Many of you may notice I say “have a comfortable flight” rather than the usual ‘have a safe flight.’ Mostly because the latter is 99.99% a given but not the prior at all. There are lots of things we can do to assist the airlines in making our flights more comfortable. I may have written about flying comfortably before but this newsletter is more about flying fit and comfortable. Of course flying business and first or purchasing extra leg room seats are the most obvious. But most of us can not afford to do this. What else can we do? Here are a few suggestions…
– Allow plenty of arrival time. This avoids getting all hot and bother running through the airport. Getting hot then cool on the plane is not particularly comfortable or healthy.
– Wear comfortable clothes, natural fabrics that breath. Cotton, wool, linen, are all good choices and loose fitting clothes is a plus. You do not want to restrict the flow of blood vessels. If you are on a long haul flight, more than 5 hours I recommend compression stockings.
– Inside security either purchase a water bottle or refill your reusable bottle. The air is very dry on the planes and there is never enough water to keep hydrated.
– Also for hydration I suggest using hand and face creams during any flight. There are also moisture face sprays you can use.
– One more tip for hydration, if you are prone to dry eyes or wear contacts do not forget your eye drops.
Now that you have plenty of liquid you may need to get up to use the bathrooms. This is good for your comfort and also your legs. Movement is also good. While sitting in your seat you can do several in-flight exercises. Circle your ankles by twisting your feet in circles, then pump your feet, like on and off the gas pedal. Third, lift your knees upward and then lift your knees towards you chest. For the upper back and arms, lift you hands as high as you can over your head and stretch, then grab your hands together and reach backwards. You can do hand circles like the feet and stretch the hands down and upward by using the alternate hand to press up or down. Roll you head in circles and stretch. Do all these exercises several times during the flight! The more movement the better for your circulatory system and the more comfortable you body will be. Sitting very still for over two hours will make you very stiff, swollen, and uncomfortable!
Lastly for those of you with the means, I recommend a noise cancelling head set. I love mine. Blocking the noise will help the body relax. And your seat mate will not bother you!
Now read a good book, sit back, and enjoy the flight!
AlwaysHarriet 