Carnival: see 5 tips to prepare your body for the festivities

O Carnival It's already here and, with it, the parties, the blocks, the parades and many hours of dancing – if you're on the team that likes to “skip Carnival”, of course. However, despite it being a festive season, health care should not be left aside, and this includes physical preparation .

“A person who goes to a Carnival event usually spends a lot of time standing, jumping and moving around. When you have strong muscles and good physical conditioning, you have more resistance for all of this”, says personal trainer Caio Signoretti.

But how and where to start? First of all, it is important to carry out an assessment with a health professional to understand if there are any restrictions before starting physical exercise. Once this check-up is done and with medical approval, it's time to start gradually, gradually increasing the intensity. Don't go to the pot too thirsty, especially if you're just starting to exercise: evolution takes time.

“It is very difficult for a person to achieve any type of significant improvement in resistance, conditioning or even aesthetics until Carnival, as there are only a few days left. But the idea is that she starts her physical preparation now, already thinking about something to carry with her for the rest of her life”, observes the physical education professional. With that in mind, let's look at the tips.

1. Focus on muscle strengthening exercises

To make the most of long hours on your feet, you need strong muscles to protect your joints. “What will provide the basis for the body to be able to absorb impacts in other activities and during Carnival is strengthening”, says Caio.

This strengthening is done through weight training, which can be done in gyms or at home, using equipment or items adapted to simulate dumbbells and barbells, for example. However, it is very important to remember to start training under the supervision of a physical education professional, who will guide you on how to do each movement correctly.

Furthermore, it is important to start small. Beginners should first focus on doing the movement the right way and then focus on the load progression and increasing intensity.

2. Invest in aerobic training

In addition to strength training, it is also interesting to invest in aerobic activities, such as walking, running, cycling or swimming. This type of exercise helps to increase physical conditioning and strengthens the cardiovascular system – which is why it is popularly known as “cardio”.

However, the tip for improving in this type of training is to always challenge yourself to do more and, little by little, increase the intensity of the training. For example: if one day you walked 2 km (kilometers) for 30 minutes, in your next training session, try walking 2.5 km in the same 30 minutes. “It is important for a person to always try to improve performance in some way. It’s a tip for people not to feel unmotivated and to start seeing results”, explains Caio.

It is even possible to alternate strength training with aerobic training: if you do weight training four times a week, how about fitting “cardio” into two other days, for example?

3. Stretch

Stretching is beneficial at any time of the day and can be included in your routine during Carnival. If you are already in the habit of stretching daily, on festive days this care should not be left aside. “Stretching can be done two or three times a week. It is even possible to include yoga in the routine, which works well on mobility and stretching”, says the personal.

Thinking about Carnival, a tip is to focus on mobility exercises that work well on the knees and ankles, which are joints that receive a lot of impact during movements such as jumping, running and walking, which are quite common during Carnival festivities.

4. Eat and hydrate well

In addition to physical care, it is important to take care of your diet and hydration. After all, these are two important pillars to provide the energy and resistance necessary to endure the days of revelry. During Carnival, opt for light meals, with carbohydrates, proteins and vegetables and avoid fried foods and fatty foods.

If you are going to drink alcohol, alternate drinks or beers with a good dose of water. This tip is essential to avoid a hangover and to be able to enjoy the remaining days of Carnival with health and energy. Furthermore, if it's a very sunny day, you should be even more careful with hydration. Also remember to apply sunscreen.

5. Get a good night's sleep and respect your rest

To endure all these days of revelry, the body needs to rest well. Therefore, between Carnival days, try to get a good night's sleep, sleeping between 7 and 9 hours per night. Avoid looking at screens before going to bed and eating before going to bed – respect a gap of at least two hours between your last meal and bedtime, if possible.

Furthermore, rest between workouts is essential for the body to recover well and remain strong for the next physical stimuli. Try to alternate the muscle groups that will be worked (for example, one day train upper muscles and the next, lower ones) and respect the rest between sets. With this, it will be possible to evolve and maintain good physical fitness for Carnival and beyond.