Everyone agrees that traveling is the best medicine against routine and stress; however, this seems to be contradicted if the flight to be taken has a journey that takes many hours.
Most do not know what to do with so much downtime and can even neglect their health without being aware of it, not to mention the stress caused by the continuous noise of the airplane engine or the cry of a child who is found on board.
Now, regardless of whether the flight is for a work commitment or vacation, you must take precautions to mitigate the discomfort and the risk of contracting diseases. To do this, discover how to stay healthy on a long flight .
How to protect your health on a long flight
1. Choose the right seat
For this, you must know what your priorities are. For example, if you are one of those people who go to the bathroom a lot, choose a seat that is close to the toilet, but not too close either: remember that the flight lasts hours and the bathroom may give off a somewhat unpleasant smell. In addition, you should choose a seat that is close to the aisle, so it will not be uncomfortable when leaving.
The seats near the aisle are perfect if you are a tall person, so you can stretch your legs a little from time to time; on the other hand, if you decide to choose these seats, don’t forget to bring a pillow to support your head when you want to sleep.
If you are a short person, the window seat is a good option. In it you can sleep without interruption, counting on the fact that these seats have a support for the neck.
2. Stretch your body from time to time
If you are one of those who enjoy sleeping there is no problem, since there is no better way to take advantage of the flight than to take a good nap, but you should know that it is not highly recommended to do it for a long period of time.
Remember that you are flying and gravity makes the blood in our veins not flow normally, so you need from time to time to make some movements so that your veins return the blood to the heart. To do this, it is recommended that every hour you get up, walk down the hall, perhaps in the direction of the bathroom, and do some stretching; of course, with due care so as not to bump into someone.
If you can’t get up, there are some moves you can do. For example, with the sole of your foot fully on the ground, try raising your toes and holding them up for a few seconds. You can also do the same, but this time pressing your fingers against the floor.
3. Drink enough water
When you reach 8,000 meters above sea level, it takes a little more for the circulatory system to do its job. If you add to this that you will surely be dehydrated, your blood will become stickier.
To prevent dehydration during a flight , it is recommended to drink water instead of coffee or alcohol: the latter will make your mouth feel drier. In addition, drinking water will force you to get up to go to the bathroom every so often, so it will force you to walk and you will get the benefit of activating the circulatory system.
Don’t forget that low humidity on an airplane also helps dehydration, as you lose fluid through breathing and evaporation from your skin. To avoid this, drinking 2 liters of water throughout the day will prevent these problems.
4. Stay entertained
Remember that sleeping for a long period of time is not recommended, and there are many things you can do during the flight to pass the time that you may not be considering.
One of them is to carry a good book, you may have one that you have put off because you have not had time. You can also listen to audiobooks if you don’t feel like reading at the moment.
Downloading games to your tablet or phone that don’t need Wi-Fi is also a good option. In any case, generating conversation with your flight partner is what can really make the hours on the plane go by faster .
conclusion
A long flight can harm your health . To avoid this, consider getting some rest, napping for no more than an hour, stretching, and hydrating. Also, you should prepare various forms of entertainment; for example bring a book, download mobile applications that do not require Wi-Fi and have conversation topics to discuss with your seatmate.
References
- Lagaiden, S. Long Flight? Here’s How to Stay Healthy and Sane. For Livestrong. [Revised August 2019]
