Expert In-Flight Survival Guide
If you’re finally jetting off after months of lockdown, follow our guide on how to make the most of your cabin time and ensure you touch down feeling even better than take-off.
Sort your space
Whether you’re settling in for the long haul or even just a couple of hours, it’s important to create a space that feels comfortable. Ensure all your essentials are to hand and stow away as much as you can in the overhead locker, leaving you with as much space as possible in front of you to stretch your legs. If you’re going to be in the air for longer than three hours, then pop on some compression socks to aid blood flow and stash your water bottle somewhere you can easily access it. Aim to drink eight ounces every hour you’re in the air and for an added boost, add two teaspoons of Workshop’s Multi Vitamin Formula to your bottle. It’s loaded with antioxidants including green tea extract to help ward off free radical damage and plant extracts like rosemary to boost circulation. To revitalise stale cabin air, spritz the space around you with an aromatherapy mist.
Address your skin
The air in aeroplane cabins is around 12% humidity meaning it’s drier than most deserts. To combat the havoc it can wreak on your skin, it’s essential to keep it hydrated throughout your flight. Start with a scrupulously clean complexion and once you’re settled in your seat apply a layer of lip balm and a rich hand cream. The skin around your eyes is thinner, more fragile and more susceptible to dehydration lines than anywhere else, so press some eye cream around your orbital bones and allow it to sink in. A long flight is the perfect time to apply a face mask so forget what your neighbour might think and apply a thick layer of an intensive mask for as long as time allows. To top up hydration levels during the flight, spray your skin liberally with a hydrating facial spritz.
Break your habits
Being in the air and being relatively sedentary means your digestive system becomes sluggish and has to work harder to break down food, so why not think of your flight as a chance to do some intermittent fasting, which is a great idea for general health but particularly gut health. When it comes to staying hydrated avoid caffeine-loaded tea and coffee which will only dehydrate you and can upset your digestive system, and instead stick to water. Mix it up by bringing your favourite herbal tea bags in your carry-on or load up your water flask with chunks of fresh ginger, known for its ability to aid digestion and reduce nausea.
Work out your workout
It may not be the first place you’d think of working out but going through some gentle stretching exercises while you’re in the air is a good way to keep your muscles active and your blood flowing. Better still, try and move as much as possible before you board, especially if you know you’re likely to be sedentary for hours. If there’s no room or time to move around freely then practising your breath work is a good way to engage your body in the moment. If you need to prep yourself for acclimatising to a morning landing, then Wim Hof’s ‘breath of fire’ method is both stimulating and energising, while diaphragmatic breathing can help if you need to try and wind down.