5 HACKS TO STAYING HEALTHY WHIST FLYING
Staying healthy when you fly starts with being well prepared. Here are 5 secrets I live by from frequently flying.
Tip number 1 – Prep your body :
In the run up to a long haul flight you should prep your body ready for before and then during the flight.
Take multivitamins and a probiotics in the days leading up to your trip and for the duration of your time away from home. Airplanes are essentially massive microbe parties with wings, so it’s essential to keep your immune system strong. Make sure to drink plenty of lemon water and pack a lemon in your bag and squeeze into some water for an easy vitamin C boost on board.
To avoid bloating and excess water retention drink plenty of lemon water, avoid high salt (sodium foods), processed foods of any sort, fizzy drinks and take a probiotic leading up to your trip and during it.
Drink activated charcoal just before and then again after your flight. This helps to both bind to toxins and remove them from the body.
Tip number 2 – Sweat it out and stretch:
When you’re in the midst of jet lag, exercise may be the last thing you want to do. However, a workout may actually help reset your body clock while reducing the symptoms of jet lag. Studies have shown that outdoor exercise can help re-synchronize your body and that there are three important times when exercise can help you the most.
Working out before your flight :- While you’re still fresh and full of energy, try a higher intensity workout before your flight to burn some calories and get rid of any travel stress & anxiety. Its important to get the blood flowing round your body and avoid stiffening up & swelling during the flight. Stick to cardio and body weight workouts before with a nice roll out and stretch session afterwards. Try this stretch session below when you get to your destination.
For example if your flight is in the afternoon/evening do a work out first thing that morning. If it is a morning flight do it the night before.
During the flight :
It’s tough to move in such a small space, but any movement will keep your blood flowing and help you feel a little less cramped and tight. Get up and walk around if you can. Try isometric exercises. Squeeze your glutes, contract your abs or do leg extensions if you have the leg room. Quick in-flight workout:
20 leg extensions – both legs at the same time
20 glute squeezes
10 shoulder rolls forward and back
Neck stretch – hold for 30 seconds
Twisted shoulder stretch – hold for 30 seconds
Seated hip stretch – hold for 30 seconds on each side.
Get up and walk a lap and stop by the emergency exit where you have a bit more space
20 calf raises
10 squats
pec stretch each side
quad stretch
standing calf hamstring stretch
Depending on how long the flight is do this routine 2/3 times.
I would also highly recommend compression socks during a long haul flight and these are the best ones I have come across to date. I have had zero swelling to calf pain even at 7 months pregnant. These socks help increase circulation and reduce the risk of swelling, or worse, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and clotting on a long flight.
After the flight : You may find that your worst jet lag symptoms happen 2 or 3 days after you arrive. To help combat that, try to exercise the day you get there, even if it’s a short walk or a few exercises in your hotel room (try my hotel room workout). Your best post-flight workout is a 20 or 30-minute. When you land if you have the whole day ahead of you taking a 2hour nap first and then get up and move your body straight away for 30 mins. If you land at night then go for an evening stroll and light stretch, and then the next morning you can do a longer workout to help run the flight out of your system.
Tip number 3 – Food prep :
Bring your own food on board. Flight food is packed with added salts, sugars and heavy on additives and preservatives and light on taste. This can really upset your gut health.
To up your odds of a healthy travel experience, your best bet is to pack plenty of clean whole food snacks or a homemade meal in a Tupperware. It is even more important for people who have special dietary requirements because at least then you know you won’t have to grab anything that might upset your stomach. See below some ideas and what I took on board for my latest trip from NYC-LONDON (7hour flight time, 5 hour time difference).
