Do These 5 Things Right After Your Next Flight To Feel Instantly Healthier

As miraculous as air travel is, engineers still haven’t figured out a way to make it so that we arrive at our destination refreshed and ready to explore. Instead we amble off the plane tired, with inflated feet and a bloated belly straining against an unforgiving waistband. Although there’s no magic bullet, these five simple pointers will set you on the path to feeling tip-top once more.

Go barefoot

Within the first few hours of arriving in a new land, remove your shoes and take a walk. This unfettered connection between skin and soil, sand, or grass is known as “earthing” or “grounding” and studies show it can help reset your biological clock. Some health experts believe that our bodies accumulate static during a plane journey, contributing to jet lag and a general feeling of “bleh,” but by connecting with the negatively charged electrons of the earth, balance is restored.

Have a good stretch

By the time you touch down you’ve probably spent multiple hours cramped up in a too-small seat, making your body feel tight, achy, and generally antsy. If you can, unfurl a yoga mat and do some targeted poses, but any stretches that lengthen the hip flexors, hamstrings, and back will help. Basically you want to make shapes with your body that are the inverse of the C-like slump you adopted on the flight.

Instead of flopping onto the hotel bed or leisurely unpacking your vacation outfits, try to get outdoors in the sunshine as soon as possible. The fresh, un-recirculated air will clear your head, and the light naturally helps you adjust to the new time zone. If you can rally yourself for a jog or stroll to get your circulation moving, even better.

Give yourself a massage

In lieu of having the foresight to pre-book a post-flight massage, pack some props to show your muscles some love. Lie on the floor with a tennis ball tucked under each shoulder and gently rock side to side, then move them a little lower, and a little lower, kneading the muscles along the spine until all the knots have begun to loosen. Follow up with a relaxing bath and you’ll feel brand new.

Refuel the smart way

Junky plane dinners and the change in air pressure can leave your tummy bloated and uncomfortable. You might not feel like eating, but adhering to mealtimes in your new time zone is essential to overcoming jet lag, so opt for a light dish at the appropriate time. Avoid foods that are over-salted or fried, and drinks that are carbonated—they’ll only exacerbate the bloat—and tempting as it is to opt for a sugary pina colada, remember that water is your friend.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.