Spring is well underway and summer is quickly approaching! This can mean a number of different things for you and your family, including flying on an airplane to your long-awaited vacation. Some folks actually enjoy the experience of flying, but for others, it can be the most dreadful part of the vacation experience.

To make your flight experience better, try this: Take care of your feet.

It’s not the first thing you think about, but foot care and related self-care on a flight can make a huge difference to your travel experience. It’s especially important on long flights, where sitting inactively for a long period of time can lead to edema (swelling) and cramping. Diabetics, pregnant women, and anyone prone to blood clots or other circulation disorders are at higher risk of edema and should pay attention to how their feet and ankles are doing during a flight.

The following are foot care and self-care tips for traveling on airplanes:

Foot-specific Care

• Wear shoes that are comfortable, breathable, and lightweight. Slip-on shoes will be great if you plan on taking your shoes off during the flight.
• On that note, make sure you have clean feet and a fresh pair of socks on – compression socks are even better to prevent swelling. If you will take your shoes off, do not be the person that inconveniences your neighbor. Additionally, it is best to reduce the chance of bacterial, fungal, and viral growth in your shoes, which is essential for foot health.
• Perform foot and ankle exercises while seated such as: pointing and flexing your feet, make circles with your feet, make windshield wiper motions with your feet, and spreading your toes out and then gripping them together.
• If you have short legs, use a bag or pillow to prop your feet. It will relieve some pressure and reduce chances of fluids pooling in your lower extremities.

Whole-body Care

• When booking a ticket, choose an aisle seat if possible. This will give you more room to stretch your legs out and give you freedom to walk up and down the plane as you please.
• Before boarding: Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. If you have a sweater, it can be helpful in case it is cold on the plane. Drink water and use the bathroom. Do some full body stretches: reach to the sky on tip toes, bend over forward and back, as well as side-to-side.
• Get up and stand, move, walk whenever possible. If you’re not in the aisle seat, get out every time the person in the aisle seat gets up. This will help with overall circulation and prevent cramping.
• Pack healthy snacks/food, avoiding salty snacks. They can dehydrate you, which will increase risk of swelling. Drink plenty of fluids – which will also give you more excuses to get up and go to the bathroom.

Traveling with children? Do the same type of foot and whole body care for them. If you are worried about edema or foot care on an upcoming flight, make an appointment to come see us at Texas Foot Works. Dr. Jonathan M. Kletz can assess your feet and give you great solutions for your edema. Make an appointment today at any of our Abrams (Dallas), Athens, and Gun Barrell City, TX offices.