(WellnessPursuits.com) – Travel can be one of life’s most rewarding pursuits, but it’s hard to reap the benefits if you’re feeling lousy after a long flight. Here are 4 tips to avoid air travel nightmares and stay healthy while flying:
1. Practice Breathing Exercises
If you’re an anxious flyer, breathing may feel difficult on a plane. (Actually, it is more difficult to breathe on a plane, thanks to high altitude, frequent air pressure changes and extremely low humidity, but we don’t want to make your anxiety worse!)
Breathing exercises can help calm you down significantly. Breathing through pursed lips, breathing slowly, breathing in a timed pattern of 4 (inhale), 7 (hold), 8 (exhale), or breathing through alternate nostrils will all help you breathe deeper, which will relieve your anxiety.
2. Keep Active
More bad news for the anxious: Sitting still on a plane for many hours can cause deep vein thrombosis. (You’re more at risk if you’re older, have a family history of this problem, or have other serious health issues.)
To prevent this form of blood clot, stretch and move around as frequently as possible. Ankle pumps and stretching your calf muscles are especially beneficial exercises, as lower legs are a location where the clots frequently form. Wearing compression socks can also help lower the risk.
3. Stay Hydrated
One of the biggest causes of not feeling well after a long flight is dehydration because planes are significantly drier than your home or office. Drinking water frequently will help to offset the problem. As an added benefit, it will also get you up going to the bathroom — which will help keep you active during your flight. Consider packing an empty sports bottle in your carry-on luggage and filling it with water after you’ve passed through security. Many airports now have stations for filling water bottles. You save money and reduce plastic waste as a bonus!
4. Bring Your Own Food
The last thing you need on a long flight is digestive problems, but the food served on airplanes and at airports isn’t exactly good for you. Avoid sugary snacks that will make you tired or greasy foods that will give you a stomach ache.
TSA guidelines allow you to bring fruits and vegetables, healthy snacks, or sandwiches on the plane. You won’t be able to bring drinks from home on board (because you can’t pass through security with more than 3 ounces of liquid), but the airport shops usually sell a decent variety of bottled water and juices to choose from. Alternatively, you can follow the tip above and pack an empty sports bottle to fill after passing through security before you board your flight.
Taking these 4 precautions will help ensure your dream vacation doesn’t turn into an air travel nightmare. Bon voyage!
~Here’s to Your Healthy Pursuits!
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