This Easter, my family all traveled to Cape Town for my sister’s wedding and it was a wonderful affair! A lot of us are flying all over the country these holidays and it’s important not to forget about our feet and legs when we’re in the air. Flying forces us into a small seat for long periods of time, and as a result, our feet can get quite swollen. Follow these easy tips to avoid swollen feet and legs.
- Move those legs! When flying, our calf muscles (which normally pump blood back up to the heart) are not active. As a result, that fluid pools around the ankles causing swelling. Do some calf lifts whilst sitting in your chair. This will activate those muscles forcing that blood upwards, away from your ankles.
- Drink plenty of water! Keeping hydrated is important for your general health but even more so when travelling on the plane.
- Get up! If you can, get up and stretch your legs. Walk to the bathroom and allow those calves some exercise.
- Foot aerobics! If you can’t get up and walk around, do some foot exercises to get the blood pumping. Write the alphabet with your feet; this will get things nice and warm and reduce swelling.
- Don’t cross your legs! Circulation is already reduced when sitting for hours and crossing your legs only makes things worse.
- Lift those legs! If you have an empty seat next to you, put your legs up. This eliminates gravity’s pull on the legs and can prevent swelling almost completely
If you have a history of circulation issues, consult a podiatrist before travelling. You will probably have to wear a compression stocking to avoid thrombosis.
