Why does travelling on long-haul flights slow your circulation? (whilst you are on the flight)
by 
Luc Thiet Thuan
ANSWERS: 2
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It's just so rare to sit immobilized for an extended period of time. Long-haul flights are considered to be 8 hours or more, and studies have found small blood clots in the legs of about 10 percent of older people after 8+ hour flights. There are many things you can do to counteract it - get up and walk around each hour, wear compression stockings, do yoga or exercises in your seat.
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It doesn't slow your circulation per se. It's just that sitting in one position with your feet on the floor allows the blood to pool in your veins. (The same thing will happen to anyone standing for a long period of time.) Combine that with dehydration, which is almost universal on long flights, and you run the risk of blood clotting. You can avoid this by: 1) getting up and moving around; or 2) flexing your feet while seated. Either of those will force the pooled blood to move and decrease the risk of clot formation.
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