Unless you’re going to a neighbor island, the nearest flight out of Hawaii state takes at least five hours, to the West Coast. Five hours is a long time to be sitting on a plane. And with more people trying to take their luggage on board instead of paying a baggage fee, there’s less leg room on board, as well.

Fitness trainer Anthony Chrisco of Honolulu Club has some tips on how to spring off the plane feeling as fresh as you did when you got on. “Once an hour, get up and stretch each part of your body, in this series of stretches I’ll show you. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. If you do this, it’ll keep the muscles from tightening up, which is what causes all the pain.”

He offers a workout that you can do partially in your seat, and partially standing in the aisle. A tightening in one area has a domino effect on the rest of the body, so Chrisco says it’s important to give attention to the entire body. “For instance, if the hamstrings are tight, it pulls the pelvis back into a posterior tilt, which causes strain on the lower back,” he explains. “Or if you sit too long, the hip flexors shorten, pulling the pelvis forward into an anterior tilt. That also hurts the back.”

HEAD
Pull your head from side to side, with the ear going towards the shoulder. Then pull the head diagonally forward. This stretches the neck, which might get kinked up from sleeping in the seat, or carrying heavy luggage using shoulder straps. You can do this seated or standing.

SHOULDERS
Pull your arm across your body to feel a stretch in the shoulder. Push your chin towards your shoulder as if you are putting it over the shoulder. This keeps the torso muscles loose, which, when tight, start to cave in, causing neck pain. You can do this seated or standing, though the seated version might cause you to invade your seat-mate’s space.

CHEST
Stand up. Raise your arm and bend it 90 degrees at the elbow. Place the bent arm against a wall. Turn torso away. This will stretch the pectoral muscles and also help neck pain.

GLUTES
The piriformis is a gluteus muscle. If it’s tight, the hips get sore. To stretch it, cross one leg over the other, and lean forward. You can do this seated or standing, though the standing version requires balance.

LOWER BACK
Do a trunk twist in your seat to stretch this. Put your right arm over your left leg and twist your torso. Reverse by putting your left arm over your right leg and twist the other way.

LEGS
HAMSTRINGS: Standing or seated, lean over at the hip. Make sure your leg is straight – no bent knee- and pull your toes forward (towards you.) Do not do this with a rounded back. Your back must be straight to feel the hamstring stretch.

QUADRACEPS: Standing, grab left foot with left hand and pull it back towards the butt. You’ll feel your quad stretch.

Chrisco says these are simple exercises that people can and should do all day long. What if your job has you walking around a lot? “Walking isn’t stretching,” he counters.

Other healthy reminders: Chrisco says to drink eight ounces of water an hour. “It keeps the connective tissues hydrated, which aids flexibility.” Take your shoes off on the plane because your feet swell, and bring a neck pillow if you’re going to nap, because falling asleep without one can really cramp up your neck.

Here’s hoping these tips will make your flight more comfortable and your time on the ground more enjoyable!

Reach fitness trainer Anthony Chrisco at the Honolulu Club, 932 Ward Ave, Honolulu, HI  96814. (808) 543-3900. www.honoluluclub.com.

CELEBRITY SUITCASE
What won’t they travel without?

Heather Graham, actress/ model

Actress and model Heather Graham was in Hawaii in March for the grand re-opening of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. She was professional and friendly towards reporters, and is seen here with current beau Yaniv Raz. She says she travels with "Yaniv, a book, and moisturizer."

Graham has been acting since 1984, but her breakthrough role was that of 1970s porn starlet "Roller Girl" in 1997's Boogie Nights. Her first starring role was in 1999 as Felicity Shagwell in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. She also appeared in the music video for Lenny Kravitz's cover of "American Woman" by The Guess Who. Gamers might be interested to know Graham voiced the character of Antonia Bayle in the online role playing game EverQuest 2.