Sleep to recover

Four days of continuous activity, even if it’s fun, can stress you out physically. So, amid all the euphoria and chaos, try to get some sleep. It’s fine if you do not get your full eight hours, but at least try to get five-six hours a day. That way your batteries will be sufficiently charged to take on the next day’s revelry. Remember, recovery is the key to enjoying life.

Durga Puja is the time when we break out of the routine and allow ourselves to be swept away by the festivities for which we wait the entire year. And that is absolutely fine as long as the indulgence doesn’t affect your health. If you keep your wits about you and follow some basic tenets, you can enjoy the Pujas to the fullest.

Don’t overeat or binge-drink

This is something most of us tend to do during Durga Puja. We might have been waiting to eat, drink and make merry, but it’s very important to exercise some degree of restraint and caution. Eat your fill by all means, but avoid overeating or binge drinking. These can mess up your digestion and make you sick, which might lead to you getting restricted for the remainder of the festivities.

Stay hydrated

One of the major things that we tend to forget about in our daily lives is the need for proper hydration. Many wait till they are thirsty to drink water when we should actually be hydrating ourselves at regular intervals. The four days of Durga Puja can be very chaotic. During this time, a lot of people tend to rely on carbonated drinks, juices and hot beverages like coffee and tea to get them through the day while forgetting to drink the most important fluid — water. If dehydration sets in due to excessive fluid loss, you can experience headache, dizziness, weakness and an upset stomach, among other things. So, remember to buy that bottle of water also!

Samrat Sen is a Calcutta-based kettlebell expert and coach. Send your queries to t2onsunday@abp.in

Exercise and stretch

I know the Pujas are a time many want to take a break from strenuous exercise. While that’s fair enough, one should still do some basic exercises. You may be walking a lot while pandal-hopping around the city and may not have the energy to train, hard-core exercise enthusiasts still do. But some basic mobility and stretching exercises will help you unwind and feel good about yourself. After walking and being on your feet the entire day, your body will want some nice stretch therapy to relax those muscles and eliminate stiffness. Just 20-30 minutes should be enough to get you back on your feet and going again. If you want to add some other exercises, consider push-ups/Hindu-push-ups, squats and mountain climbers. Keep it to three sets of each with eight to 12 reps per exercise.

Source: Thinkstock

Source: Thinkstock