The past year has been very quiet in terms of live shows. Every concert and music festival was postponed or canceled as COVID-19 spread and ravaged communities around the world. However, with vaccinations underway in most countries, especially in the United States and United Kingdom.
That is why, in the past few weeks, several artists announced concert dates. Music festivals are also on their way back. Coachella in California has announced dates for 2022, and so did Primavera in Barcelona. Outside Lands will be back earlier; it will be held on Halloween weekend later this year.
After over a year of cancellations, live music is back on-stage.
If you are heading to one soon, which a lot of people will do after the pandemic, it is important that you take good care of your health. Of course, you should have been vaccinated by then to reduce the chances that you will catch the virus or get critically ill. But, in addition, you need to stay away from the unhealthy and excessive drinking and eating of fast foods associated with the live music scene.
Instead, here are the things that you should do.
Get Ample Sleep
Performances during music festivals often last until the wee hours of the morning. People who, likely, are drunk from partying can also get pretty loud and rowdy.
Sleep is so important, especially at a music festival, because you need the energy to last you throughout the day. If you are camping at the venue, look into music festival tent rental. They are easy to set up and, most importantly, comfortable. These tents for camping, yet they still have the coziness and security that come with sleeping in a hotel room. They are also roomy enough to fit beds and allow for ventilation to make your brief stay as pleasant as possible.
Take Advantage of Free Morning Exercises
Because their audience is mainly young and hip, many festivals offer a variety of physical activities. Some have free yoga classes in the morning or host marathons for early risers. Before going to the venue, check what they offer so you can bring the necessary tools and equipment.
If there are yoga classes, for example, you will need a mat. If there are marathons, you will need running shoes.
Even if there are no events or classes, you can still get physical activity, you can still run around and explore the venue early in the morning. Exercising during the music festival weekend is important because you probably will eat more than usual. You also will be standing up a lot, waiting for your favorite musicians to come on stage, which, while tiring, is not physical activity.
Pack Snacks
If the only food options are unhealthy, you will eat unhealthy foods. It will help you maintain your weight as well as boost your immune system by, instead of buying food at the venue, you pack some healthy snacks. Sliced fruits, trail mix, and nuts, and seeds can give you energy throughout the day, and they are packed with nutrients.
On the other hand, foods that are high in calories but nutrient empty will only zap your energy. Fried fast food, in particular, is difficult to digest. It requires your body to diver oxygen and blood away from your organs and muscles to your digestive system. The process leads to fatigue. Refined sugar and flour may give you a brief spike of energy but make you feel sleepy immediately after.
Skip the burgers and munch on fruit slices or dark chocolates when you are feeling hungry.
Stay Hydrated
This is the most important thing to remember when in a music festival: hydrate. And, no, beer does not count to the at least eight glasses of water that your body needs every day. In fact, it is dangerous to drink more alcohol than water because it is a diuretic. It will make you pee — a lot. When you pee a lot without drinking more water, you will be dehydrated.
There is no use waiting at the barricade so you can be front and center when your favorite musician comes onstage. Because of dehydration, you might faint or get an infection. Either way, you will have a bad time.
Health is rarely talked about during music festival season because people treat these events as a weekend of partying. However, what happens at a music festival does not stay in the music festival. The weight gain, sleep deprivation, and consequences of dehydration will follow you until you go home. So, instead of bingeing like most people do, strive to make healthy choices, even if you are there to have fun.
