How to feel good during a flight

In the days before departure

Arriving at the flight already rested and hydrated reduces the overall impact of the trip on the body. Getting enough sleep in the nights before and drinking regularly in the hours before boarding help to start in better condition; avoiding alcohol and heavy meals the evening before has the same effect, because both tire an organism that will still have to manage hours of immobility and dry air.

During flight hours

With cabin humidity this low, drinking water regularly, even without feeling thirsty, is more effective than any other measure for limiting fatigue and headaches. Alternating this with brief movements, getting up or moving feet and ankles every hour or so, also prevents the typical leg swelling of long flights. Those who can should limit caffeine and alcohol on board, because they worsen the dehydration already caused by dry air.

In the first hours at destination

Planning the first day with realism, without packing the schedule with visits or commitments, makes it easier for an already tired body to adapt. If the time zone has changed, going outside in natural light during daylight hours of the new time zone helps the biological clock recalibrate faster than staying shut inside the hotel would. For details on in-flight hydration, see our in-depth guide on how to hydrate properly at altitude.

If you want to start with just one habit, choose water: one glass every hour of flight counteracts more than anything else the effect of cabin air, the most unnatural condition of the entire trip.