Frequent Flyer Health Points

In honour of Nicholas' upcoming aeronautical adventures, in which he will cover Canada in a series of 17 flights over 40 days, here's a quick guide to obtaining Frequent Flyer Health Points.


+24hr Points: Skipping Jet-Lag
Beat jet lag by setting your watch to your destination time-zone and spend as much time outside as you can, because daylight will help you acclimate more quickly. It usually takes two good nights to reset your clock, but it can take as much as a day per time zone.

+1:1 Points: Staying Hydrated

Airplane cabins are between 10-20% drier than outdoors, so keep hydrated. Even slight dehydration can cause headaches and fatigue. Sip about 250mL (1 cup) of water for every hour of your flight.

-8 oz. Points: Drinking Dehydrates

Avoid dehydrating drinks, such as coffee, tea, pop and and alcohol. They may dangerously dehydrate you, due to the dry cabin air. Also, the low cabin air pressure doubles the effect of alcohol, due to hypoxia, or a decreased oxygen flow to your muscles and brain. One drink in the air is equal to two on the ground.

+45 - 60 Points: Airbound Exercise

Blood flows through your veins by means of contraction, such as when you walks or just plain move around. If you sit too long, your blood in your legs may pool, and can form a clot. The real danger is if the clot breaks off and travels to your lungs, forming a pulmonary embolism.

Get up every 45 - 60 minutes and walk around. In between walks, flex your feet under the seat ahead of you, rotating your ankles and alternating raising one foot and then the other, while keeping them both off the ground.

- 12 Points: Wearing Restrictive clothes

To help with blood flow, dress in loose-fitting, comfortable clothes. Layering is best, as airplanes are typically cool, and being cold for several hour can lead to a break-down in your immune system. Whatever you do, dress appropriately, so you don't have an Kyla Ebbert moment, and then have to go work for Richard Branson and pose nude in Playboy.