Introduction
No matter how healthy you are we’ve all experienced the negative effects of jetlag, from trouble sleeping to pounding headaches. In most cases, air travelers experience milder effects of jetlag such as dehydration and lack of energy.
Small changes to your flight habits can have a significant positive impact on preventing jetlag. Here are our top 5 tips for healthy and comfortable air travel.
Top 5 Tips for Healthy Air Travel
1) Hydrate: Keeping yourself hydrated in the dry airplane cabin is the easiest way to mitigate the impact of jetlag. Avoid alcohol during, before or immediately after the flight and drink water throughout the flight by keeping a bottle at your seat. If necessary, bring your own empty bottle and have the flight attendants fill it up as soon as you board.
2) Block the Noise: The high decibel constant buzz of the airplane is a big cause of jetlag and the poor quality earphones in cattle class seats are the fastest way to send a headache straight to your head. Instead, bring your own pair of noise cancellation headsets or wear ear plugs when sleeping or reading.
3) Maintain Blood Flow: How many people actually sit in their office in one chair for an entire 10 hours? Probably none of us. Then why sit in a plane seat for that long? Instead, sit in the aisle seat, stand up frequently and walk around, or at the very least shake your legs out and do simple upper body stretches in your seat.
4) Reduce stress: Give yourself plenty of time before your flight to reduce stress of unpredictable queues for security or immigration. If you want to remain productive, then schedule a phone call right before your flight or bring along 30 minutes of work to do after you’re sitting comfortably in the frequent flyer lounge or at your gate.
5) Treat Your Body Well: Sitting in a small seat or carrying a heavy messenger bag is the perfect way to get your body twisted like a pretzel. We suggest that you use luggage carts for your heavy luggage and even for your carry-on when wandering around the departure hall. If you can spare the time, get yourself a massage when you land to relax your muscles and get your spine back in-line.