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Mint
5 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Can apps and hacks really prevent jet lag?
The body's internal clock gets out of sync with the local time when we cross time zones, leading to jet lag. This wasn't the birthday greeting I had in mind: a 6 a.m. alarm blaring in my ear. I had taken the day off for a milestone birthday (let's not put a number on it) but here I was, bleary-eyed and grumpy, thanks to a jet-lag app I was testing for a family trip to Greece the following day. Sleeping in is one of my favorite pastimes. But when a friend traveled to India on a business trip with no jet lag after using an app, I figured it was worth a try. Jet lag is temporary but real. When we cross time zones, our circadian rhythm—the body's internal clock, which regulates just about every function in our bodies—gets out of sync with the local time. That can lead to fatigue, insomnia, headaches and brain fog. Though it poses no serious health risks, jet lag can hamper, or ruin, a vacation or business trip. So hacks from glasses to light boxes to supplements abound. Jet lag is worse heading east than west. Our internal clocks adjust about an hour a day, so transitioning to Greek time, a seven-hour difference, can take a week. Not ideal when your trip is only eight days. But I wasn't the only body clock under consideration. I was traveling with a teenager who regularly stays up past 1 a.m. and a tween who can't sleep past 8 a.m. My husband, who wakes up an hour earlier than me, tried the app, too. Age differences and jet lag aren't well studied, but Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, says young kids often adjust faster. Teens may, too, for a different reason. 'They're just so tired they can sleep whenever," he says. There are a number of apps that try to tackle jet lag. For example, StopJetLag gives light, sleep, meal and activity advice starting three days before travel. It costs $78 a trip. Flykitt, which is $99 for the first trip, includes five supplements, blue-light blocking glasses and sleep and eating advice. It revolves around the principle that pressure changes during flights can trigger inflammation for several days. I settled on an app called Timeshifter because the first trip was free and it focused on light exposure, with optional melatonin and caffeine—two tools I already use. Mickey Beyer-Clausen, the CEO of Timeshifter, and chief scientist Steven Lockley say the app shifts your circadian clock three to four hours a day. So on a trip from New York to Athens with a seven-hour difference, I should be able to shift in 1.5 to two days. Preparations for the trip started a few days in advance. I logged my sleep habits (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and enthusiastically signed on to using caffeine and melatonin. Day one was easy. It was pretty much my normal schedule but then came an alert: Avoid light from 9 to 10 p.m. And ruminate over midlife in the dark? Instead, I chose to read on my Kindle. Bad call. According to Timeshifter it would have been better to watch TV or read a book in a dimly lighted room wearing sunglasses. The next day, my birthday, started with a 6 a.m. wake-up and an unusually early bed time: 9 p.m. When a friend showed up with a surprise cake just before then we were thrown off. The next day was worse: a 5 a.m. wake-up for me, 4 a.m. for my husband. We persevered. I only had two hours for caffeine and guzzled it. By the time my 17-year-old son woke hours later, I snapped at him to finish packing. He barked back, 'What's the point of this app if you're just jet lagged before the trip? Just be tired and you'll sleep on the plane." Did he have a point? Once on the plane, I was exhausted but the app didn't have me sleeping for another two hours. I dozed for maybe an hour. The rest was restless half-sleep with constant peeks at the flight map and time. That's fine, says Lockley, who formerly worked as a sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School. More important than sleeping, is avoiding light. 'It's not about sleep, it's about the circadian clock," he says. 'It's the dark that matters," he adds. Health columnist Sumathi Reddy with her family on a trip to Greece. We landed in Athens at 6 a.m., caught a connecting flight, and by 2 p.m. were on Milos. The Timeshifter alerts popping up were still on New York Time so we ignored them (a temporary kink Beyer-Clausen says was fixed). As tempted as we were to nap, the Aegean Sea lured us in for a swim. Greeks eat late, so dinner was at 8 p.m. Timeshifter said bedtime was 11 p.m. By the time we got back at 10 p.m. I could barely keep my eyes open. The app called for a 7 a.m. wake-up but I was on vacation! We set the alarm for 9. (TimeShifter says it's adding a feature for a vacation sleeping pattern.) We all slept through the night. From there, the plan was simple: sunshine and caffeine in the morning; limited light before bed; and bed time pushing 11 p.m. When the shift to New York began a few days later, calling for limited light over breakfast, I decided to mostly ignore the recommendations. A four-hour delay on the flight home threw everything off anyway. I paid a price for the neglect: The workweek was a blur of nodding off at my desk, falling asleep by 9 p.m., and waking up before dawn. So was the pre-trip prep—early morning birthday wake-up and all—worth it? I think so. I may have transformed into a grumpy, morning person but the payoff was a postcard-perfect Greek island vacation. I'm ready to do it again in September for a girl's trip to Spain. Write to Sumathi Reddy at
