Airport yoga rooms easing traveler’s anxiety

Traveling can be a stressful experience, especially for nervous flyers, but several airports across the country have recently added yoga rooms to help passengers unwind in-between connecting flights, during lay-overs or just while waiting at the gate.

O’Hare International Airport in Chicago added a yoga room in November 2013, and Chicago’s Midway Airport followed suit last September. Analysts hypothesize that the rooms are a reflection of an increasingly tense environment in airports.

Yoga rooms provide a quiet, calming space for travelers, similar to a chapel, says Victoria Jackson, group exercise instructor at Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center in Downers Grove, Ill. It can be a great stress-reliever, which might be why it is so popular among travelers.

“Yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system through postures, breathing, deep relaxation and meditation,” Jackson says. “The parasympathetic system kicks in and lowers cortisol level, lowers breathing and heart rates, decreases blood pressure, increases blood flow to internal organs — all of which is calming and restorative.”

The growing trend among airports is also showing how consumers are more health conscious than ever before. People flying want to maintain their health and wellness routine before and after they board a flight.

“It is vital for frequent travelers to maintain as much of a fitness and wellness routine as possible,” Jackson says. “Keeping a balanced-routine will help people to retain their highest level of efficiency and abilities.”

Maintaining overall health while traveling can be achieved with a few simple steps.

“First, maintain your sleep habits. Create a sense of ‘home’ in your hotel room by putting away brochures,” she says. “Closing the television cabinet and spraying a familiar scent. Also, maintain your regular diet patterns.”