Travel season is upon us. For a lot of, meaning spending time in airports. Except for the expected overpriced bottled water, bad chain restaurant food, and long lines for much-needed coffee, airport travel may also bring fatigue, bloating, and aches related to inactivity. That’s not the very best combination for moving into the “holiday spirit” or “vacation mode.” 

To combat these negative effects, here’s a full workout you possibly can do right within the airport. Complete with targeted mobility work, blood-pumping strength training, mood-boosting cardiovascular exercise, and restorative stretches, this complete workout will be performed inside your terminal.

Jetsetter Airport Workout 

Why Work Out on the Airport?

It’s easy. You’re selecting to spend a few of the downtime around your flight moving to counteract just a few of the potential downsides of travel. Travel tends to restrict us to small spaces and it separates us from our regular movement practices. Fortunately, exercise has powerful effects on our bodies and minds. It will possibly keep us moving well and feeling good. 

Only one bout of resistance training has been shown to extend concentrations of anti-inflammatory protein messengers in and across the knee joints. (1) Furthermore, this effect lasted over three hours. Since prolonged sitting is usually hard on joints resembling the knees, it is sensible to counteract immobility with exercise.

On the psychological side, a single bout of resistance training or cardiovascular training has been related to improvements in mood and well-being. (2) For those who work out usually, you might be accustomed to the uplifting effects of exercise. On the flip side, you’re also more likely to notice its absence. For those who could keep the exercise-induced good vibes rolling through travel season, why wouldn’t you?

An underappreciated advantage of exercise is the potential boost to the immune system. Immediate and lasting elevations in immune cell activity occur after submaximal resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. (3) Ultimately, any non-fatiguing workout may stimulate the immune system to mobilize its resources.

Although these acute changes within the immune system haven’t been directly tied to risk of common illnesses, it seems secure to say that revving up your immune system could also be desirable when you are soon to be confined with dozens of strangers on a plane.

Dynamic Mobility

The dynamic mobility a part of this workout serves dual purposes. First, it’s an incredible warm-up. Second, it begins to handle a few of the “problem areas” which will turn out to be stiff or achy during prolonged travel. For this portion of the workout especially, settle right into a controlled exercise pace. Discover a quiet area of floor space, tune out the hustle and bustle of the airport, after which get to work.

Plank to Pike with Alternating Toe Reach

• Learn how to Do it: Begin the high plank position — much like the highest of a push-up together with your body straight and supported by your palms and forefeet. Move to the pike position by driving your hips back and up, putting your body into an inverted v-shape. Next, reach one hand toward the alternative foot. Return to the pike position and repeat with the opposite hand to the alternative foot. Drop your hips and return to the high plank position to finish the repetition. Repeat your complete sequence for reps. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the following exercise. 

Plank to Deep Lunge with Rotations

• Learn how to Do it: From the high plank position together with your hands and feet on the bottom, bring one leg forward.  Place your foot outside of your hand, or as close as your flexibility allows. Lift your hand on the forward leg side and reach for the ceiling. Rotate your trunk and follow your hand together with your eyes. Replace your hand to the ground and produce your leg back to the high plank position. Repeat with the opposite side to finish one full repetition.  
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the following exercise. 

Side Plank with Rotations

• Learn how to Do it: Get right into a side plank position, supporting your body with one forearm and each feet. To reinforce stability, place the foot of your top leg barely in front of the foot of your bottom leg. Reach the hand of your top arm underneath your rib cage, near the bottom and toward the wall behind you. Allow your body to rotate at your support-side shoulder and keep your eyes locked in your moving hand. Reverse the movement and reach your moving arm toward the ceiling. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the following exercise. 

Dead Bug

• Learn how to Do it: Lie in your back with you arms straight up and your legs bent at roughly 90-degrees. Bring your low back into contact with the ground by rolling your pelvis backward (imagine “tucking your tail” or “bringing your belt buckle toward your chin”). Keep your low back in touch with the bottom throughout the exercise. Concurrently bring one arm to the bottom overhead and the alternative leg right down to the bottom. Return to the beginning position. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg to finish one repetition. This will require some coordination, so crawl and deal with controlling the movement
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the primary exercise. 

