5 Tips for More Enjoyable Flights

Do you feel pretty beat up when you get off the plane?  Here are a few suggestions to lower the wear and tear on your body, and make your next flight a little more enjoyable.

HYDRATE

Airplane cabins can be worse than the Sahara Desert when it comes to lack of moisture. Because of this, you seriously need to remember to hydrate during your flight.  Keeping your body well-hydrated will make you feel more refreshed, and keep your digestive system happier too.  An easy rule of thumb to remember is take your body weight in pounds and divide that in half, then change those pounds into ounces.  That's how many ounces you should drink in a day to keep yourself well-hydrated.

ESCAPE THE NOISE

Invest in a good set of noise-cancelling headphones.  Trust me, you won't regret it and you will be glad you spent the money.  Noise-cancelling headphones are great for blocking out the drone of plane engines for hours on end.  You can actually hear your music or movie clearly.  And BONUS, it dampens the screeches and screams of the child sitting in the row near you that you just can't escape from.  I personally prefer the earplug style versus the over-the-ear headset because I found them more comfortable to sleep with.

BLOCK OUT THE LIGHT

If you're like me, you have a hard time sleeping on planes.  Partly due to noise, but also due to light.  Even if it's a red-eye and they turn out the lights, I generally have someone next to me watching a movie or on their laptop.  If my body senses light, it thinks I should be awake.  I fight this urge by making sure I remember to throw a nice, comfortable eye mask in my carry-on bag just for this very reason.

SUPPORT YOURSELF

Airplane seats don't seem to really be designed with a passenger's comfort in mind.  There is no support for your lower back, and your head feels like it is continuously being thrust forward.  To make sure you keep that nicely shaped "C" in you lumbar region and keep your back feeling comfortable, you need to make your own support.  You can do this by cushioning your back with your jacket, or using a small pillow or blanket you have packed into your bag (or better yet, maybe the airlines gave you one for the flight).

GET UP

If your flight is a long haul, make sure you get out of your seat occasionally and take a short walk up and down the aisle.  If there is room near the bulkhead, lavatory, or galley, take a few minutes to do some stretching.  This will help loosen your sore, tight muscles and get the blood flowing through your body again.  If you can't escape your seat because of a sleeping neighbor, try these in-seat exercises for your calf and feet muscles:

• Every half hour or so, bend and straighten your legs, feet and toes where you are seated.
• Press the balls of your feet down hard against the floor or foot rest every so often. 

Keeping the blood flowing through your legs will help alleviate the danger of deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the legs) caused by being immobile and in tight, cramped quarters for a long period of time.

How about you?  Do you have any tips you'd like to share to make that long flight a little more comfortable?

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