Let’s face it, flying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. To some, the idea of regular travel sounds glamorous but the reality is this: it can play hard ball with your health. There are numerous blogs filled with helpful tips on how to avoid toxins, dehydration and various other issues that beat down your immune system. As someone who travels multiple times a month, maintaining my optimal health is critical.

I’ve scoured the web and created a list of the top resources on keeping you healthy while traveling. I’ve included why I think each article has made my top list along with a couple of my favorite tips from each. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t also share my personal tips.

My Top Guides for Staying Healthy While Flying

1. Travel without toxins – The Food Revolution Network

Here’s my favorite resource for avoiding chemical intake. We live in a toxic soup. We’re especially vulnerable to toxin intake when stuck in an aircraft cabin with stagnant air. This guide lays out practical tips for fighting airborne toxins with a good diet.

Pro tips:

  1. Bring your own thermos on board. The Styrofoam cups hot tea and coffee are served in might leach chemical compounds into your drink.
  2. Take an avocado on the plane with you. With 9g of fibre and lots of healthy oils, avocados will keep you well-sustained on your trip.

2. Get the best seat in the house – Medical News Today

I wish I knew these tips on seat choice far earlier in my career. This is the definitive guide on how to choose your seat and why. Long-haul readers, this part’s for you: read about the risks of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) and how to avoid it. This guide also walks you through simple exercises for your neck and shoulders.

Pro tips:

  1. Think twice about exit row and bulkhead seats. They may offer extra leg room but these seats close to emergency exits may not recline. You could also be in for a noisy flight with young children often seated in this section.
  2. Check out Seat Guru from TripAdvisor. The nifty app shows you the layout of your plane along with advice on choosing a seat.

3. Eat little. Fly well. – WebMD

Here’s some simple and practical advice from Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine specialists. Avoid creating a petri dish of bacteria in your throat and say no to sugar on the flight. Learn how to prevent your pores and nasal membranes from drying out and smell good at the same time.

Pro tips:

  1. Bring a saline spray bottle with you. Keeping your nasal passages moist enhances your body’s resistance to airborne bacteria.
  2. Tap your feet. Moving your calves will help pump blood back from your feet to your heart.

4. Take it from a flight attendant – Jaunted.com

She’s logged far more flight time than any of us want to even think about. After 20 years of mastering the art of flying, here’s how a flight attendant stays healthy.

Pro tips:

  1. Bring disposable place mats with you on the plane. At least twenty people have clipped their nails on your tray table.
  2. When your flight gets delayed, make the necessary changes and then don’t think too much about it. Meditate.

5. The top 10 list of flight tips – MindBodyGreen

Do these ten things. Survive your flight. Maybe even enjoy it. If you don’t read anything else, make sure to scan this post.

Pro tips:

  1. Drink water. Lots of it. Make sure to bring a bottle with you to fill up once you’re past security. Tea, coffee, and soda will dehydrate you, so make to give the in-flight drinks a pass.
  2. Relax. Smile at the bawling baby and both of you will enjoy the trip a little more.

Chew on this

In addition to following these great tips, here’s a few more that I practice:

  1. Bring sanitizer to use after you frequent the bathroom. That tiny space is ground zero for bacteria.
  2. Bring wet wipes to wipe down your tray and arm rests.
  3. Avoid sitting in aisle seats. These seats get the greatest amount of germ traffic from the endless stream of travellers making their way back and forth to the bathroom.

Drink lots, eat healthy, and tap your feet on the plane. A couple of minutes to prepare a snack and water are all you really need to survive your trip. Your body will thank you. Happy travels!

What are your tips on how to stay healthy while flying? Let us know in the comments below.