When you’re stuck on a plane for hours, the only thing that’s going to keep your blood flowing is movement. But what if there are no exercise facilities on the plane? What then? Well, luckily for you we’ve got some great tips to help stay healthy during those long flights.
Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water and eating foods with high water content like fruits and vegetables.
Don’t forget about stretching!
Even just a few minutes will do wonders in terms of keeping your muscles from getting stiff. And don’t forget about your neck. You can stretch out all of those kinks with these easy exercises: lay back so that your head is resting on the seat behind you, lift up one arm over your head and then rotate your neck from left to right, hold on your ear gently and twist in the opposite direction
Give yourself a good back scratch while you’re at it. You can even ask a flight attendant if they have any lotion available.
Go ahead and get up every once in a while.
This is especially important if you are sitting in an exit row seat. Someone could be relying on you to get them out of there if anything ever happened.
Roll your ankles around every once in a while, this will help keep blood flowing through your legs. Stretch out your quads by pushing down on the bottom of the tray table with one leg, hold for a few seconds, and then switch legs.
If you’re stuck in one position for too long, blood can start to pool in the lower half of your body which can cause swelling. To avoid this just stretch out your legs or wiggle your toes a little bit to get that circulation pumping again.
Get up out of your seat and walk to the bathroom.
Yes, it’s going to be a pain in the neck, but you’re going to feel much more refreshed once you get there. It’s also a good idea to try and stand up every time the person in front of you does.
Getting up every once in a while can also help you avoid deep vein thrombosis. This is when your blood forms a clot in the veins of your lower body while you’re sitting for too long. It’s not dangerous, but it can cause some uncomfortable swelling later on.
So there you have it. Some easy tips to help you stay healthy during those long flights. Just be sure to get up and move around every once in a while, and drink lots of water to stay hydrated. And if all else fails, bring along your own snacks and entertainment.