Discover the best practices you can apply on the plane for pain-free and peaceful travel.
If “long-haul flight” rhymes with “back pain” for you, it’s imperative to rethink the way you travel. It would be a shame if various physical pains spoil your dreams of distant travels. Discover the good reflexes to avoid certain inconveniences and travel calmly.
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Stand up straight
To limit the occurrence of pain, it is imperative to keep your back straight, leaning against the backrest. The curvature of your spine should form an “S”. Fill the hollow in your arch with a pillow to maintain this curve. Place another pillow behind the other hollow in your neck. If the headrest is adjustable and has wings on the sides, adjust it to improve support for your head. As for the back muscles, ideally they should have a support that is both firm and flexible enough to have a sense of containment and comfort. The erected position will be all the easier.
They arelift your legs
If the cushion of your chair is a little too long for your height, put a luggage under your feet in front of you. By taking your legs off the seat, you prevent compression. Do not cross them, leave parallels so as not to impede blood circulation. Occasionally massage your thighs and calves.
Get moving
By regularly getting up to walk in the cabin of the plane, you activate your circulation and prevent numbness and leg cramps. A few stretches will give your sore lower back, trapezius and neck muscles some rest.
Hget hydrated
Drinking enough water every day is important. But at altitude it is all the more necessary because the dry air in the aircraft cabin speeds up the dehydration process. It is essential to drink during the flight and to cut out coffee and alcohol. Water ensures that you do not dehydrate, but also supplies your muscles with oxygen, promotes blood circulation and thus prevents cramps and headaches.
Stock up on some useful accessories
Today, there are plenty of wearable accessories that can help you improve your posture and, therefore, your comfort. To support your lower back and thus reduce the pressure on your intervertebral discs, the airplane cushion is sometimes insufficient; it’s best to have one that matches your bow. After a few hours of flying, you’ll be glad you took it with you! At the level of the neck, the more your head is held upright, the more your cervix is relieved. A U-shaped pillow can help, but you need to make sure the filling isn’t too compacted as it can throw your head forward and unfortunately cause a torticollis. An adjustable neck strap, such as a neck brace, would be more appropriate.
By following these few tips, your next long-haul flights will be different, your postural pain will be just a bad memory, and you’ll arrive at your destination calm and in better shape than ever!
