Uplift: A Jetlag Solution That Takes “Less Than 5 Minutes”

Tired of losing time, sleep and energy to jetlag? Uplift, an app-based jetlag solution developed by Dr. Charles Krebs, claims that it “neutralizes jet lag reducing the time it takes for the body to naturally transition when traveling between time zones. In 3 easy steps that take less than 5 minutes, the Uplift App guides you to identify and activate a natural solution that effectively ‘resets’ your system. This allows the body to adjust to a new time zone more quickly, allowing you to be more productive at your destination, and when you return back home.”

It works like this:

1. You enter your travel information (departure and arrival destination dates and times)
2. Uplift identifies two acupressure points and shows you where to find them on your body
3. At the appropriate time, the app will guide you through application of pressure to the designated points

Here’s a short (three minutes) video on how it works, which Uplift recommends all new users watch:

It sounds a little too easy, but the man behind it has an impressive pedigree. Dr. Krebs has a PhD in biology and physiology and is heavily involved in body-and-mind-related research—including into the neural network. Travel between Australia and Germany apparently inspired him to turn his focus to a solution, which took the form of Uplift in 2016 (his co-founder is Ted Finn). Here’s how it all comes together, as written in a story in the Boston Globe in April: “Jet lag occurs when your body’s natural circadian rhythm is out of sync with the time of day, which happens when you cross time zones. According to Krebs, holding the two pressure points at the same time resets the internal body clock, easing the effects of jet lag. Acupressure is derived from traditional Chinese medicine and is based on the belief that there are meridians, or energy channels, that run throughout the body. Acupressure is all about balancing energy.”

The Globe also notes that “Krebs and Finn said they tested Uplift on 500 travelers, resulting in a 92 percent success rate. They did admit, though, that the trial was conducted on mostly volunteers — friends, business people, and others who sought out Krebs’s work or bought the app during its trial period.”

Uplift is $9.99/year for both iOS and Android. I’m not putting that money down yet, but it’s an interesting idea. Have you tried Uplift? Would you? What other jetlag solutions work for you? Share in the comments!