The holiday season at Disney feels like the best and worst thing to happen.

The massive, gorgeous Christmas trees are set up everywhere. The sounds of Christmas music fill the air. The smell of pine needles make their way to your nose.

And record-breaking wait times make standing at Disney World feel more like a chore than enjoying the magic.

While it’s important to train for the miles we walk at Disney, we often forget to train for all the standing we do while waiting in line for the rides. These wait times often end up being several hours long! Don’t let the fatigue of standing ruin your holidays at Disney.

Practice these 4 simple micro-movements to reset your body and save your back and feet during the busy holiday season at Disney (you’ll be surprised with the first one I give you).

Why Standing Hurts More Than Walking

Massive crowds at Disney means standing still for hours.

Keep in mind that standing still not only happens while waiting in line for rides. It also means standing still while waiting for the fireworks. Or doing the Disney shuffle while you wade through the crowds to leave Magic Kingdom after the fireworks. It’s all this standing that can hurt your back more than walking.

Standing stamina becomes a huge issue especially when it comes to a Disney vacation.

Gravity pushes down on your body, putting stress on your spine. The longer you stand, the more your back muscles have to actively engage to support your spine. Eventually, this can lead to the feeling of stiffness or pain.

Gravity also impacts your blood flow. Prolonged standing can cause venous pooling, where blood accumulates in the legs. This pooling fights against your body’s ability to return blood to the heart, which makes your heart work even harder to help you walk all day.

The result: the feeling of plump feet, stiff knees, and a throbbing lower back.

But When You’re Constantly Moving, Your Body is Happy

You’ll take a massive load off your spine, joints, and venous system if you’re constantly moving.

Giving your body different ways to move can cause immediate decompression of your spine. Moving also relieves tension in your muscles. It also encourages blood to flow back to your heart so it can work more efficiently. The result: less pain when standing.

Constantly moving also transfers the load on different parts of your body, which is a good thing. Transferring load actually saves you energy throughout the day, allowing you to feel fresh for the nighttime fireworks.

Finally, small amounts of movement can help decrease cortisol levels in your body, leading to stress reduction. You feel more relaxed, your mind is more clear, and you have the mental and emotional capacity to deal with the unexpected.

In the end, your body is happy even when you’re navigating the massive holiday crowds at Disney.

“But I’m going to look silly doing it”

This is a big shoutout to all my introverts out there.

I totally get it. I’m an introvert. I like doing things that are new and different, but not at the expense of looking silly in front of a lot of people. Heck, I still get a little self-conscious when I do a stretch while waiting in line for a Disney ride.

Make no mistake about it: constantly moving in line does mean doing a few stretches. But whether or not you’re an introvert, we’ve been conditioned by society to conform to the norm. And that norm means constantly walking and standing in 90-minute waits for Rise of the Resistance.

But if doing a few stretches means instant relief so you can walk the rest of the day without pain, I’m willing to risk looking silly in order to enjoy the magic of Disney. Besides, more often than not, people are worrying more about their plans for the day than what you’re doing in line. 

And if they do notice that you’re stretching, they’re thinking that they should be stretching too!

“But there’s no space to stretch”

With the holiday crowds, it feels like you’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the family next to you as if they’re your best friends.

When you’re in line for a ride, things feel more cramped. Then, when you feel like you’re already close enough to the guests next to you, Cast Members keep telling you to fill in all available space… As if there was any more space to fill! 

The thing is, we’ve been led to believe that stretching requires a yoga mat so you can take as much space as you like. When this is shown as the norm, it’s easy to think that you need extra space to stretch. And sure, while it’s nice to be able to practice a Savasana pose and lay on your back with your arms and legs open, effective stretching can most certainly be done in a small, enclosed space.

The stretches included in this article are perfect for when you’re in line for your next ride.

“I’m just too tired”

Far too many Disney guests run into this roadblock.

Especially in the afternoon and evening, it’s easy to get into the mode of desperately trying to relax whenever you get the chance. You walked 10,000 steps by 3pm, you’re outdoors in the scorching Florida sun, and you’re starting to get annoyed by the crying kiddos next to you. You’re feeling the fatigue setting in.

The thing is, we’ve been conditioned by the health industry and society that a long, intricate stretching routine is needed to feel better. Fitness professionals boast the benefits of 15-minute stretch routines – something that just feels too overwhelming while you’re at Disney World.

The good news is that you’ll get the same benefits with a simpler, shorter set of stretches. The key is that your stretch routine is intentional.

Too many Disney guests also feel that exercise will drain whatever energy they have left. However, physiology tells us the opposite is true. The right kind and amount of movement actually restores energy by helping to flush out stress hormones and increases circulation. 

The result: your muscles and joints feel better and you have more energy for the rest of the day.

4 Moves to Reset Your Body During Disney’s Busy Holiday Season

1. Deep Breathing

1. Do a quick body scan: place your hands at your side, allow your shoulders to drop down, unclench your jaw, and close your eyes as you let your forehead melt away the stress of the day
2. Completely exhale all the air out of your lungs. Allow yourself to keep your lungs empty for a moment
3. Slowly inhale through your nose for a slow count of four
4. Hold your breath at the top for a slow count of four
5. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of four
6. Hold your breath for a final count of four
7. Repeat steps two through six as many times as you feel necessary (two to three is great to start)

2. Standing Cat-Cow

1. With your hands at your hips, arch your back and look up toward the ceiling
2. Then, round out your back as you look toward the ground
3. Repeat 5 times

3. Gastroc Stretch

1. Stand about 2 feet away from a stanchion, wall, or curb. Place the ball of your right foot against the wall while keeping your heel on the ground
2. Slowly lean into the wall, keeping your right knee straight. You should feel a stretch at your calf
3. Hold for 30 seconds for each side

4. Heel-to-Butt

1. Shifting toward your left leg, bring your right heel toward your butt
2. Keep your back relatively flat and hold your ankle with your hand
3. Hold for 30 seconds for each side

TIPS: With your other hand, hold onto the wall to maintain balance. Additionally, for a more targeted stretch to your hip, bring your knee back

This holiday season at Disney, give these moves a go and let me know how they feel!

Any questions? Feel free to contact me!