Flying can be uncomfortable, especially if you aren’t one of the lucky few with enough spare cash to shell out on business class. Economy seats can be cramped, and if you’re on a flight for a long time, it can cause some discomfort and even lead to serious health complications.
Cramping, bloating and in serious cases, deep vein thrombosis can all be caused by sitting still on a plane for too long. That’s why if you’re planning on undertaking a long flight anytime soon, you need to make sure you know how to keep yourself comfortable and healthy. The experts at Netflights have shared their best tips for how to make that long haul flight a little easier.
One thing they suggest is getting up and walking every one to three hours. Make a conscious effort to move frequently and walk around during your flight.
Walking to the toilet, or simply standing out of your seat for a stretch, can contribute to feeling energised and prevent seizing up, which is especially important on flights longer than four hours.
It’s also important to stretch, and you can do this right in your seat. You can gently roll your neck from side to side, roll your shoulders forward and back, and carefully twist your spine.
Each of these movements should be repeated three to five times in each direction, but remember to be gentle. These stretches should feel like a relief, not like you’re pushing your body.
The third way to combat swelling and bloating is by elevating your feet. Sitting with your feet on the floor for a long period of time can cause discomfort, and passengers can experience swollen feet and ankles on long-haul flights.
To minimise this when flying, prop your feet up.
Using your underseat carry-on to rest your feet on reduces the fluid in your body naturally flowing downward and minimises discomfort.
Flex your feet, rotate your ankles, or gently stretch your arms and back while seated to keep blood flowing to all areas of the body.