The last place you’d think of doing a downward dog? An airplane.
That might soon change, as plane yoga is apparently now a thing. TikTok creators are sharing in-flight videos of attendants guiding passengers through seated yoga flows.
One viral video posted last month shows passengers on a fully booked EasyJet flight with their arms raised, following a flight attendant’s cues while the ’80s Flashdance hit “Maniac” plays over the speakers. The video has since racked up 1.5 million views.
“He really said No DVT on this flight,” one comment read. Others were on board with the idea. “Stop cause this would actually calm my anxiety down loads,” another user commented.
“Y’all ever done plane yoga?” another TikTok user asked, posting footage from a Spirit Airlines flight. In it, passengers stretch their arms overhead, following along with the flight attendant’s instructions: “Touch your toes, stretch your back out,” he says. “And while you’re down there, pick up all the trash you threw on the ground.”
“Oh spirit got jokes huh,” one user replied. “Definitely a spirit thing to do,” wrote another.
It turns out this isn’t the first time Spirit has offered plane yoga as an in-flight activity. “Spirit Airlines: Free Snacks, absolutely not. Mid-Flight Yoga Sesh – yes of course,” one TikTok user posted in 2024. The passengers once again followed the same yoga flow—with the same punch line at the end.
Whether or not it’s a clever ploy to get passengers to clean up after themselves, there’s real science backing up the benefits of plane yoga. Flying, especially long-haul, can reduce circulation, stiffen joints, and increase the risk of blood clots. Flights longer than four hours are considered a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
To lower that risk, Healthline recommends walking around at least once per hour and doing calf exercises. Or how about joining in on a quick plane yoga flow? Just maybe leave the downward dog for after landing.
