Flying can be a miserable experience, however, some basic stretching techniques can help to loosen up your body during long flights, making them somewhat more enjoyable. Stretching not only helps to make your body feel better, but can actually help prevent pain and injury. Be sure to target as many parts of your body as possible in order to achieve optimal results. Here are 3 stretching techniques for your next airplane experience:

The neck side stretch is one of the best exercises you can do on an airplane. Often, the seats in airplanes force our bodies into ramrod straight positions, which can not only be painful for our necks, but may actually lead to injury. Stretching you neck every 30 to 60 minutes can help alleviate some of the pain associated with flying.

Start by sitting up tall in your seat. Your head should be over your shoulders, and your shoulders over your hips. Take a few deep breaths. As you exhale your breath, slowly drop your right ear to your right shoulder. Hold this pose for at least 20 seconds before switching to the other side. For a deeper stretch, try bringing your right hand to the top of your head, and gently pulling your right ear closer to your right shoulder. This should provide a great stretch to the left side of your neck.

The back stretch is another great exercise that can help stretch your body during long plane flights, thereby eliminating pain and injury. To perform this exercise, start by sitting tall in your chair, making sure your body is a straight line from the tip of your head to your seat. Extend your arms in front of your body, and lace your fingers together. Rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing the seat in front of yours. Slowly extend your arms to the sky, until they are directly over your head. Push your hands as high up to the sky as you can reach. You should feel a great stretch here along your shoulder blades and in the center of your back. Hold this pose for at least 20 seconds before releasing your arms back to your sides.

A final great stretch to do on an airplane is the overhead stretch. As with the other stretches described above, start by sitting tall in your seat and taking some deep breaths. Slowly extend your right arm overhead, as if you were raising your hand. Rest your left hand on your left thigh. As you exhale your breath, bend your torso to the left, letting your right arm reach over your head to the left side of your body. You should feel a stretch along your right ribcage. Hold this pose for at least 20 seconds before taking a short break and switching to the other side.