March Madness started just five days ago, yet, by now, just about everybody’s bracket has already fallen apart. Last Thursday, 64 teams were alive at the beginning of the tournament, but as it stands today, there are only 16 teams remaining. While over half of the tournament’s games have already been played, the National Championship game isn’t until April 4th. This leaves us with plenty more basketball. For college basketball fans, this means many more nights of eating wings, drinking beer and watching hoops.
To put it simply, March Madness pays a toll on the health of this country. Americans consume 120 million chicken wings and drink 220 million gallons of beer each year during March Madness. Considering many fans choose to watch these games at sports bars, they will both drink and eat in excess, as they’re surrounded by people partaking in this behavior. As a result, the average fan’s health and productivity at work will likely suffer.
This March Madness, commit to being healthier than in years past. Try and limit your food and alcohol consumption this year, as you can enjoy both, but ideally in moderation. Exercising will also make a big impact on your health and how you’ll feel in the morning. Certain junk foods negatively affect the sleep cycle, but by maintaining a regular workout regiment, this will help you adhere to your normal sleep schedule. Even simply doing push-ups or moving around during timeouts will help the body immeasurably. As we all know, the last two minutes alone of a basketball game can stretch as long as 30 minutes, leaving plenty of time to do time-effective exercises. It’s also important to mix some fruits and vegetables into your menu, as this will help compensate for the void in nutrients created by your pizza and wing consumption.
If you believe March Madness has paid a heavy toll on your body, visit us any day of the week at AFC Urgent Care Methuen for a physical exam. For more information, call us at 978-975-0700. We look forward to helping you survive March Madness!
