The insider’s guide to arriving for your holiday fit and fresh this peak travel season
Summer is the season for extended holidays, often further afield, requiring mid to long or even short haul journeys that can leave travellers feeling extra exhausted and tangled in knots.
The UK’s leading website for travel search and comparison issues the industry’s top tips for maintaining health, fitness, and beauty in the air, so travellers can arrive at their destination feeling refreshed and ready to dive into holiday mode.
“The last thing anyone needs on a holiday is to arrive feeling the need to recover before they can even begin to relax and have fun,” says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk.
“Most people are aware that it’s possible to do a mini workout in your chair at work and the same rule applies in the air. It’s not just about keeping hydrated and stretching your legs occasionally, it’s about keeping the circulation going using an actual routine so you arrive looking and feeling like a million dollars,” adds Hallak.
Flight Fitness
There are plenty of exercises that can be done right from the passenger seat that promote good circulation while stretching and keeping the muscles supple. In fact, these are regular exercises to incorporate into any fitness routine whether in the air or on the ground. The suggested in-flight workout includes:
- Heel and toe pull ups: Lift the heels up and down while keeping the toes firmly on the ground. Repeat the same exercise keeping the heels down, but lifting the toes
- Ankle and wrist circles: Gently rotate the ankles in one direction then repeat the same exercise in the opposite direction. This can be done one ankle at a time or with both simultaneously. Apply the same method to rotating the wrists
- Shoulder rolls: Rotate the shoulders forward gently then repeat the rotation backwards
- Head rolls: Rotate the head clockwise a few times then counter clockwise
- Neck stretches: Look to your left then to your right a few times then lay the head sideways onto one shoulder then the other to stretch the sides of the neck a few times
- Lower back stretch: Lean forward with back straight, but without arching the lower back. Stretch the arms down as far they will go to the floor to stretch the torso as much as possible thereby stretching the lower back
- Full back stretch: Sit upright with feet on the ground. Turn to the left and place one hand to your side and the other on your opposite knee then repeat in the other direction to stretch out the back and neck
Hydrate
Drink plenty of fluids, most importantly water, but juices and herbal teas help too. It’s important to minimise caffeine intake and avoid alcohol altogether if possible. Hydration occurs through the skin as well as through the body, so make sure to moisturise well, particularly through the face, during the flight.
Eat
The pressure that comes with high altitudes can often lead to bloating and general puffiness. To assist the circulation and digestion, keep foods light. While research shows travellers prefer to eat strong flavoured foods like curry in the air, such dishes can often be high in sodium and lead to water retention. Fruits and vegetables are a better option in the air. Not only do they aid digestion, but their high water content counts towards keeping the body hydrated as well.
Sleep
While falling asleep at any time isn’t entirely within our control, there are ways to attempt to induce sleep in-flight. Walking up and down the aisles and doing gentle exercises like ankle circles, wrist circles, and neck roles help to relax the body into sleep. Simple meditation also relaxes the mind and creates mental ‘space.’ Passengers can push their backrest down slightly, close their eyes, and just concentrate on taking deep breaths in and out for a few minutes.
Top Well-being Tips from Top Airlines
Some of the best airlines and airline websites for in-flight well-being tips include:
- British Airways
- Lufthansa
- Singapore Airlines
- Air New Zealand
- Qatar Airways (they have in-flight yoga)
To search and compare travel deals for your summer holiday, visit www.cheapflights.co.uk
To find information about these or any other airlines, visit our airlines section.
(Image: Rance Costa)
