BTTS Tip #6: What To Do During a Long Flight

Below is a list of things you could do next time you're on a long flight to your next vacation or business meeting. These are simple tips to incorporate to stay healthy and you'll be amazed how refreshed you'll be. Try them. If you have any questions or need additional tips, contact us.

• Do Watch a Movie. The movies that are played for everyone can help in distracting you on a long flight. Slip your headphones on and try to get into the movie. And before you know it, there will only be three hours left in your flight.
• Do Read. Buy a magazine at the airport, grab the local newspaper, bring an e-reader, or read along a 2000 page novel, reading will help pass time. Even if you’re not a regular reader, if you open up a book on a plane, you will suddenly be on page 72 without even realizing it.
• Go For A Walk. They frown upon “gathering in the galley ways”, but there is no rule against walking on the airplane. It is really good to get some exercise during a long flight, and it can help pass time. Also, stretch those legs, and get a look at something besides the back of the seat in front of you. And who knows, you maybe even meet someone interesting.
• Talk To Your Seat-Mate. Unheard of? Socializing? No way, isn’t texting for this? Who knows, maybe you’re heading to the same place. Maybe they are flying to Latin America for the weekend to eat Brazilian BBQ and watch the sunset on their personal hacienda and just wanted to invite a stranger. Have some fun, you’ll probably never see this person again.
• Do Not Sleep Through Takeoff Or Landing. When the plane ascends or descends, the air pressure around you changes faster than the air inside your ears. If you've ever flown before, you know this can be super uncomfortable but only temporarily. To equalize the pressure, all you need to do is chew gum, inhale, then exhale gently as you hold your mouth and nose shut, suck on some healthy candy, or yawn. Main point is to stay awake.
• Do Not Sit From Takeoff To Landing. Low air pressure in the cabin can slow your circulation and possibly set you up for blood clots, particularly in the legs. Sitting around doesn't help. To reduce your risk of developing clots, which could pose major health issues if they travel to your lungs, brain, or heart, the CDC suggests getting up and moving around as often as possible.
• Do Not Doze Off when it's daytime at your final destination. Because this will make it harder to adjust to the time zone you're traveling to. It's a surefire way to screw yourself over. Instead, change your watch to reflect the time zone of wherever it is you're going as soon as you board the plane. Get yourself mentally ready to what will happen when you land. Set your circadian rhythm - mentally.
• Do Not Declining a Beverage (H2O - please). Stay hydrated as much as you can. Order that refreshment when the flight attendant rolls up. Cabin air is notoriously dry. Because your body loses moisture every time you exhale, simply breathing at high altitudes can dehydrate you.
• Do Not Ordering Tea or Coffee. Never mind the fact that in-flight coffee is an insult to the beverage. Most coffees and teas are made from plane tap water that could contain coliform, bacteria found in 12 percent of commercial airplanes, according to a 2012 Environmental Protection Agency report.
• Do Not Drinking Anything With Bubbles. Changes in air pressure can cause gas in the body to expand as much as 25 percent, according to an Aerospace Medical Association report. Because these bubbly beverages do the same thing, they can intensify these uncomfortable effects. Try to skip them to feel less bloated.
• Do Not Consume Alcohol. While alcohol might initially help you fall asleep on a flight, it can ultimately mess with your sleep quality, dehydrate you even more, and trigger a lingering hangover that makes you irritable and lethargic. If you must, have a drink when on the ground. Your body will thank you.
• Do Not Binge Eat On Plane Food. Of course you should eat when you're really hungry (note: do not confuse hunger with appetite), whether you're on a plane or elsewhere. But polish off all the in-flight food just because you're bored is not a good idea. Dry cabin air and low air pressure can reduce your ability to perceive salty and sweet tastes by 15 to 30 percent, which can make foods taste worse when you eat it in the air, according to a German study. You could, on the other hand, do an intermittent fasting session. Just don't eat for 6-12 hours. Make sure you drink clean water, add some Real Salt to it and you'll be just fine.
• Do Not Eating Food After It Falls On Your Tray Table. While ground crews are supposed to wipe down trays between flights, you just never really know how well they clean it. Give the surface a once-over yourself using an antibacterial wipe, or hand sanitizer and a napkin. Skipping this step you're better off sacrificing the snack that you dropped.
• Do Not Fuss With Your Seat Belt. Seat belts are pretty icky and covered with potentially harmful bacteria. While strapping in is obviously your only option and you should definitely do it, avoid touching the strap after you fasten it, and put your hand sanitizer to use after buckling in.
• Do Not Hold It In Until You Get There. Pee if you have to. If you feel the urge to pee while you're in the air, just suck it up and use the bathroom. Otherwise, your urine will hang around in the bladder where it could possibly trigger an infection, and really make vacationing a pain. Not worth it.
• Do Not Walk Around Barefoot. Sure, it's nice to make yourself feel right at home in the airplane. However, the floor can be positively filthy and anyone with eyeballs can confirm that. Lurking trash and food debris should be reason enough to keep your shoes on, or at least slip them on for bathroom runs.