Entrepreneur
19-06-2025
- Entrepreneur
Why Business Travel Wrecks You—and What To Do About It
A human performance expert breaks down what's really going on in your body when you suffer from jet lag, and how to stay sharp on the road. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Andrew Herr spent years advising Navy SEALs, elite athletes, and Fortune 500 executives on how to maximize performance under pressure. From the battlefield to the boardroom, one problem kept coming up. "Travel wrecks me," his clients told him. And they weren't exaggerating. According to industry data, 93% of long‑haul travelers report experiencing fatigue, malaise, and impaired concentration from jet lag. That frustration led Herr to create Flykitt, a system designed to eliminate jet lag and help travelers stay focused and functional. It's now used by professional athletes, executives, and anyone who's tired of arriving in a new city wiped out before the work even begins. Herr recently joined me on the One Day with Jon Bier podcast to explain the real reason for the lag in jet travel—and why the usual fixes rarely work. The problem starts with cabin pressure Jet lag isn't just about adjusting to new time zones. It starts before you even land. "When you're flying, you're usually going to about 8,000 feet of relative air pressure," Herr explains. "That drop in pressure and the lower oxygen level cause inflammation, which lowers your energy levels, disrupts sleep, messes with your joints, causes anxiety, and stops your circadian rhythm from resetting." That's why you feel so foggy and stiff after sitting on a plane, even if you didn't fly overnight. "It's not just the dry air," he adds. "Flying causes your body to fight itself." Related: 6 Tricks to Tackling Jet Lag Sleeping the whole flight isn't enough Travelers often think that as long as they sleep during the flight, they'll rally once they land. But even beyond the inflammation, Herr warns that mistimed sleep–and even too much–can leave you just as jet-lagged. For example, if you sleep at the wrong time or too much, you won't fall asleep the next night, and then you're in trouble. To feel great, it's about syncing your rest timing to work with your body's internal clock. In the Flykitt jet lag app, the algorithm calculates the ideal window to fall asleep, based on your flights, your arrival time, and your body's rhythms, all personalized to you. "We guide you on optimal sleep timing and supplements to block the inflammation and get you to sleep the exact right amount on the plane," Herr explains. "That helps you adjust smoothly to the new time zone when you land." The goal isn't just to get rest. It's about recalibrating your body to adapt from where you've been to where you're going. Caffeine isn't the solution Many travelers rely on coffee and other caffeinated beverages throughout the day to get them through but Herr says this can be the wrong tactic. When your body is inflamed and your sleep-wake cycle is out of whack, a lot of caffeine can amplify the problem. "It might even make it worse if you're already inflamed or anxious," he says. So, Flykitt includes a special circadian reset mix that includes just the right amount of coffee to optimize how you feel without overdoing it. Flykitt will also roll out what Herr calls a "focus module"—a structured set of tools designed to support mental clarity and energy. It will combine short breathwork exercises, stress relief techniques, and brain-supporting supplements to help your system rebound naturally. Related: Do You Drink More Coffee Than Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Other Creative Leaders? Recovery can take longer than you think Jet lag doesn't hit all at once, and it doesn't resolve itself after one night of sleep. "What people notice is, even after they get to the new location, they still feel off," Herr says. "They're not sleeping well, they're not digesting properly, they feel brain fog, and their mood's off." Many travelers assume the body will naturally bounce back the next day. But Herr says that misconception leads to more problems. "Most people wait until they feel terrible to take action," he says. His advice: Don't wait