Staying Healthy Throughout THON Weekend

Whether you’re on the floor for all 46 hours or just visiting for a short while, it’s important to stay healthy while you’re inside the BJC this weekend. Here are a few tips just for you no matter what you’re actually doing during THON.

If you’re a dancer…

Jessica Horn, a moraler, says that these three things are the most important for a dancer to stay healthy and on their feet during THON: Hydrate, hydrate and oh yeah, hydrate. “Also, stretching is a must! As a moraler, my position requires me to learn a ton of stretches so that when something specific is hurting [a dancer], I can be sure to target that area,” she says. Keep that blood circulating and move those feet to keep your feet feeling fine (or at least not completely dead). Also, even if you’re not hungry or don’t think you’re thirsty, eating and drinking will keep your energy level up and you awake enough to finish strong. And resist the urge to guzzle Mountain Dew all night (even if it is delicious).

If you’re a moraler or part of a committee…

Caffeine and sugar are your friends but they can be your worst enemies if you use their powers for evil instead of good (like guzzling down energy drinks after hour #2). Pace your caffeine and sugar intake. The last thing you want is to feel that crash when you’re in the middle of cheering on a dancer or working on keeping the wi-fi functioning (fingers crossed). Saving that heavy-duty stuff for the end may be the best way to go to keep yourself (and your teammates) from going insane. If your shifts at the BJC are long (or never-ending), stretching and moving around is a must to keep from feeling stiff and grumpier than you should be.

If you’re visiting someone on the floor…

Once you’re visiting a dancer on the floor, make sure you’re feeling focused and awake so you can make your visit count for your dancer. The last thing they want to see is you yawning when they’ve been awake for 28 hours. If you’re thinking of visiting THON during a peak time, make sure to dress in layers to stay warm and move around to keep yourself awake. Wearing the proper footwear doesn’t stop with dancers either because you’re going to have to (want to) be standing for a long period of time. Picking shoes with the right amount of support that aren’t too tight will make your THON experience either the best thing ever or a reason for you to visit a podiatrist.

Being a part of THON is a fun, chaotic, amazing way to spend part of your weekend. Just make sure you stay healthy enough to celebrate those last four hours and keep up the fight FTK.

Photo by Sabine Clermont