I don’t care about views on a long flight. Here’s why I always choose aisle

I’m an aisle-sitter on planes.

Taking an aisle seat means I don’t have to crawl over two strangers whenever I want to go to the loo.

And if my connection to my next flight is tight, I’m in a marginally better position to quickly get off the plane if I’m sitting in a forward seat.

But the main advantage for me is that I can get up whenever I like without fuss. I can move.

It astounds me how many people stay in their seats for almost the entire flight, perhaps only once getting up to use the toilets. I’ve been on a few long-haul flights where the person at the window hasn’t left their seat once.

It’s quite common. And while I’m glad not to have people crawl over me to get up – a problem with aisle-sitting – I always feel concerned for them.

“Many travellers don’t realise how quickly the body starts to tighten when we’re sitting for long periods,” says Brittany Tatterson, a Melbourne-based Pilates instructor who has teamed with Inspiring Vacations to devise exercises for people taking long-haul flights.

“When we stay completely still circulation slows, muscles begin to stiffen – particularly through the hips, calves and lower back – and even our breathing becomes shallower.”

Add to this the possibility of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), which is exacerbated by long periods of sitting from as little as four hours. It happens frequently, and not only to older people. (Please wear compression socks.)

Late last year, I flew to Europe with an injured knee. I had strict instructions from my physio to get up every hour or two and walk around the plane to avoid DVT.

This is what Tatterson advises every passenger to do. “Seated movements every 30 to 60 minutes are ideal, with the opportunity to stand and walk every one to two hours, where possible,” she says.

Everything about a flight, from the manipulation of the cabin temperature to the carbohydrate-heavy meals, is calculated to keep passengers quiet, comfortable and sedentary.

Even though I usually rotate my ankles frequently, stretch in my seat and do small isometric exercises, I don’t often walk around the plane. I’ll settle into a movie marathon for two or three hours and not get up except for the loo.

So I start to treat the aisles as a walking track.

My circuit has to be timed to avoid food service and turbulence, of course. There are obstacles, mostly people’s luggage or blankets spilling into the aisle, or even parts of their bodies when they’re sprawled out.

But a few laps of economy every now and again, followed by some simple stretches at the back of the plane, really make a difference, especially when I stand up to walk off the flight at the end. I don’t feel my usual stiffness.

The flight in question is on an A380, which has a little bit of space right at the back where the stairs land.

But what about other planes? Most economy sections are so crammed, there’s nowhere you can have a tiny bit of privacy, or even a tiny bit of space, to stretch.

You can do it in the aisle near the bulkhead or near the toilets where people queue. That works if you’re an exhibitionist.

I follow a nine-minute Qigong exercise routine every morning, and it would be perfect to do on the flight, but I don’t fancy being stared at. I got enough weird looks from people surprised to see me walking around the plane.

When it begins its Project Sunrise flights, now slated for 2027, Qantas will provide a “Wellbeing Zone” for stretching and exercise between economy and premium economy. The flights will take 20 hours, so the airline feels it’s warranted. It’s a good move.

But why aren’t we seeing exercise zones on 13 or 14-hour flights as well? That’s certainly enough time to develop DVT or compressed spines.

We know the answer: the airlines would have to give up a few seats.

Everything about a flight, from the manipulation of the cabin temperature to the carbohydrate-heavy meals, is calculated to keep passengers quiet, comfortable and sedentary.

Not everyone wants to, or can, get up to exercise. But it seems to be discouraged anyway, apart from making ankle circles from your seat.

Imagine if half the plane decided to get up and do nine-minute exercise routines? The flight attendants would have conniptions.

So much about the way we are forced to fly is counterintuitive to good health. Even one flight can take a toll. The only way around it at present is to make an exhibition of yourself.