Upper and Lower Body Training

The predominant course (or concourse) of the airport workout is full-body resistance training. The primary two exercises use your body weight because the resistance, while the ultimate three exercises use your carry-on luggage for resistance.

Each of those exercises will use an intensification technique called “elevator reps” to extend the training stimulus with limited load. Every individual repetition consists of 1 full range of motion repetition followed by one rep with roughly 50% range of motion and one other rep with roughly 75% range of motion. Elevator reps are structured based on the resistance curve of the exercise. Each repetition forces you to spend overtime in essentially the most difficult portion of the range of motion. The particular techniques are shown and described below.

If completing elevator reps for the goal rep range is just too difficult, either perform the essential exercise without the intensification technique or perform fewer total repetitions per set.

Push-Up with Elevator Reps

• Learn how to Do it: Begin in the highest position of the push-up. You need to be supported in your palms and the front of your feet together with your elbows prolonged and your trunk braced. Lower yourself to the underside position of a push-up, together with your chest just above the ground. That is where the “elevator reps” begin. Push halfway back to the highest position then immediately reverse the movement and return to the underside position. Push three-quarters of the solution to the highest position and immediately return to the underside position. Finally, push all of the solution to the highest position. That’s one rep.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets. 

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats with Elevator Reps

• Learn how to Do it: Stand in a staggered stance with the highest of your rear foot supported by a chunk of stable luggage (definitely nothing with wheels), or a bench or chair. Shift your weight primarily onto your front leg and lower yourself toward the bottom keeping your torso upright. In the underside position, the knee of your rear leg should gently touch the ground or hover just above it. Time for the “elevator rep.” Push halfway to the highest position then return to the underside position. Then, push three-quarters of the solution to the highest position then return to the underside position. Complete the repetition by pushing all of the solution to the highest for one full repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per leg.
• Rest Time: No rest between legs. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Suitcase Row with Elevator Reps

• Learn how to Do it: Hinge forward at your hips and hold your luggage below you at arm’s length. Keep your legs barely bent. Pull your shoulders and upper arms up and back to row the bags to your stomach. To perform the elevator repetition, lower the bag halfway to the underside position, then row it back to your abdomen. Next, lower the bag three-quarters of the solution to the underside position and row it back up. Complete the rep by lowering the bag all of the solution to the underside position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Suitcase Good Morning with Elevator Reps

• Learn how to Do it: Arise straight and hold your luggage tight to your chest. Unlock your knees and hinge forward at your hips until you’re feeling a profound stretch in your hamstrings. That is the underside position. To perform an elevator rep, return halfway to the highest position then lower to the underside position. Next, return three-quarters of the solution to the highest position and return to the underside position. Finally, return to standing to finish the repetition. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Suitcase Upright Row with Elevator Reps

• Learn how to Do it: Stand holding your luggage in front of your legs together with your elbows straight. Draw your elbows up and out as you pull your luggage along the front of your body. In the highest position, your hands ought to be at neck or sternum level. Lower the bag halfway to the underside position then upright row it to the highest position. Lower the bag three-quarters of the solution to the underside position and upright row it back to the highest, after which lower the bag to the underside position to finish one repetition.  
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Cardiovascular Conditioning

Along with duty-free shops, fast food, and the occasional shoeshine station, airports are likely to offer large expanses of indoor space. For those who avoid the escalators and moving sidewalks, the airport can provide an incredible environment for cardiovascular training.

After locating your gate and taking inventory of how much time you’ve gotten to burn, go for a fitness walk. Since you can’t leave your luggage unattended, walking offers the additional advantage of loaded carries. 

• Learn how to Do it: Walk or climb stairs at the very best effort and quickest pace that permits primarily nasal respiratory, which can provide a more efficient cardio training stimulus in comparison with open-mouth respiratory. (4) For a greater challenge on your grip and core, perform a literal suitcase carry. As a substitute of wheeling your luggage or slinging it over your shoulder, carry it at your side in a single hand. Switch sides just before your grip fails.
• Sets and Duration: Two or three five-minute intervals.
• Rest Time: Rest two minutes between each interval.

