Let’s face it: Flying has become a nightmarish activity.Let’s face it: Flying has become a nightmarish activity. Sure, it’s a miracle that you’re being flung through the air at incredible speeds and landing safe (far more often than not) in your desired destination. But in exchange for this, you deal with the airline mileage caste system, planes that haven’t had a deep clean since the Clinton administration and seats that are big enough for people who subsist on a steady diet of celery sticks and Red Bull.
Add jet lag to the mix (you know … the headache, tiredness, nausea and disorientation that comes from crossing time zones), and you’ve got yourself a cocktail for a mighty awful time. But maybe if we can eliminate some of the jet lag portion of the travel experience, we can start to enjoy this god-awful practice.
To that end, we spoke with a handful of experts who provided tips for avoiding and treating your jet lag.
First up was Dr. Scott Weiss, a physical therapist and personal trainer to pro athletes and Olympians, who traveled with the 2008 Olympic team to Beijing and helped them recover from jet lag to ensure they could perform at their best. Here are some techniques he used to help the elite athletes he worked with:
Stay hydrated
“The biggest problem, as we explained [to the athletes], is that an airplane’s cabin is filled with recirculated air, and has a very low amount of humidity,” Weiss says. “This lack of moisture in the air often dehydrates the body at a rapid pace. Aside from preventing dehydration, fluids are important for cellular function and maintaining homeostasis. Hydrated cells will help regulate the body, and provide it with more vigor and energy.”
Jump into a body of water (seriously!)
“Within two hours of landing, we advised the athletes to jump into a pool at the Olympic Village or in the ocean,” Weiss says. “The submersion of the body into water helps combat the pressure changes the body goes through when on the plane. We recommended that they remain in the water for 20 minutes to fully reverse the effects of cabin pressure.”
Adjust to the Time Zone ASAP
“Adjusting to the time change was crucial to combatting jet lag for the team. If any athletes were tired we made them stay in the sunlight to thwart somnolence, or drowsiness. We made sure that none of them were sleeping in the daytime and not staying up at night.”
Next, we spoke with Brandon Mentore, a strength and conditioning coach as well as a sports nutritionist.
Move around
“The compound of effect of air pressure and being immobile is what can contribute to the formation of blood clots when flying,” Mentore says. “Try to pick an aisle seat so that you can get up stretch and move around at least once every hour. And if you’re staying hydrated, this will give you a reason to get up as you’ll most likely have to use the restroom.”
Don’t strain your eyes
“Use a night mask or some type of blue light blocking eyewear,” Mentore says. “Blue light exposure from cellphones, tablets and laptops when flying is one of the biggest disruptions to your circadian rhythm. Shield your eyes the same way you would from the sun.”
Don’t fly with a hangover.
“You want to be as healthy as possible before you fly to mitigate jetlag. For that reason avoid alcohol a few days before because it takes your body time to detoxify and you don’t want to being boarding a plane with a handicap, so to speak.”
