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Community Corner

Five Seasons Family Sports Club Issues Game Plan for Super Bowl Fan Fitness

Come this Sunday, February 2nd, when the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks square off in the Super Bowl, there will be no shortage of numbers descending upon us.

Pundits will analyze statistics from each team’s season, how their quarterbacks perform in cold weather, the number of players who were born in New Jersey, where the game is being played, and on and on it will go.

But the data points related to the game don’t end there. For the more than 100 million Americans watching the contest, here’s one figure to ponder: over the course of the game, it is quite possible for someone to pack on 1,500 calories—or more—in eating and drinking as they watch the action.

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That’s well in excess of half of an adult man’s recommended daily caloric intake. With that sobering stat in mind, the fitness staff at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Northbrook has developed a Game Plan for Super Bowl Fan Fitness:

On Offense (Calories that you consume):

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Consume a protein shake about 30 minutes before kickoff. Doing so will curb your cravings for carbohydrates, says Patrick Kamara, Five Seasons Northbrook’s director of fitness.

In addition, there are many healthy, good-tasting snacks that you could have during the game to alleviate packing on pounds, he adds.

Steer clear of pretzels and chips. Instead eat pita chips, flat bread, plantain chips, snack nuts, and dried fruit. Meat snacks are better than chips. On the dip front, use non-cream-based dips like salsa and chili.

Kamara also advises placing snacks in smaller containers and purchasing smaller packages of snacks. Drinking 16 ounces of water each quarter is another very good move.

On Defense (Calories that you burn):

In the morning, get in a great workout. Most pre-game activities don’t start till noon, anyhow, so your goal should be a 600- to 800-calorie burn, Kamara says.

During the game, too, you can devise creative ‘games within the game’ to incorporate exercises such as push-ups or sit-ups. For example, every time the ball changes possession, you could do a pre-designated number of those repetitions.

Or, if you’re really ambitious, you could mirror the cheerleader’s post-scoring ritual by doing one push up for every point that your team has scored to that point.

Special Teams:

If you are sitting throughout the game, be sure to rise at least once every 10 minutes and do a series of light stretches. To help your body get the good blood flow that it needs, each series of stretches should take no longer than 45 seconds.

Also, pick an accountability partner—someone who is part of your own “special team” and knows that you might have a particular weakness for succumbing to a calorie-laden snack or beverage. Commit to putting a cap on your intake (if you permit any at all), and then make that commitment known to your partner.

Numerous studies, as well as our own common sense, are overwhelming in showing that being held to account by someone else is much more effective than any silent promise we make to ourselves.

And, remember, it’s not ‘sudden death’ if you stumble a bit when taking in the game.

“One day will not mean the end of your fitness goals,” says Kamara. “But just be careful not to let one day turn into two days, then three days, and so on. What you do on the days leading up to and after the Super Bowl also matter.”

In addition to the club’s location, 1300 Techny Road in Northbrook, you can visit Five Seasons at www.facebook.com/FiveSeasonsNorthbrook.

For more information about fitness offerings at the club, call Kamara at 847-897-5030.

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