until you're wrecked. Do the work upfront and avoid the crash. Flykitt's recovery protocol starts the morning you leave and continues for 36 hours after landing. Jet lag is not inevitable Most travelers accept jet lag as just part of the deal. You fly long hours, you feel awful for a few days, you power through. But Herr says it doesn't have to be that way. "We're finding people in a spot where their whole routine is disrupted, so they're used to feeling terrible," he says. "And when they feel the impact of what using the right tools at the right time can do for sleeping better, eating better, and managing stress, it clicks." Flykitt's approach is built around that moment of clarity—when people realize they don't have to lose days of productivity or enjoyment just because they crossed a few time zones. "You can struggle through it," Herr says. "But why would you when you don't have to?" Related: This CEO Says the Secret to Growth Is Knowing Who You're Not For
Entrepreneur
05-06-2025
- Health
- Entrepreneur
7 Best Apps for Health and Productivity While Traveling
This story originally appeared on Calendar Travel can be a complicated thing. From flights to hotel accommodations to activity scheduling, planning the essentials can easily drain a person's mental capacity. That leaves considerations of health and productivity as afterthoughts. But what if there were resources to easily find diet-friendly restaurants, optimize your plans for productivity, and schedule exercise breaks? With the recent explosion of AI technology, there is no shortage of apps that claim to make travel a breeze. However, some apps are definitely miles ahead in terms of customization, accuracy, and ease of use. Here are the 7 best apps to use if you want to maximize productivity and hit your health goals while traveling. 1. Foodie Few companies understand how to stay healthy and productive during travel like Flykitt, the creators of a scientifically backed jet lag solution developed in collaboration with Navy SEALs and used by top business executives and dozens of professional sports teams to sleep well and feel great on every trip. The company's new AI-powered nutrition app, Foodie, was designed on the idea that travel shouldn't ruin your diet either. By expertly analyzing the menus of all the restaurants in the area you select, accounting for ingredients and food preparation methods, and considering dietary preferences and restrictions, the app recommends the best restaurants and menu items tailored to your personal dietary needs, wherever you go. A Foodie search for high-protein meals finds you not only meals packed with protein, but also the highest quality proteins like grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish. Searching for dairy-free restaurants can help you find all the available meals near you that are free of milk products. And if you're a vegan or vegetarian, Foodie can help you find plant-forward meals that are actually free of animal products. Its database knows which foods are truly plant-based and which restaurants are quietly using hidden animal products, such as broths or cooking fats. Flykitt also alerts you to any inflammatory ingredients and triggers, such as seed oils, hidden sugars, or gluten. With Foodie, you can quickly find restaurants that align with your wellness priorities, keeping your body feeling great and allowing you to enjoy your travel activities. 2. MacroFactor Trying to lose weight while traveling can still be a headache, even if you're eating all the right things at all the right places. Shedding pounds often requires detailed calorie tracking, which can be especially challenging when you're on the road. Many people choose to use free versions of popular food tracking apps, but these can be frustrating when you're short on time. What sets MacroFactor apart is its ultra-fast interface, which minimizes the number of taps required to track food. The MacroFactor app is designed to be the most efficient food logger, letting you input a meal in significantly less time than other apps. That means you can quickly and discreetly log calories at the conference buffet, the team lunch, or even in the airport taxi. The app's algorithm also makes adjustments and estimates in case you forget, don't have time, or don't know how to log a given meal. Its label scanner, AI tools, and huge food database make tracking on the go even easier. 3. TrainAway You already know that a break in your fitness routine can sap your energy and hinder your progress when you're traveling. Unfortunately, not every hotel or Airbnb has a decent gym, and bodyweight workouts at home can get boring quickly. For longer stays, it may be worthwhile to explore local gyms on Google Maps and reach out to see if they offer day passes. However, sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to do all that research. Enter TrainAway, an app that helps you find nearby gyms all over the world and book a day pass right on your phone. Then, you just head to the gym, show your pass to the staff, and start working out, with no sign-ups or sales appointments required. With locations from Budapest to Johannesburg to Mumbai, you'll always find a place to keep pumping iron. The app also lists services and amenities at each location, including classes, personal trainers, showers, and air conditioning. 