04/21/2026
As a flight attendant and physical therapist, I can’t stress this enough….Your body needs movement before and during a long flight.
Sitting for hours slows circulation, stiffens joints, and can leave you feeling tight, swollen, or sore before you even land. A few minutes of intentional movement can make a huge difference.
Before boarding, try these 3 simple exercises:
1. Hip flexor stretch
Open up the front of your hips to counteract all the sitting you’re about to do.
2. Toe & heel walking
Wake up your legs and help with blood circulation. You can also do her raises, but I prefer dynamic movement .
3. Air squats
Get everything moving…hips, knees, and ankles. Sit to stand if you can’t do air squats. It’s the best exercise, I literally give it to everyone !
Don’t forget…movement shouldn’t stop once you’re on the plane
• Stand up and walk the aisle every 1–2 hours, heel raises etc..
• Do ankle pumps and circles in your seat
• Stretch your legs when you can(not in our galley please!)
I also swear by compression socks to help with swelling!
