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Believe
it or not this is the summer issue and I hope the sun
is managing to shine as you read it. However, many of
you may be jetting off to find a more reliable source
of sun in which case I thought that some information
about Economy Class Syndrome (ECS) would be appropriate
for this edition.
Problems with blood clots following long flights is
a regular news item at the moment and there are plenty
of things you can do to reduce the risk of this happening
to you.
A simple exercise routine to work the calf muscles which
will help to push blood through the veins should be
done every couple of hours:
1. Extend your legs straight out in front of you and
flex your ankles, pulling up and spreading your toes,
then push down and curl the toes.
2 If there isn't room to extend your legs, start with
your feet flat on the floor and push down and curl your
toes while lifting your heels from the floor. Then,
with your heels back on the floor, lift and spread your
toes. Repeat this heel - toe cycle ten times.
3. Exercise your thigh muscles by sitting with your
feet flat on the floor and slide your feet forward until
you run out of room, then slide them back and repeat.
However, please try not to constantly kick the seat
in front every time you do the exercises or you may
have more than ECS to worry about. . . . . .
Other things that you can do include avoiding sitting
with your legs crossed, drink plenty of fluids (the
extra trips to the loo will be useful too!), try not
to sleep for too long and don't wear anything that might
impede circulation.
Also bear in mind that ECS only becomes a problem for
flights over about two hours, so don't panic if you're
just visiting Shetland.
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