27 May 2015
| Last updated on 20 July 2015
The Best Way to Stay Healthy While Flying
This time of year is a popular time for travel, especially on flights to destinations far and wide. During this time we are more likely to take a vacation or visit our home countries.
Wherever your destination, it’s important to look after our health and wellbeing while flying. Aircraft are not the greatest environment. Due to the cabin being pressurised to a higher altitude there is less oxygen than our bodies is used to. Aircraft can cruise at altitudes as high as 4,0000 ft. The cabin is pressurised to a breathable altitude between 6,000-8,000ft. Dubai is only 52 ft above sea level, a huge difference. What does this mean for us? There are a lot of affects this can have on the human body- air sickness, dehydration, hypoxia, irritated skin and it can even affect our mood.
EW has some excellent advice to make sure you arrive fresh energised at your destination after a long flight.
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Drink Water
I know this seems like an obvious one buts it is important. It is shocking how many people do not drink any water on a flight. The environment on an aircraft is so harsh to our skin and it sucks out all the moisture out of it. There is an experiment you can do to see the effects of this. Take some sliced cumber on the flight with you as a snack. Leave one slice and see what happens to it by the end of the flight. It will be very dry almost like a stick as all the moisture would have been drawn from it. For a long haul flight aim to drink at least a litre of water.
Do Not Wear Make Up
By not wearing make up on a flight you are allowing your skin to breathe. This will help protect you skin. During the flight you are then free to apply a moisturising cream or serum to prevent your skin from looking dry and deflated. Even if you have to wear make-up while travelling, remove it at the beginning of the flight and reapply before you land. This will help you look fresh for your arrival.
SEE ALSO: Here's some advice to keep your flight smooth with the family and kids
Avoid the Grape Bubbles
These are very enjoyable but not good for you. Bubbles affect you in a much more intense way in the air. Due to the environment the effects of one glass of bubbles in the air is the equivalent of 3 glasses of bubbles on the ground. There is nothing worse than waking up feeling dehydrated so best avoided
Meal Times
You need to give consideration for the timings of when you eat. It is best to try and get your body in tune with your final destination by eating at their meal times. Our body has an internal system and its best to kick start it in to its new time zone as soon as possible. That way it will help you when trying to sleep at the right time. You will not avoid jet lag but it will help. It takes your body 1 day per hour to adjust. If there is a 5 hour time different it will take 5 days for your body to be aligned with your new time zone
Face Mask
These are great to bring on a flight with you. They release nourishment back into your skin. Make sure you use a cloth one as they are easy to apply and remove in your seat. You purchase one-use packs from most beauty stores.
Be Active
It is not good for your body to remain in the same position for a long period of time. Some people stay in their seat for 14 hours. This is not good for your health. It is important to move your body to keep your blood circulating round your body. Make sure you try and go for a short walk around your area on the way to the toilet, the crew will not mind as they understand the importance of this. If you are in the window seat and cannot always get access to the aisle, do some light exercise in your seat once an hour. You can squeeze and release your toes, raise alternate knees or flex and point your feet.
