Stay active this Carnival with these party-ready exercises

Category: Health & Wellness, Little Extras
Posted on: Feb 21, 2022

The best time of the year is finally here y’all!

It’s Carnival season, which means it’s time to indulge in some festive traditions and oh-so-delicious treats! While not all Mardi Gras must-haves are good for our health (or our waistbands—ahem, we’re looking at you King Cake!), it’s totally fine to treat ourselves to a little extra fun and flavor every now and then. The most important thing is to keep up with our healthy routines and make sure our Carnival-season indulgences stay a special occasion, and don’t become year-round habits.

Adding in a little extra physical activity is a great way to balance the extra calories we consume during Carnival. And that doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym solo while everyone else is out having a good time. Instead, how about grabbing a friend and trying out one of the following?

Put on your favorite track and dance for the entire song
Volunteer to help clean a local park or parade route
Try out a new type of exercise or class
Organize a neighborhood game of soccer, Frisbee, basketball, or tennis
Get your home party-ready by doing that yardwork you’ve been putting off
Go on a bike ride with your fam
Make walking your dog a part of your morning routine
Consider signing up for a spring-time charity walk or run to keep you motivated

Remember, you don’t have to “burn off” the foods you eat. It’s perfectly ok to just enjoy a special treat, and there’s no need to feel bad or guilty about it.

However, if you feel like mixing things up and doing a little extra this year, you can make a game of pairing your fun foods with some party-friendly exercise! Get started with our menu below!

1 Polish Hot Dog = 2.5 Hours of Parade Route Marching

1 Piece of Fried Chicken = 70 Minutes of Second Lining

1 Piece of King Cake = 50 Minutes of Cajun Two-Stepping

1 Daiquiri = 4 Hours of Parade Dancing

1 Light Beer = 20 Minutes of Jumping for Throws

Have a safe and fun Mardi Gras, and we'll see you out there! We're partnering with the City of New Orleans to provide first aid stations along parade route. Find out where we'll be.

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