thrombosis-related stories
Fly healthfully with these 6 exercises
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.
Exercise in your airplane seat
Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss
Want to get a leg up on healthier airplane travel? It's not a bad idea, given the threat of dangerous blood clots -- also known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) -- that comes from extended periods of time spent sitting.
The longer you're airborne and the more you fly in short time frames, the greater your risk for DVT. Fortunately, there's something you can do to prevent this serious condition from striking: Exercise.
Exercising right in your airplane seat will keep your blood circulating properly. Northwest Airlines recommends a whole list of exercises -- ankle turns, knee lifts, shoulder circles, knee bends and more -- and you can access them right here. Take a peek, jot them down, and pack them in your carry-on bag. They'll surely come in handy next time you fly the friendly skies.
The longer you're airborne and the more you fly in short time frames, the greater your risk for DVT. Fortunately, there's something you can do to prevent this serious condition from striking: Exercise.
Exercising right in your airplane seat will keep your blood circulating properly. Northwest Airlines recommends a whole list of exercises -- ankle turns, knee lifts, shoulder circles, knee bends and more -- and you can access them right here. Take a peek, jot them down, and pack them in your carry-on bag. They'll surely come in handy next time you fly the friendly skies.
Airlines issue DVT warnings
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
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
Stand up and stretch -- it's good for the veins
Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
Those who travel long distances on airplanes risk developing fatal blood clots in their legs. The clots, termed Deep-Vein Thrombosis, can be fatal if they break off and travel to the heart or lungs. It's not only travelers who risk this condition, though. A new study out of New Zealand reports that those who work so hard they rarely take a break are at risk too.
This study of 62 patients hospitalized for dangerous blood clots revealed that 21 percent had been on long flights while 34 percent had spent long hours at their desks the previous month. "Long hours" means the workers had been at their desks for more than eight hours per day, with a three-hour period void of any standing. It also includes 12-hour days with one hour void of movement.
Good news. Blood clots can be prevented, by the very thing that keeps our bodies healthy in so many other ways: Stretching. All it takes is getting up and giving your legs a solid stretch every 30 to 60 minutes.
Are you sitting down right now? Well, get up. And give those legs a good stretch.
This study of 62 patients hospitalized for dangerous blood clots revealed that 21 percent had been on long flights while 34 percent had spent long hours at their desks the previous month. "Long hours" means the workers had been at their desks for more than eight hours per day, with a three-hour period void of any standing. It also includes 12-hour days with one hour void of movement.
Good news. Blood clots can be prevented, by the very thing that keeps our bodies healthy in so many other ways: Stretching. All it takes is getting up and giving your legs a solid stretch every 30 to 60 minutes.
Are you sitting down right now? Well, get up. And give those legs a good stretch.
