Recovering from Travel: Our Go-To Protocol

Travel takes more out of you than you realize. The fatigue you feel after a long flight isn’t just tiredness. It’s dehydration, circadian disruption, inflammation from sitting, and cellular stress from altitude and radiation exposure.

We travel a fair amount ourselves, and we’ve dialed in a recovery protocol that works. Here’s what we do-and recommend to our members-after any significant travel.

What Travel Does to Your Body

Dehydration. Airplane cabins have humidity levels around 10-20%. For reference, the Sahara Desert averages 25%. Your body loses water faster than you can drink it, and most people don’t drink enough anyway.

Circadian disruption. Your internal clock is set by light exposure, meal timing, and activity. Travel scrambles all three. Even a 2-3 hour time zone shift can take days to fully adjust.

Inflammation. Sitting for hours in a cramped position causes fluid to pool in your legs and inflammation throughout your body. Cabin pressure changes stress your joints and sinuses.

Cellular stress. At cruising altitude, you’re exposed to higher levels of cosmic radiation. Not enough to cause immediate harm, but it does create oxidative stress at the cellular level.

Our Go-To Protocol

We call this a modified Deep Recovery stack. The sequence matters-each step prepares your body for the next.

Step 1: Compression (20-30 minutes)

Start here. After hours of sitting, your legs are full of pooled fluid and metabolic waste. Compression therapy manually moves this fluid back into circulation.

You’ll feel the difference immediately. Heavy, swollen legs become light again. Blood flow improves throughout your body.

Step 2: Hyperbaric Oxygen (60 minutes)

This is the core of travel recovery. In our hyperbaric chamber, you breathe pure oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure. This forces oxygen into your plasma, tissues, and cells at levels impossible under normal conditions.

The benefits for travel recovery:

• Offsets the hypoxic stress of high-altitude flight
• Reduces inflammation throughout your body
• Supports cellular repair and energy production
• Helps reset circadian rhythm through improved cellular function

One session after a long flight can cut your recovery time in half.

Step 3: Red Light Therapy (15-20 minutes)

Red and near-infrared light penetrate your skin and stimulate mitochondrial function. Your mitochondria produce ATP-the energy currency your cells run on.

After travel stress, your cells need more energy for repair. Red light therapy supports this process directly. It also helps with skin recovery after the dehydrating effects of cabin air.

Optional: Cold Plunge (2-3 minutes)

If you’re feeling sluggish or mentally foggy, a brief cold plunge at the end sharpens you up fast. The cold triggers a norepinephrine release that improves alertness and mood.

Skip this if you’re exhausted and heading to bed. The stimulation can interfere with sleep.

Timing Matters

Same day if possible. The sooner you start recovery after landing, the better. Your body is already in repair mode-give it the tools it needs.

Morning after at latest. If you land late at night, sleep first and come in the next morning. Don’t push through exhaustion to get a session in.

Repeat if needed. For international travel or trips over a week, consider a second session 2-3 days after the first. Your body is still adjusting.

Simpler Options

If you don’t have time for the full protocol:

Minimum effective dose: Hyperbaric only. If you can only do one thing, this is it. The oxygen saturation addresses the most significant travel stressors.

Quick reset: Compression + cold plunge. Takes about 30 minutes and addresses the inflammation and mental fog.

Before You Travel

Recovery after travel is good. Preparing before is even better.

In the 24 hours before a long trip, we recommend:

• Hydrate aggressively
• Get a sauna session to improve circulation
• Sleep as much as possible

You’ll land in better condition and bounce back faster.

The Bottom Line

Travel fatigue isn’t inevitable. It’s a physiological response to specific stressors, and most of those stressors have solutions.

If you travel regularly for work, this protocol can be a game-changer. Come in after your next trip and see how you feel.