1. Start with some chair running
“While sitting, raise your heels off the ground and move your legs back and forth, running on the spot,” Keel advises. “This will get your blood flowing. Then stretch your legs out in front of you, pulling on the back of your hamstring and calf. Bend your toes towards you. To improve circulation further, bend yourself forward at the waist to take pressure away from your back and remove tension from your hamstrings.”
2. Now raise those calves
“In your seat, raise both heels off the grounds and squeeze your calf muscles,” says Keel. “Then, clench your glutes (the muscles around your bum) for a few seconds, release, and repeat. Your glutes are big players in lower back pain and by doing exercises as simple as these you can really release the pressure on your back. Repeat every hour.”
Chiropractor Julian Keel with F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya
3. Walk to the loos or galley
As much movement as possible – especially if it’s a long flight – is the aim of the game here. As Keel puts it: “You need to try to keep the blood flowing. Try walking as much as you can. Once you’re standing, tip your head and then roll your body forward, bending at the hips. This will gently stretch your whole body.”
4. While you’re there, retract your shoulder blades
“Bring your arms out in front of you, retracting your shoulder blades together and pushing your arms away as far as they can go,” Keel says. “Squeeze together and push several times. This is a good way to get movement into the upper back area.”
Julian Keel at his Barnes practice
5. Back in your seat, try rotating your neck
“Slowly shift your neck all the way one way and then the other,” says Keel. “Then bring your ear down to your shoulder and the same the other way. Flex your neck forward, poking your chin in and out. This will successfully rotate all the different areas of the neck.”
