By Becky Waring

There's no denying that the cost of traveling is getting higher. And when taking to the "friendly skies", sometimes the cramped quarters make you want to parachute out of the plane down to more open, solid grounds.

But as you inevitably must travel to far away, foreign lands—whether for business or to visit long lost family members—learning to bare the burden of a long flight in a more mobile manner will make your trip slightly more bearable.

It's time to fight back against cramped seating and swollen legs and ankles with stretches and other measures that can keep your circulation going strong while in the air.

According to the American Heart Association, deep vein thrombosis (where blood clots form in the legs due to immobility may break off, traveling to the lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism) is a serious risk on long plane flights—especially to those already susceptible, such as pregnant women or those with a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke.

But that doesn't mean you should stay home. There are lots of ways to reduce your risk.

The AHA recommends drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol, wearing compression stockings and walking around the plane or doing stretching exercises while seated.

There are many sources for purchasing compression socks. Travelsmith has men's and women's styles, and Crocs makes some great crew-type compression socks.

So what kind of stretches can you do while shoehorned into your seat?

Just raising and lowering your heels and toes repeatedly is a good start, as is bringing your knee to your chest and rotating your ankle. Neither should disturb your seat-mates.

For a more complete list, The American Council on Exercise has a convenient printable list of stretches.

Even better for your body is getting up out of your seat and going to the back of the plane where there is usually enough space to do a few standing exercises, too.

The book "Getting in Shape" by Bob Anderson has a handy one-page pictorial guide to stretching. You can print this out and take it along with you for a quick reference guide.

Another approach to seated stretching comes from Bess Abrahams, author of "Airplane Yoga." She specializes in reducing stress on flights as well as exercise techniques. Some of her innovations include Landing Light Breathing, Mile High Head Tilts and Runway Spinal Rolls. She also offers a free travel wellness newsletter.

Finally, don't forget to maintain your normal workout regime while you're on the road. There are many good exercises you can do in your hotel room even if there's no gym available. About.com has a great equipment-free workout that includes both cardio and weight training components. An added benefit is that you'll keep up your energy level and won't feel so tired when you come home.

The price of travel doesn't have to include putting your limbs in pain.