How to Survive a Long Flight : Health

Planes are incubators for sicknesses. And what really stinks is saving up your money, traveling across the world and getting to your destination just to spend the whole time sick in a hotel room.

Here are my favorite tips to give your body a fighting chance on that long flight:

1. Water Bottle – believe it or not, one of the biggest obstacles for your body on flights is dehydration. Flight attendants come around offering drinks several times, but not nearly enough for what your body needs. The worst thing you can do to your body is drink alcohol on long flights. Pack an empty refillable water bottle with you to fill up after security. That way you always have water on hand in flight. Drink up!
2. Moisturizer – Your skin gets extra dehydrated in flight too! You can buy 3oz moisturizer to comply with TSA regulations at most drug stores in the travel section. Apply moisturizer to your face, hands, arms and feet several times to keep your skin hydrated.
3. Lip Balm – Can you tell I love staying hydrated? Your poor lips get so dehydrated on these flights, they need some chap stick or they’ll start to crack.
4. Sanitizing Wipes / Hand Sanitizer – This one is super important because those planes are crawling with germs. They don’t clean the planes well between flights either; I’ve opened my tray table up and found smeared food from the last flight! Using sanitizing wipes to disinfect your space is vital! I like to go cleaning crazy and wipe down my seat and the seats near me (you’re welcome neighbors), my tray table, my arm rests, the seat in front of me, and the screen (if I have one).
5. Vitamin C – Being in a closed space with over 200 people for hours on end calls for serious Vitamin C. I like bringing Emergen-C (a Fizzy dissolvable powder high in Vitamin C) with me and taking it two or three times during the flight, you don’t want to get to your destination and be sick during your vacation.
6. Stretching / Walking –The combination of less oxygen from the higher altitude, dehydration, and sitting for long periods of time decreases circulation, tenses muscles, and can even cause blood clots. If you remain seated for more than four hours, your chance of a blood clot doubles. Get up and walk around a little bit, stretch your muscles, especially your legs, get your blood flowing. Your body will thank you.