Plane Stiff and Sore...Tales of a Traveler with Arthritis

Okay, I admit, I denied the stiffness and pain in my joints for longer than I should have. I kept thinking that I was too young to feel so "old." And then two summers ago, I had an accident and fell, cracking the cartilage in my right knee and straining the left one.

Because the pain wouldn't let up, I finally went to the doctor and they ordered x-rays. I even went through a painful treatment - three shots, given directly into my knee, to help replenish the fluids that had been lost after the accident. But the end result was the same - I have arthritis, made worse by the accident.

Over the last several months, it has gotten worse, and has moved to my wrists, my fingers, my shoulders, even my hips. I do stretching exercises every morning, and take a new drug called Celebrex - which for me works wonders!

But we have been doing a lot of traveling the last few months - London, Vienna and Salzburg and something I discovered is that I get "plane stiff and sore" after sitting on an airplane, even for a few hours. (Or while riding in the car - we took a three hour drive up to the French Alps recently, and I could barely stand, let alone walk, when I first got out of the car!) Does that happen to you too?

Of course, I have always heard that one of the best things you can do is to get up and walk in the aisles as much as possible - but I always prefer a window seat, and if your flight is only an hour or so, it seems as if the stewardesses are in the aisles most of the time, serving drinks and those stingy little packets of nuts or biscuits they serve these days. And I hate having to climb over people to get out. I would rather just sit.

Well, the good news is, there are some simple exercises that you can do to help keep your muscles loose and limber while you are traveling. (These were developed by Marilyn Moffat, PhD who is a professor of physical therapy at New York University - for the American Arthritis Foundation).

1. Heel raises. While sitting with your feet flat on the floor, "step up" onto your toes, and raise your heels several inches off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Raise and lower 10 times.

2. Ankle circles. Raise one leg slightly off the ground and rotate in a clockwise direction 15 times. Then rotate in a counter-clockwise direction 15 times. Repeat with other leg. (I found this one difficult to do on the plane, although I could do it if I stretched my leg out underneath the seat in front of me, and kept my heel on the floor, I could do it.)

3. Stretches. If possible, do this one standing. Reach both arms straight up and gently stretch your muscles for 10 to 15 seconds, then bend to each side and do the same. (Obviously this one will get you some strange looks from your seating companions if you are in a plane, but again, you can do them with a little moderation.) To do this one while seated, try stretching one arm at a time straight up - as if you're trying to adjust the air conditioning jets. Then you can do some simple arm flexes - as if you're using weights, and finally, circle your wrists (the same way you did with your ankles.)

4. Waist twists. This one is fairly simple - with your left hand, grip your right armrest, and twist your body as far to the right as possible. Hold for five to 10 seconds - and repeat 5 to 10 times. Then grip your left armrest with your right hand and repeat.

5. Curl downs. Pull your chin and stomach in and hold them as you curl slowly towards the floor, letting your arms hang loosely down to your sides. (Again, this one doesn't work for me on a plane - there's not enough room to curl forward. So I improvise by sucking my stomach in and holding for a count of 10. I do this one 10 times. Then I tighten my buns and do the same thing. You can also do your Kegel exercises on the plane, and no one will be the wiser!)

6. Leg lifts. While sitting, slowly lift your left leg two to three inches off the floor and hold for a count of 10, then lower it back down and raise your right leg. Repeat each leg lift 10 to 15 times.

7. Leg stretches. Stretch your legs out in front of you as far as possible, and stretch your musles - point your toes and hold for a count of 10, then arch your foot and point your toes towards you and hold for a count of 10. Repeat 5 times.

And there you have it - simple exercises you can do while sitting in a plane or a car that will help to keep you from getting too stiff while you're traveling! If you've got any other exercises you do, please feel free to share them here!