Don't make these in-flight mistakes

People traveling by airplane. Focus is on background, on young man sleeping. (iStock)

Did you know you could make or break your entire trip based on your behavior on the plane?

A new report from Smarter Travel shows that you can self-sabotage your vacation while flying.

“Seemingly innocuous activities can set you up for exhaustion, illness, and jet lag — all total vacation killers,” writes Christine Sarkis.   

One of the biggest killers is just not moving at all.

“Sitting in an airplane seat is hard on your body. If you're not moving and stretching at regular intervals in-flight, you're putting yourself at risk. Opt to remain in your seat for hours at a time and you'll likely arrive with the aches and pains of tight muscles,” says Sarkis.

Unfortunately, drinking is another bummer.

“A glass of wine with dinner on an international flight? Reasonable (especially if you're also drinking a healthy amount of water). Three vodka tonics in quick succession on a cross-country flight? Recipe for regret,” says Sarkis.

Marathon movie-watching is also probably not a good idea. The best plan is to get some rest.

“Before you take off, set your watch for your destination and let that time zone loosely guide your activities. Try to sleep during your destination's nighttime (cabins are often dimmed accordingly),” suggests Sarkis.

For more examples of what you don’t want to do on a flight, read on here.