Wellness on Wings

Vacation time is approaching, and with it long and sometimes stressful flights.
But flying doesn't have to be a bad experience. There are plenty of good tips for healthy and comfortable air travel. Here are five from MedAire, a company that provides in-flight emergency medical service, and the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).
Put your spine in an upright and seated position. To prevent back problems related to hours of sitting, ask a flight attendant for pillows or blankets, which the ACA says you can put behind your low back to maintain the natural curve of your spine.
Travel light. Lots of travel-related back problems occur when people lift heavy baggage into overhead compartments. The ACA recommends travelers check any baggage heavier than 10% of their weight and avoid twisting movements when loading baggage into overhead compartments.
Go with the flow. When you're seated, move around to improve blood flow and avoid muscle cramps. Massage your legs and calves, move your knees up and down, shrug your shoulders, stretch your neck and regularly take deep breaths.
Take a stand -- slowly. According to MedAire, some people get lightheaded during travel and others faint when they stand up too quickly. Many cases of fainting on planes occur when people get up to go to the washroom.
If you feel lightheaded during your flight, sit with your head between your knees or, if you can, lie down. Stay in this position until the feeling passes. If neither of these is an option, squat down as low as you can, provided the seat belt lights are off. Also, stand up slowly and stay by your seat for a moment before walking up the aisle. That way, if you start to feel lightheaded, you can quickly sit back down.
Wet your appetite. Drink lots of water, about one glass for every hour of flight. Airplane cabins are notoriously dry, and get drier as flights drag on