How to have the stamina to survive festivals after a few years off
-
Loading... - Levi Wilson
- 01 Jun 2022
- 278 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
After a few years of Covid-related restrictions, cancelled events and slow summers, festivals are finally back with a vengeance.
And while we can’t wait to dive back into festival season – seeing our favourite bands live, dancing in muddy fields and spending quality time with friends – it’s understandable to feel a bit nervous. What if your body isn’t prepared for what’s to come, especially after a few years off?
At festivals, Dr Stephanie Ooi, GP at MyHealthcare Clinic, says: “You’re not eating as well, you’re not sleeping as well, and you’re expending quite a lot of energy during the day walking around, dancing – whatever it is. It can leave you feeling pretty battered.
“If it is great weather, there is a risk of dehydration, if people are drinking alcohol throughout the day, and not keeping up with their fluids.”
To make it through to the end of a festival this year without feeling like a shell of a human, there are a few things you can do…
Pack plenty of healthy snacks
Starting your day with a protein-rich, healthy breakfast might make you feel more energised (Yui Mok/PA)
“When you’re at a festival, you’ll probably be eating more sugary, processed foods, the kind of foods that are higher in fat – more fried food, like chips,” says Ooi. “So it will look very different to your regular diet. Your nutrient and vitamin intake is certainly going to be different, and that might have an effect on you.”
While chips are a great addition to any festival, you probably don’t want to completely subsist off fried potatoes – and Ooi’s advice is to have a solid breakfast, and pack snacks.
“Try as best you can to fuel your body with energy-rich foods. That could be starting off on a good foot in the morning – if there’s any kind of porridge available, or you can bring those ready-made porridge pots, for example, that you just have to add hot water to,” she suggests.
“Try to include some protein in your diet – whether that’s in meat or plant-based form – throughout the day. Take some snacks along with you – like a breakfast bar, flapjacks, anything you can grab out of your bag easily. Fruit like bananas and apples would be a really good thing to take along.”
Watch your fluid intake
It’s easy to get over-excited by the return of festivals, but Ooi says: “Drink responsibly – don’t push yourself too much. It’s OK to say no – you can still have fun with alcohol-free options, and actually people might find the atmosphere will be plenty enough fun for them.”
If you are drinking alcohol, Ooi advises: “Try and have a break – or at least have alternate [drinks] like alcohol-free cocktails or alcohol-free beers.”
Most festivals have plenty of water stations dotted about, so she adds: “Make sure you carry a refillable bottle with you everywhere you go.”
Optimise your sleep
“Inevitably you’re going to be getting less sleep,” says Ooi. “If people are camping, for example, it can get quite hot in the tent. And during summertime the sun rises a lot earlier, so it might just be that you are going to bed later, and waking up earlier.” Read More...
