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A video showing a passenger doing a “vigorous” exercise routine from her seat for nearly the entire duration of a United Airlines flight has gone viral on Instagram.
The video was captured by Instagram user @sageacres_farm, who is a private farm sanctuary owner and mom of three children, the poster told Newsweek. The clip has garnered 5.9 million views since it was shared on January 1.
“I thought I saw it all but then I experienced this woman’s 90-minute plane HIIT [high-intensity interval training] class, interesting indeed,” a caption shared with the post reads.
The footage shows a woman moving her arms and legs in the air while using an exercise band in her seat.
“This was very weird on a 2 hour flight. I feel so bad for the person terrified next to her,” a note overlaid on the video says.
The poster, who did not share her name or age, was traveling with her family from Newark in New Jersey to Tampa in Florida.
“I was in first class with five members of my immediate family. My son was directly behind her and my husband was across the aisle one row down,” she told Newsweek.
As unusual as it may have seemed, the woman’s workout isn’t a bad idea in theory, as “immobility on airplane flights can develop different pathologies, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism…,” noted a January 2019 study published in the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics.
A November 2018 study in Applied Ergonomics warned that “sitting still for extended periods of time can lead to physical discomfort and even serious health risks.”
The study added that “exercises that are performed on a regular basis in a pressurized airplane cabin can have a positive effect on the perceived muscular discomfort of airplane passengers.”
@sageacres_farm on Instagram
‘Vigorous Movements’
The mid-flight workout session in the viral video reportedly began about 20 minutes after takeoff.
“She was punching into the air, breathing heavy, making a scene with her large vigorous movements that were disturbing and over the top,” the poster said.
According to the poster, the woman’s family members appeared indifferent or embarrassed by the spectacle.
“Her daughter was next to her faking to sleep on a late morning flight. Looked embarrassed. Husband was totally ignoring her as he wasn’t sitting next to her,” she recounted.
The impromptu exercise session disrupted other passengers, including the poster’s son.
“My son was behind her and wasn’t impressed, he was super weirded out,” she said. “My husband is a busy professional and he wasn’t able to work well on the plane with her scene…it was crazy.”
‘Bizarre’ Vs. ‘Really Healthy’
The unusual scene in the viral clip stunned viewers on Instagram.
User jtrickey18 said “This is bizarre” while kimschlagfitness wrote: “The feet in the air is NO.”
User codenamevalla said: “People need to stop acting like transportation is their living room.”
However, some Instagram users praised the woman for remaining active on a plane.
“Looks like she’s in her own space and not keeping anyone from doing anything. What’s the problem?” asked katie_polk__.
“If she’s not bothering anyone, this is amazing! As a pilot, this is really healthy and great for blood flow,” said ellie_langdon.
User chalenejohnson said: “I think the real issue was all the people just sitting there, letting their bodies rot for two hours when they could actually be moving, which is what our bodies were meant to do. I hope she starts a trend.”
User kfigluc said: “As long as she stays in her own space I think this is awesome!! Way to make the best use of her time. Get it girl.”
Conniemacko agreed, saying: “Excellent time management…Go girl.”
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