CEO says she ‘figured out jet lag' — her 2-step trick banished ‘severe' side effects

New York Post

07-07-2025

Traveling between time zones can wreak havoc on your sleep and potentially throw a real wrench into your perfect vacation.
Luckily, Wendy Kopp — the CEO and co-founder of nonprofit Teach for All — has a super-easy hack that she swears by.
'I've figured out jet lag,' the former CEO of Teach for America, 58, recently told CNBC.
Wendy Kopp — the CEO and co-founder of nonprofit Teach for All — has a super-easy hack that she personally swears by.
CNBC
'I used to have such severe jet lag,' she said, especially when traveling from east to west, which is unusual since the opposite is typically considered more common because it's easier to delay sleep than it is to wake up earlier.
Regardless, someone finally taught her the secret.
'The trick is: You don't eat on the plane, and when you land, you go on a run before you eat anything,' Kopp said.
'For many, many years, I didn't do it, and I finally just resorted to it, and I've not had jet lag since.'
Kopp admitted that even though this two-step trick works, it 'seems impossible' — probably because who wants to do any of that?
Most of us struggle to go on a run at home, let alone abroad.
But her advice makes sense.
'The trick is: You don't eat on the plane and, when you land, you go on a run before you eat anything,' Kopp said.
Dragana Gordic – stock.adobe.com
Experts do recommend exercising — especially outdoors — to help banish jet lag, and studies have shown that syncing your meals with the local time can help your body adjust to the new time zone.
Skipping in-flight meals can also help reset your circadian rhythm — the body's internal clock — and reduce bloating, gas and other gastrointestinal discomforts.
But if any of this sounds unfeasible, we've got a few more tricks up our sleeve.
Dr. Rebecca Robbins, a sleep scientist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, recommends adjusting your sleep schedule 15 minutes every day into the direction of your destination's time zone in the weeks leading up to your trip.
'Then, once you board the plane, change your phone or wristwatch to your destination time zone and start to live, eat and sleep on this new time,' she previously told The Post.
When you arrive, try to get as much natural sunlight and fresh air as you can, as this will help your circadian rhythm adapt to your new sleep/wake schedule.
Experts also recommend avoiding alcohol because it dehydrates you, disrupts your sleep quality and interferes with your body's ability to adjust to a new time zone.
Other, weirder advice includes doing the Macarena in-flight and standing barefoot in dirt as soon as you land — a technique known as 'earthing' or 'grounding.'