6 ways to make your plane ride more comfortable

Air travel isn’t the glamorous experience it once was, with room to stretch, complimentary food and drinks, and a sumptuous sleeping space. These days, you’re lucky to get a reclining seat and a club soda—and to deplane without back pain. Airplane seats are no longer designed for comfort, and it’s natural to feel some stiffness after sitting for a prolonged period of time in a cramped 18-by-30-inch space. But if you’re prone to neck or back pain, the good news is that there are measures you can take to make your ride as comfortable as possible. 

“As creatures, we are not meant to sit still,” says physical therapist Mary-Catherine Fraser Saxena, clinic director of Toronto-based fitness club Totum Life Science. “Knowing your mobility will be limited on an airplane, before you leave for the airport, spend 20 minutes going through exercises that feel good to you.” Fraser Saxena recommends forward bends, as well as hip and back stretches, to “get your blood circulating and create some movement.” And once you’re on board, get up as much as your seating arrangement allows, she says. Read on for more tips for a comfortable journey.

1. Choose an aisle seat, if possible, especially if you’re taller, so you can get up easily to stretch.
2. Stow your carry-on in the overhead compartment to keep the space at your feet clear. Having room to stretch out will help you maintain circulation in your legs. If you do have to keep a bag at your feet, put it in the middle of the space, with one foot on either side for the best posture alignment.
3. When you’re working on a laptop, make sure to use the seat-back table, not your lap, as a base. Working from your lap promotes hunching over, which puts a strain on your neck, shoulders, and back. Using the table will prompt a more upright, elongated back and neck.
4. If the seat has a foot pedal, use it—it’ll help you bring yourself into “an upright seated position,” Fraser Saxena says, especially if you’re using a laptop.
5. Invest in a lumbar roll or neck pillow. Inflatable ones are best, since you can adjust the size to fit your body—and they’ll take up less room in your bag.
6. Get up every hour, or as close to it as possible, and head to the back of the plane to stretch. Repeat those side and back bends, squats, and lunges. It’s OK if you feel a little silly—it’ll be worth it when you’re not searching for a painkiller at the baggage claim.