. This aids smooth digestion and prevents soreness in your body. Avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks like soda.

Now that you are comfortable and hydrated, here are a few stretching exercises to do while you are on-board a bus or flight.

Twisting exercise

Sit up straight on your seat and squeeze your thighs together. Pull your navel in and then twist your body towards the left while pressing down on your left thigh with the right hand. While in this position breathe in and out. Once you breathe out, pull in your navel more and twist more towards the left. Do this for another breath and then swap sides. This works your spine and core.

Calf Raises

A good exercise for your legs. You sit with your feet on the floor of the bus, hip-distance apart. You slowly raise the legs without losing contact with the floor (by your toes) and then bring them back down. This works your calf muscles if you repeat it 15 times.

Lower Body Exercise

This exercise can be done one leg at a time. If there is enough space between the seats, you can stretch out your legs and point your toes outwards and squeeze your quads. Hold your breath in and then flex your feet. This exercise will work wonders for the soreness in your ankles and hamstring muscles.

Pedalling exercise

This is as simple as it sounds. You sit up straight, push your hands down on the seat and start pedalling your feet as if you were riding a bicycle. This will work your knee joints and calf muscles. Along with this, you can perform rotatory motion with your head – it will alleviate the stress in your neck.

Neck and Shoulder exercises

Instead of just performing the rotating head exercise you can also do this one to relieve stress and headaches. You sit up erect on the chair with one arm bracing yourself on the seat. Raise your other arm and put it on top of your head.

Pull the neck gently in the direction of the raised arm, breathe in while doing it and then exhale as you return to the default position. Then switch sides. Keep doing this at least ten times.

Ankle exercises

Stretch out your feet and make your toes pointed forwards. Hold this position and then roll your ankles around. You can do this one feet or even two feet at a time. This prevents swelling in ankles.

Upper Back Exercises

This is to relieve soreness and aching in the back. Place both feet on the floor, slightly raise both your arms in front of you and bend them at the elbows and twist the arms around each other (by placing the elbow of one arm in the crook of another arm). Put a little extra pressure till you feel something in the back.

So the next time you are planning a trip somewhere on a bus or a plane, doing these exercises within a 30 minute interval is a fool-proof way to ensure your body is stress free and ready for the upcoming event.

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