5 Tips to Stay Healthy During Your Next Flight

To help you stay in shape and well, we made a list of tips to stay healthy during your flight.

Wear Compression Socks

UNHEARD OF! FABULOUS! SHOCKING!

Compression socks squeeze your legs gently and steadily, help increase blood circulation, reduces the risk of blood clots and the swelling on your legs. Below-the-knee socks are usually enough for flights, but you might want to ask your doctor. If you suffer from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or bad blood circulation, you will definitely want to wear compression stockings to avoid a possible episode, especially if your flight is more than four hours long. We offer compression levels 15-20 mmHg and 20-30 mmHg. If you are wearing compression socks for the first time for a flight (or ever) start with the 15-20 mmHG unless you prefer high compression.

Exercise

No, no. Don’t work up a sweat trying to do pushups in the aisle. You may smell bad and could get in the way of the carts. Sitting for too long in the same position for too long is not only uncomfortable, could be negative to your health. Lack of movement makes the blood pool in your legs and feet, preventing effective circulation of oxygenated blood, which can cause dizziness and even fainting.

If walking up and down the aisle is not an option (some airlines might restrict standing time, or you might not be able to reach the aisle if you are sitting in one of the inner seats and your neighbor is napping), here are some easy exercises you can do from your seat:

Lift both of your feet off the floor and rotate them in circles, five times clockwise and five times counter-clockwise.

Keep your heels on the floor and point your toes up as far as you can. Then keep your toes on the floor and raise your heels. Repeat five times.

Lean forwards slightly, clasp both hands around your knee and lift it to your chest. Hold for 15 seconds, then do the other leg. Repeat twice.

Wear Loose Fitting Clothes

Compression is good in areas where you want it, but loose clothes are better to avoid cutting off circulation in other areas of your body. Wear loose fitting clothing in breathable fabrics that don’t constrict veins and keep you from overheating. Loose clothes will also help you when doing exercises. Or sleeping. Or just being overall comfortable for the duration of your flight. As awesome (and powerful) as it feels to wear a business suit when traveling…it’s not comfy AND wrinkly pants are inevitable.

Stay Hydrated

The air you breathe in an airplane can be drier than a desert as it contains 66% less water than at sea level. The Association of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recommends humidity at between 30% and 64% for humans to be comfortable. In an aircraft, it can drop to 2%. This can cause mouth dryness, headaches, dizziness and even dehydration.

To maintain a good level of hydration, drink between one and two cups of water per hour, and avoid alcohol or caffeinated drinks which can make you dehydrate faster. Additionally, if you are kind to the fine folks in the sky who man the carts, you can ask for a whole bottle of water! Thus avoiding purchasing the pricey bottles at the airport if you forgot to bring your refillable water bottle.

Avoid Ear Pain

Pressure inside the cabin fluctuates as the plane takes off and lands. The Eustachian tubes inside your ears will open and close, trying to balance the pressure inside your head with that from the outside. This can cause your ears to pop and hurt. More than you wanted to know, huh? Never know when you’ll be asked questions regarding your ears at trivia night.

Chewing gum or sucking on sweets or mints can help the tubes open to match the pressure. If you have a child with you, a pacifier will do.
If the issue persists, you can try holding your nose with your mouth shut, and exhaling forcefully.

Follow these tips next time you are flying, and enjoy your trip from takeoff to your trek back home! Don’t forget to tag us in your pictures and use these hashtags! #SpiceUpYourSocksLife #Go2Socks