5 Yoga Poses To Relieve Flight Fatigue

While travelling is undeniably an enjoyable experience, it does bring about its own set of discomforts and issues, with back pain and achy legs taking the lead. Extended travel periods, particularly following a lengthy flight, often leave our bodies feeling sore and tense due to prolonged sitting. To alleviate this discomfort, yoga poses are highly effective in rejuvenating energy. Here, we present five yoga poses you should consider practising after a lengthy and exhausting flight.

Downward Dog Pose

The downward dog pose is one of the best to relax the entire body. This pose stretches the spine and the hamstrings, the two parts that are the tightest from sitting for hours. 

How To Proceed

• Make sure your knees are slightly behind your hips as you get down on all fours. 

• Spread your fingers wide and place your hands shoulder-width apart maintaining your hands pressed into the mat. 

• Inhale deeply while lifting your knees off the floor and attempting to straighten your legs as much as you can. 

• Exhale deeply while maintaining your hands pushed into the mat.

Child’s Pose With Prayer Hands 

This child’s pose variation is great for releasing tension in the neck and shoulders, which usually happens when we sleep in strange, twisted positions that stress our back and shoulders. 

How To Proceed

• Bring your head towards the floor as you sit on your heels with your knees spread apart.

• You can hold your arms out in front of you, by your sides, or with your hands on your forehead.

• Inhale deeply into your lower back.

• Rest in this position for a minimum of 30 seconds and a maximum of a few minutes.

• Exhale and roll up vertebra by vertebra to exit or return to a sitting position with a straight spine.

Legs Up The Wall

This pose is one of the best poses to reduce the swelling of the legs caused due to long hours of travel. Moreover, this pose also helps in calming the mind and improving sleep quality. 

How To Proceed

• Lie down on the floor or ground with your back touching the ground/floor.

• Put your legs up on the wall at a 90-degree angle and let the wall fully support their weight. 

• Keep your hands to your tummy and focus on your breath.

• Do this for 3 to 5 minutes. 

Forward Fold (Uttanasana) 

One of the most effective poses for alleviating lower back stress by promoting hamstring flexibility is Uttanasana. This yoga posture helps open up the hamstrings, relieving the lower back.

How To Proceed

• Stand up straight, then bend forward from your hips.

• Reach your hands towards the floor. 

• Shift your body so that your hips are directly over your ankles, and feel free to maintain a small amount of knee bend if necessary.

• Try this for five to ten breaths or longer depending on your comfort level. 

Lizard Lunge Twist 

Lizard lunge twist opens up the hip flexors, which become tight because of sitting on a chair and due to lack of sitting on the ground or cross-legged. Moreover, this pose is great for digestion.

How To Proceed 

• Get down to a low lunge position. 

• Keep your back knee on the ground and your front knee placed over your ankle.

• Press the inner thigh of your front leg away from you with your hands inside your front ankle.

• Move your front foot to the other edge.

• Twist towards your front leg while gazing above.

• Your hips and spine should feel stretched.

• After remaining for five to ten breaths, switch sides.