A long-haul flight is any non-stop, direct flight that lasts at least six hours. They are typically available only once or twice a day, and the aircraft used tend to be on the larger side. There are many advantages that come with boarding one of these planes. First of all, you receive more legroom and space for yourself, and you get to enjoy several amenities such as meal services or in-flight entertainment options. However, a long-haul flight can take its toll on your body and affect your health. The most significant risk to your body is developing a blood clot as a result of sitting in the same position for too long. This is a potentially life-threatening complication, but there are several others that, although not as serious, can cause significant discomfort.
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The dry air makes you dehydrated and can exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma. Changes in pressure have the potential to cause aches and pains in the ears and nose for some people. Muscle pains slowed digestion, and difficulty breathing are also common during long-distance flights and can leave you feeling rather miserable. However, while there’s no way to completely avoid them, there are ways to alleviate these uncomfortable feelings and make things a little more comfortable for you.
Dress comfortably
Dressing comfortably should be your top priority when you are going to travel for several hours. Make sure that your clothes are light and leave you plenty of room to move around freely. Since temperatures tend to drop, you should focus on layering clothing. Make sure to bring comfy socks, a cosy jumper, and relaxed footwear. Slip-on shoes are the best option since you will probably want to remove them at some point to make yourself more comfortable.
Food
When you’re thinking about the essentials you must bring in your luggage, you’re probably thinking of your phone charger, travelling documents, packing cubes, earplugs, eye masks, and an eSIM card that gives you access to fast and reliable data connectivity that is free of extra charges. Look into Holafly’s data plans for UK to get a better idea of what the options are, and customise your own plan so you can enjoy your travels to the fullest. But another essential thing you must make room for in your bag is food. A healthy snack such as trail mix, dark chocolate, sandwiches, yoghurt, protein bars, hard-boiled eggs, vegetables and popcorn will prevent you from becoming hangry. And, of course, don’t forget to drink plenty of water to protect your mucous membranes and skin from the cold, dry air in the plane.
Move around
Things can get painful pretty quickly during long-haul flights, and if you’ve never been on one before, you may not be prepared for the discomfort. Your back starts to hurt, and so do your shoulders, neck, legs and ankles. The stiffness can get bad pretty quickly, and it may become difficult to focus on anything else. Add to that the fact that you may end up with a serious health condition if you don’t move at all for several hours, and you’ve already got several reasons why you should stand up and take a few steps every now and then during your flight. You should get up and take a few steps every two or three hours, but you can also stretch in your seat. Some of the simplest exercises you can do while seated include toe raises, rotating your ankles, bending the knees and reaching up to the ceiling.
Entertainment
Sitting around doing nothing for several hours can get boring quite quickly, and being bored for a very long time can cause you to become irritable. You don’t want to be in a bad mood for an extended time, especially not ahead of a holiday trip, so you should look for ways to keep yourself entertained. Bring your favourite book along, listen to some music on your headphones, or catch up with the latest episode of the series you are watching at the moment. If you have a film you’ve been meaning to watch, you can delve into it during the flight. And never forget that there are so many game apps that can keep you entertained as well. Your smartphone, tablet, and laptop are your best friends during long-distance flights.
Rest
Resting is essential during long flights since travelling for so long can get exhausting quite quickly, even if you do nothing other than sit around and listen to music. Although it can be difficult, you must aim to get some sleep and rest during your flight. If you’re dealing with insomnia in your daily life or are nervous about flying, this can seem like an almost insurmountable task, though. Get comfortable in your seat, put your eye mask on, and get some relaxing music playing on your headphones to put yourself at ease. Try to sleep as much as you can before your flight so that you don’t feel bad during it.
If that’s not possible, you should try to relax as much as possible by doing something you enjoy. Deep breathing exercises can help you feel more relaxed as well. If you want to sleep but find it difficult to stay asleep, try focusing on taking several short naps instead. They will definitely help, too.
The bottom line
Long-haul flights have several advantages, but spending several hours in a seat can be quite difficult. To avoid the discomfort as much as you can, make sure to prepare in advance. Bring snacks along, and get dressed in comfortable clothing. Make sure to have plenty of music, movies, and podcasts at your disposal so that you don’t get bored, irritable and claustrophobic since you’ll be inside for so long. And, of course, remember to move around a bit. This isn’t only better for your mood and sense of well-being but can actually reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill.
Taking care of yourself during the flight ensures that you’ll reach your destination feeling well and that you won’t have to spend a large portion of your holiday recovering.
