Staying Healthy While Traveling

By Kaiser Permanente

More Americans fly during the Thanksgiving-Christmas-Hanukkah-New Year’s holidays than at any other time of year.

And, as anyone who has spent time in airports or airplanes during the holidays knows, flying at this time can be emotionally stressful.

It also can take a toll physically. With a little common sense and planning, flying can be a much healthier experience – during the holidays, or at any time of year.

Here are some tips from Kaiser about staying healthy while traveling:

• You should eat something on a long trip, but don’t eat too much, because you’ll be sitting in your seat for an extended period of time. Stick with easy-to-digest carbohydrates (breads, pretzels, crackers) and skip the heavier food (meat, cheeses).
• Air in the cabin is typically dry, and if you aren’t careful you can become dehydrated. You need to drink something, but go easy on the alcohol or skip it altogether, and avoid drinks containing caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas). Best bet: Stick with water.
• Gas expands at altitude, often in uncomfortable ways. For pre-flight and in-flight meals, avoid foods that may become problems as you digest them (broccoli, burritos, etc.).
• In the weeks before you fly, a dental exam would be a good idea. Even a tiny pocket of air in a tooth cavity can expand and become painful at cruising altitude.
• Sitting for a long stretch in an airline seat can cause the blood vessels in your legs to contract. To stimulate blood circulation, apply pressure to the balls of your feet. If you can reach your feet and massage them, that’s ideal. If not, periodically pressing the balls of your feet to the floor is also good.
• You can stimulate circulation before you get on the plane, too. If you arrive early for your flight – or if it’s delayed – get up and walk around. The exercise will improve blood flow and reduce stress.
• Keep all of the medications you’ll need with you on the plane, in case your flight is delayed or your luggage gets lost.
• Consider which way you’re flying and plan accordingly. Crossing time zones causes jet lag, and when you fly from west to east, it takes longer for your body to adjust to the time change. If you’re flying from California to New York, schedule your arrival so that you time to rest up before doing something important – like a big holiday dinner with your family. And take heart: Your east-to-west return flight will involve an easier adjustment.

Click here for more information about flying and healthy travel in general, visit Kaiser Permanente’s free online health encyclopedia.