4. Headspace Travel is stressful and comes with a million and one distractions that can make it especially hard to get centered and stay focused. That's why the Headspace app offers a suite of different solutions to help you beat stress, sleep better, and stay mindful. Known best for its progressive guided meditations, Headspace helps beginners (and refreshers) ease into a meditation routine. The app also offers interactive mindfulness resources and connections to online therapists. A new program rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy helps users fight anxiety and depression via the app. Meanwhile, a new AI companion — Ebb — helps users find gratitude or process thoughts and emotions on the road. A host of sleep resources, like specialized meditations, exercises, and relaxing sounds, can help with plane sleep, jet lag, and hotel nights. There are also specialized resources available for organizations, in case your employer wants to cover the costs. 5. Wanderlog Wanderlog helps take the headache out of travel by consolidating all your travel planning details in a single app. It's a place to stash all your itineraries, check out travel guides, and manage flight and hotel bookings all in one central location. It also features detailed, pre-existing guides to many cities, allowing you to skip some of the research. Much of the app's functionality works both online and offline. So, you can still use it even when you're not connected to WiFi. With Wanderlog, you can view your plans for the day, including maps and reservations, without needing to close the app. For example, you don't have to toggle back and forth from hotel confirmation to your Google Maps while you're trying to order that Uber from the airport. The app is also great for road trips, since it optimizes routes to save time and money on gas. It even gives you live flight updates, tracks expenses, and helps you split costs with travel companions. 6. WeCroak Admittedly, WeCroak is an unconventional choice, but it's an important one when it comes to genuine wellbeing. Inspired by a Bhutanese folk saying, the app's philosophy is that contemplating death five times a day is the key to happiness. Each day, WeCroak sends you five randomly timed reminders to stop and think for a moment about your own inevitable death. Each reminder also includes the option to view a quote about death from a poet or philosopher. The idea behind the app is that contemplating your own mortality reminds you what's important in life. Therefore, it serves as a reminder on how to truly prioritize your time. It's an invitation to pause for a moment, breathe deeply, meditate, and reflect on what truly matters most to you. The simple app has been around since 2018, when Wired, the New York Times, and The Atlantic reviewed it. It might just help you stay more present on the road and actually enjoy the travel experience. 7. Waterllama If being reminded of your own death isn't your thing, what about just being reminded to drink water? Waterllama is a fun little Apple Design Award finalist that helps you stay hydrated at home or on the go. This is important, since travel — especially air travel — can cause serious dehydration. Low humidity in the flight cabin causes your body to lose moisture. This is why forgetting to drink water (or drinking alcohol) can make it even worse. It's not just on the plane, though: for long road, bus, and train trips, you might be tempted to skip the sips. It's certainly easier to keep your bladder empty than look for a bathroom on the go (though there are apps for that, too). Fortunately, Waterllama's gorgeous, colorful animations and soothing haptics encourage you to make the healthier choice. The app also includes challenges to get or stay sober, reduce caffeine intake, and even self-diagnose lactose intolerance. Conclusion Staying healthy and productive on the go requires striking a balance between fitness, nutrition, and mental clarity. These apps can help you reduce stress and improve your sleep. Essentially, they can help you stay on track no matter where in the world you go. They aren't enough on their own, though; the most important piece of the wellness puzzle is your own mindset. To stay healthy anywhere, know your worth enough, and prioritize your own self-care regardless of your latitude or longitude. Featured Image Credit: Cottonbro Studio; Pexels; Thanks! The post 7 Best Apps for Health and Productivity While Traveling appeared first on Calendar.
