Yes, Airplane Yoga Is a Thing. Here’s Why It’s Our New Obsession.

Are you making the most of your long and tedious flights?

It’s easy to stiffen up during a flight and get some serious body aches. To remedy this problem, our very own Fry Bucket sought a remedy during her ridiculously long flight to Disneyland Paris…and thus a new love of airplane yoga was born!

As Fry and AllEars Emma settled in for their long flight, Fry planned it all out. She threw on Mamma Mia (a CLASSIC), listened to Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, and tried her hand at a little airplane yoga.

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Now, airplane yoga might not be what you expect. She didn’t get up and do poses in the middle of the aisle or anything that bold. Instead, she tried out some flight-friendly exercises!

Referencing a video she had ready to go, Fry participated in gentle yoga stretches, poses, and breathing techniques — all from her seat! If you want, you can even utilize the aisle and the rest of the cabin, albeit you may get some looks.

The goal of airplane yoga is to counteract stiffness, improve circulation, ease stress, and restore movement — all vital activities that fight against the restrictiveness of a long flight where you’re strapped to a seat.

We’re talking seat-safe flows and micro-movements. You know — small movements that keep your blood flowing, joints unlocked, and your posture intact. According to YogaJournal, some exercises include the following:

• Seated Cat–Cow Variation: Sit upright, feet on the floor. Interlace fingers behind your head, and keep your elbows wide.  Inhale: lift your chest (back arches). Exhale: round forward and put your chin to your chest. Repeat.
• Seated Twist: Sit at the edge of your seat, feet grounded. Inhale to lengthen, exhale, and twist to one side by placing one hand behind you and the other on the opposite knee. Hold 5–10 breaths; switch.
• Eagle-Arms / Shoulder Wrap: Cross your forearms in front (or wrap your arms around your shoulders in a self-hug). Lift the elbows gently upward and press your shoulder blades down.
• Seat Pigeon / Leg Lift: Lift one leg, placing your ankle on the opposite thigh if possible. Go for a gentle forward fold if space allows, or simply lift your leg and flex/point your foot for circulation.
• Neck Rolls / Lateral Neck Stretch: Slowly roll your head side to side. Tilt your head gently to each shoulder, hand assisting if you’re comfortable (don’t force it).

As a pro tip, only do these exercises when the “fasten seatbelt” sign is off.

There are many other poses you can try, and now that we know about airplane yoga, we can’t wait to try them all!

Have you heard of airplane yoga? Have you tried it? Let us know and continue to follow us here at AllEars for more travel tips!

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If you’re looking for a travel agent to help with your vacation, we recommend our friends at Mouse Fan Travel. They’re experts in the field with over 20 years of vacation planning experience, and they can help take a bunch of the stress out of the entire booking process for you!

What do YOU do to get through a long flight? Share your tips in the comments below!

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