A Head-to-Butt-to-Toe Explanation of What Happens to Your Body on an Airplane

“If man was meant to fly, he’d have been given wings,” says the old mantra we ignore every time we step through the metal detector and head for the bar in the departure lounge. But there’s some truth to it: Nothing about humans flying is natural, and since we’ve only been doing it for a little more than 100 years, our bodies haven’t adapted to the very particular set of stressors we’re putting on them. So if you’ve ever wondered what’s making your stomach churn, your ears pop and your legs cramp, here’s what that pressurized, B.O.-scented environment is doing to us.