Best Ways to Care for Your Feet on an Airplane

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Boeing recently manufactured the very last 747 – the jet plane that made direct flights to places like Europe and Hawaii not only possible but also convenient and luxurious. Flying is a strange and wonderful privilege of the modern age! Wonderful - because it can get us to distant places unimaginable before the advent of the 747. Strange - because you’re seated in a chair, suspended 6 or 8 miles in the air, cruising along at a nifty 600 miles per hour. On a long flight, it may feel a little bit like you’re simply sitting at home in your Monmouth County living room.

But there are way fewer reasons to get up and move around on a plane than there are at home.

Sitting for prolonged periods can cause edema, or swelling, in your feet and ankles, as well as pain, tingling, and numbness. Even the most comfortable shoes can cause discomfort when your feet swell.

So, if you’re taking a flight for the holidays or a winter getaway, we encourage you to make a conscious effort to care for your feet while up in the air. Here’s how:

  • Get up and move. Walk up and down the aisle once per hour.

  • Do seated exercises that target the muscles in your feet:  point your toes and “write” the alphabet in the air; pretend to pick up a marble with your toes; perform clockwise and counter-clockwise circles with your ankles.

  • Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated helps maintain proper blood flow to the body parts that are far away from the heart – your legs and feet!

  • Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which contribute to dehydration.

  • Wear compression socks to prevent edema. With gentle pressure on the lower legs, compression socks improve blood flow. They also ease swelling and fluid retention in your lower legs, feet, and ankles. You can find compression socks online, at pharmacies, and in athletic shoe stores.

If your feet swell a bit on a plane, it’s okay. But if you continue to have symptoms in your lower legs after you land, visit Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center. Our board-certified podiatrists, Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, and Dr. Joseph Saka, will take a full medical history, examine your lower limbs, and get the root of your problem. Call (732) 905-1110 or contact us online for an appointment at our Howell or Jackson podiatry offices.