If you frequently travel by plane, you're putting your body at greater risk of a silent killer. Those long periods of inactivity -- legs scrunched up behind the seat in front of you and your arms held tightly to your body because the person next to you is stubbornly refusing to give up even a quarter inch of the arm rest -- aren't exactly healthful for your body.

Frequent fliers run the risk of a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). In fact, the condition has two travel-related nicknames: Traveler's Thrombosis and Economy-Class Syndrome. DVT is a condition where a blood pools and forms a clot in the calf, thigh, or less commonly in the arm. If you travel a lot or are planning a long flight, keep these DVT prevention tips in mind:

• Get up and move. Don't need a bathroom break? Visit the loo anyway and march in place for a few minutes. Even a quick stroll up and down the aisle will do.
• Ankle circles. Rotate your feet at the ankle both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
  

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I love technology -- when it works in my favor. Give me a locked up computer or an automated telephone voice recording that buries me deep in unwanted options and I get pretty frustrated. When technology makes my life easier, though -- like when it allowed me to print my airline boarding pass at home so I could avoid long airport lines this past weekend -- I'm all for it. I'm also a fan of the health-related information that popped up on my computer screen while printing that glorious boarding pass.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was the topic listed in bold print at the bottom of my pass. A blood clot condition caused by prolonged sitting and occurring primarily in the lower legs, DVT has become an issue of concern for travelers packed like sardines on airplanes. Jammed tight with other passengers with barely enough leg room to wiggle a foot and with luggage, food, and beverage carts blocking the aisles, it's critical we find a way to move around. If we don't, we risk the formation of a blood clot that can break away and become a pulmonary embolism.

For a mini education on the DVT topic, check out this website. And take a look at a few of our previous That's Fit posts that address this scary health issue.

Top 6 hospital risks
Take a walk, pal
Taking a long flight this Christmas? Stretch your legs
Some tips for avoiding blood clots
Stand up and stretch -- it's good for the veins

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Good news for women seeking help with their menopause symptoms, but are leery of all the risks associated with taking pills: the French recently published a study that shows hormone patches and hormones gels are less likely than oral medications to cause blood clots.

This comes after scary news back in 2002 that many hormone replacements for women drastically increased the risk of stroke and clots. This latest information not only shows that the method of delivery may play a factor in side-effects, but most likely the dosage as well.

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