“When you’re traveling, whether in a car or on a plane, your body gets cramped,” says Sharrell Brown, M.S., ACSM-HFS, an exercise physiologist at Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center.

To combat stiff, achy muscles and joints, Brown recommends the following three stretches that are easy to do while you are waiting for your flight to board or refilling your car at the gas station.

Stretch 1: Gate pose

• Raise your right arm straight above your head.
• Reach up with your left hand and clasp your right wrist.
• Pull your right arm even higher with your left hand.
• Bending at the waist, press your right hip to the side and reach your arm over as far as you feel comfortable.
• Return to center and relax your arms to the side.
• Repeat with the opposite arm.

Stretch 2: Modified downward dog

• Place your hands on the side of your car, a sturdy chair or a park bench.
• Step your feet back and place your feet hip distance apart.
• Bending at the hips, continue to reach forward so your arms are straight and you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your legs.
• Return to standing.

Stretch 3: High lunge

• Place one foot on the center of a sturdy chair or park bench.
• Place your hands on either side of your foot.
• Slowly slide or step your standing leg away from the chair until you feel a stretch in your hip flexors, pressing your hip toward the floor.
• Return to standing and repeat on the other side.

“After traveling for a long period of time, do these simple stretches and you’ll feel better,” says Brown.

For more exercise tips and follow-along-videos, browse the Fitness Index.

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