Traveling can lead you to many exciting destinations, but the long flights to get there can be less exciting. No one looks forward to sitting next to strangers in an uncomfortable seat for hours. Long flights can leave your muscles feeling achy and you feeling exhausted and moody. Fortunately, there are simple ways to make those long flights a little easier on your mind and body without emptying out your wallet. If you have a long flight in your future, consider the following 5 tips to help you get a better start to your vacation.

1. Choose an aisle seat: This may depend on what airline you are flying on, but some allow you to choose a seat at the time of ticket purchase, or you can choose your own seat once onboard the plane. Having an aisle seat on a long flight makes it much easier to use the restroom when needed or to stand up and stretch without bothering anyone sitting beside you.
2. Stand up and move around: Once the flight is at a safe altitude and the pilot turns off the seat-belt lights, feel free to get up and stretch out. Sitting in a small airplane seat for hours can easily make your body restless and achy.
3. Eat healthy food before your trip: Trying out a new Mexican restaurant the night before your long flight may not be the best idea. Airplane bathrooms are very small and often have a line to wait in. Hence, an upset stomach is not what you want during a long flight. Eating healthy foods can reduce the chances of your stomach acting up, which will make for a more enjoyable flight.
4. Get some sleep: One of the easiest ways to pass the time on a long flight is to sleep! To avoid disturbances, be sure to pack a sleeping mask and earplugs to try to drown out the distracting noises.
5. Adjust your sleeping pattern before your trip: One of frequent flyers biggest complaints is jet lag. One way to help avoid this is to start adjusting your sleeping pattern at home. Learn your destination’s time zone and being getting into that sleeping pattern. It may feel odd sleeping during the day, but it will pay off when you get to your destination and aren’t feeling sleep deprived. Adjusting your eating pattern is also helpful before traveling. For some, it can be difficult trying to eat at abnormal times you aren’t used to. Planning ahead and adjusting your eating pattern can be a very helpful pre-planning tip.