Targeted Stretching

Stretching serves as a pleasant cooldown. At this stage, your muscles are warm and prepared for a soothing stretch. To efficiently wrap up your workout, each of those stretches hits multiple muscle groups. Just like the dynamic mobility warm-up, special attention is given to areas of the body that commonly turn out to be stiff or cranky with prolonged seated travel. 

Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch with Side Bend

• Learn how to Do it: Kneel down together with your front hip and knee bent to 90-degrees and your the knee of your trailing leg on the ground underneath you. Roll your pelvis underneath you (again, take into consideration “tucking your tailbone” or “tilting your belt buckle toward your chin”). It’s best to feel a stretch develop within the front of your trail leg thigh. Squeeze your glute to take care of this stretch. Reach overhead with the arm of the kneeling leg and barely bend sideways to extend the stretch. Hold this position before switching sides.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds per side. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the following stretch. 

Pretzel Stretch

• Learn how to Do it: Lie in your side with each legs bent in a “zig-zag” position — your bottom leg’s thigh in keeping with your torso and your other thigh pointed straight ahead. Reach back together with your top arm to grab the foot of your bottom leg. Use a luggage strap, belt, or shoelace if mandatory. Flex your top side hip and knee and use your opposite arm to push your knee toward the ground so far as comfortable, thereby promoting trunk rotation. Lie back and check out to rest your head and each shoulders on the bottom. Hold this stretched position for time before switching sides.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds per side. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the following stretch. 

Thoracic Spine Extension Stretch

• Learn how to Do it: Kneel in front of your luggage together with your glutes resting in your heels. Place your elbows on the bags and interlace your fingers behind your head. Drive your sternum “up” and forward, and aim to feel a stretch in your mid-back, lats, and triceps. In case your luggage is soft-sided or collapsible (like a duffel bag), use a bench or chair as an alternative.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the following stretch. 

Thoracic Spine Flexion Stretch

• Learn how to Do it: Stand together with your fingers interlaced in front of your stomach and your arms straight. Drop your chin to your chest and reach your hands forward as you push your mid-back backward. Take into consideration maximizing the gap between your sternum and your hands and deal with feeling a stretch through your mid-back.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the primary stretch. 

But What Will Other Travelers Think?

For those who commit to this airport workout, you’ll draw some curious (and perhaps even judgmental) eyes. Forget the lurkers. Your lifestyle is your enterprise alone. Only you’ll live with the ramifications of prolonged sedentary behavior on the airport, and only you’ll experience the advantages of completing a light-weight workout during your next layover or wait on the airport gate. 

Assuming you should arrive at your destination feeling fresh, why wouldn’t you’re taking just a few steps to make sure that end result? A light-weight workout on the airport will help. And speaking of feeling fresh, when you do work up a sweat, remember to make a pit stop on the restroom to clean up before you board your plane. Mobilized, energized, clean, and prepared for take-off.

Add a Workout to Your Itinerary

Let’s face it, air travel is difficult on the body. Fortunately, a workout that promotes mobility and a healthy pump could be the very best non-pharmaceutical tonic for the ills of air travel. Until more airports start constructing gyms inside their gates, body weight moves and luggage lifts could be your best options. Bookmark this airport workout as your travel companion on your next flight. 

References

1. Helmark, I. C., et al. (2010). Exercise increases interleukin-10 levels each intraarticularly and peri-synovially in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 12(4), 1-11.
2. Rocheleau, C. A., et al. (2004). Moderators of the connection between exercise and mood changes: Gender, exertion level, and workout duration. Psychology & Health, 19(4), 491-506.
3. Schlagheck, M. L., et al. (2020). Cellular immune response to acute exercise: Comparison of endurance and resistance exercise. European Journal of Haematology, 105(1), 75-84.
4. Dallam, George & Kies, Bethany. (2020). The Effect of Nasal Respiratory Versus Oral and Oronasal Respiratory During Exercise: A Review. Journal of Sports Research. 7. 10.18488/journal.90.2020.71.1.10.

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