The Fit Fan: Survivng The Con
Aug. 9th, 2011 04:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lazypadawanWorse than visits to the park or the fair is the dreaded con weekend. Sure, cons are fun. That's why we go. But we tend to take lousy care of ourselves during those 3-5 day extravaganzas. There's too little sleep and too much bad food. Not only can you come home with a few extra pounds on your frame, you can come home sick as a dog. That's what happened to me when I went to Celebration IV.
Here's what you can do to take better care of yourself at any con, whether it's a local jaunt or a cross-country trip:
1. Don't neglect your hygiene
I hate to say it but sometimes in fannish zeal to not miss a single moment of a show, people don't bother bathing or brushing their teeth. Basic grooming only takes a few minutes; make the time. Not only will you feel better, your fellow con-goers will thank you.
2. Bring your vitamins
One thing you can do to help boost your immunity and give yourself more energy is to take at least a multivitamin every day. I also take Vitamin C every day. You migth also want to consider taking Airborne, a vitamin supplement that boosts immunity, before, during, and after the con.
3. Bring hand sanitizer
Even though you may wash your hands after trip to the potty (and I hope you do), you're still picking up icky germs left and right. Use hand sanitizer before you eat and every couple of hours or so.
4. Get plenty of rest
This is the hardest thing for a con-goer to do but shoot for at least 6-7 hours of sleep. You'll feel better during the day and you'll cut back on your risk of getting sick.
5. Eat regularly/eat healthy
This is the second-hardest thing for a con-goer to do, so people skip meals and overcompensate for them by overeating or they stuff themselves on bad-for-you snacks like nachos. Bring healthy snacks like fruit or 100-calorie packs of nuts and plan to fit meals in during the day. I pack my own sandwich from home when I go to Comic Con. If that's not an option for you, refer to my advice on how to survive the parks.
6. Easy on the power drinks
Some of those power drinks are very high in caffeine (I had a bad experience with Rockstar once) and can be high in sugar/calories. If you have to drink those things, pick a sugar free version and don't load up on them. They can mess up your ability to sleep.
7. Take advantage of the exercise
One good thing about cons is that they offer the opportunity for lots of exercise. Take stairs instead of elevators if possible.
Here's what you can do to take better care of yourself at any con, whether it's a local jaunt or a cross-country trip:
1. Don't neglect your hygiene
I hate to say it but sometimes in fannish zeal to not miss a single moment of a show, people don't bother bathing or brushing their teeth. Basic grooming only takes a few minutes; make the time. Not only will you feel better, your fellow con-goers will thank you.
2. Bring your vitamins
One thing you can do to help boost your immunity and give yourself more energy is to take at least a multivitamin every day. I also take Vitamin C every day. You migth also want to consider taking Airborne, a vitamin supplement that boosts immunity, before, during, and after the con.
3. Bring hand sanitizer
Even though you may wash your hands after trip to the potty (and I hope you do), you're still picking up icky germs left and right. Use hand sanitizer before you eat and every couple of hours or so.
4. Get plenty of rest
This is the hardest thing for a con-goer to do but shoot for at least 6-7 hours of sleep. You'll feel better during the day and you'll cut back on your risk of getting sick.
5. Eat regularly/eat healthy
This is the second-hardest thing for a con-goer to do, so people skip meals and overcompensate for them by overeating or they stuff themselves on bad-for-you snacks like nachos. Bring healthy snacks like fruit or 100-calorie packs of nuts and plan to fit meals in during the day. I pack my own sandwich from home when I go to Comic Con. If that's not an option for you, refer to my advice on how to survive the parks.
6. Easy on the power drinks
Some of those power drinks are very high in caffeine (I had a bad experience with Rockstar once) and can be high in sugar/calories. If you have to drink those things, pick a sugar free version and don't load up on them. They can mess up your ability to sleep.
7. Take advantage of the exercise
One good thing about cons is that they offer the opportunity for lots of exercise. Take stairs instead of elevators if possible.
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no subject
Date: 2011-08-10 03:21 am (UTC)I got better with the eating this year. Actually had some real meals.
And I never neglected brushing my teeth, but this year I did better with the flossing :)
I forgot to take my vitamins again. Well, I also misplaced them, some how they wound up in my camera bag....But I didn't get sick thank God.