We are flying back to California for Christmas today. If your trip is like ours, you drive about an hour to the airport, sit on the plane for another couple hours (in our case about 4 ½), then ride in a car another hour or (or 3 depending on Los Angeles traffic) to your destination. If you’re like me, that last hour in the car feels like an eternity.
You don’t have much of a choice when it comes to sitting in the car or on the plane. The time you spend in the airport? You have a choice how you spend that time. When your plane is delayed, and you have 4 hours to kill at the airport, you have lots of time to move around before you are confined to your seat. I try to move around as much as possible (and sit as little as possible) while waiting for my flight. This is how we did it today:
1. I like to check my bag, so that I have more freedom to walk around. (I love that you don’t have to pay to check bags on Southwest, so I try to fly them when possible.) When I’m not schlepping a bag around, I am more inclined to take the stairs instead of the escalator and move more in general while at the airport.
2. I recommend a bag or backpack that stays on securely without needing to use your hands or scrunch your shoulder up to your ear to keep it on. This also allows you to swing your arms freely while walking and keep your upper body less tense. Letting the arms swing while walking is great for moving lymph (as is walking itself) which helps your immune system. (More on this here.)
3. These are some stretches I like to do at the airport that don’t involve getting down on the floor. Your hips, legs, and spine will thank you!
Yes, the airport is strangely empty 2 days before Christmas.
4. When you have A TON of time, you can sample local craft beers with Lucy, the bartender from Croatia, see pictures of her hometown, and dream about going there. One thing I love about bar counters (or bar height tables) is that you can stand while other people sit, and it’s not awkward at all. After learning about Croatia, you can take your beer to go, walk around the airport, and browse the bookstore. Apparently there are no “open container” rules at Nashville International Airport.
5. Once you are on the plane and captive to your seat, you can still get in a little movement. Debbie at Positively Aligned demonstrates some options here. And of course, there’s always John McClane’s seat mate’s advice, “make fists with your toes”. (A reference to Die Hard, one of my husband’s favorite Christmas movies; although, I would argue it has very little to do with Christmas. It doesn’t have the same “get in the Christmas spirit” affect as It’s a Wonderful Life or Christmas Vacation.) Nevertheless, try it, it really does feel amazing. Swelling of the feet and lower legs is a huge problem for a lot of people when they fly, and any movement helps the circulation to the area. Getting up mid flight to walk up and down the aisles is helpful as well. I try to get an aisle seat, so I can take as many “bathroom” (aka walking) breaks as I want.
Whether you are traveling or not, I wish you a very merry, healthy and movement filled Christmas!
(For My Husband: “Ho Ho Ho, now I have a machine gun!”)
Anthology Wellness 