Looping into a New Rhythm

Day two in a new time zone and the body begins to adapt to the new sleep cycle that it is confronted with. To do this, I try to balance my sleep time on the flights and, after arrival, push through any fatigue during the day. As long as I can get a decent night's sleep, it's usually just a couple days until I adapt.
I've heard that, if near a large body of water, getting in for a swim will help you adapt because you feel the rhythm of the tide. Other people insist that it's best to just take a sleeping aid and knock yourself out. However, I feel that the best way is to simply drink a lot of water, eat light meals and get some exercise.