Labor Day Safety Tips
Labor Day is a day to enjoy time off and time with family and friends. Make sure that your holiday is as safe as it is enjoyable with these five Labor Day safety tips.
Labor Day Safety Tips
1. Stay Hydrated
With all the Labor Day activities to participate in, it can be easy to forget to stay hydrated. Make sure to take bottled water with you to parades where bubblers or water fountains may not be easily accessible.
For picnics, cook-outs, or last trips to the beach, bring coolers with ice and bottled water to make sure that you stay hydrated throughout the day. If you plan to be extra active with road races, recreational sports, etc. you may want to pack sports drinks instead as they work better to replenish electrolytes you burn off with activity.
2. Wear Sunscreen
Just because summer is winding down doesn't mean that the risk of sunburns is any less. Make sure to load up on sunscreen before leaving the house and pack a couple bottles to take with you to your Labor Day activities.
Reapply every few hours or if you start to feel any hot spots on exposed areas. If you go swimming make sure to wear a waterproof sunscreen and reapply as soon as you dry off.
3. Keep Track of Little Ones
Popular Labor Day locations such as parades, beaches and parks can become very crowded and it can be easy to lose track of younger children. Make sure that all adults are aware of who is responsible for watching the kids, designate a meeting spot if anyone gets separated, and implement the buddy system if you are traveling with more than one child.
4. Travel with a First Aid Kit
Scraped knees, bee stings, and blisters are common health hazards of Labor Day festivities. Make sure to travel with a fully stocked first aid kit that includes travel packages of over-the-counter medications such as: ibuprofen, an antihistamine, and antacids. Finally make sure to bring any prescription medications that those you are celebrating Labor Day with may be taking, especially epi-pens, insulin, and inhalers.
5. Food Safety
Whether it is in the backyard or on the beach: grilling is a Labor Day food tradition. During all of the celebration and fun, make sure that you pay attention to proper food preparation. Make sure that foods with a dairy base, such as potato salad, are kept cold and that all meats are cooked thoroughly.
If you are grilling at a more remote location such as a park or the beach, you may want to bring a couple gallons of water with you to rinse off grilling equipment and dishes that have come into contact with raw meat.
In addition to washing the cookware, always make sure to wash your hands before eating. Hand sanitizer gel or wipes are a convenient way to help make sure that you don't contaminate your food with dirt or bacteria.
Make Your Labor Day a Fun and Safe Holiday! Labor Day is a great chance to celebrate the end of summer with family and friends. Whether you attend a parade, head to the lake or stay home to barbeque, keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy your well earned day off!
Labor Day Weekend & Program Destruction Prevention
We all have the same tendencies and correlations to particular Holidays and times of the year, that is a given. When we think of “Labor Day” the next phrase that comes to mind is “Labor Day Weekend,” right? Having a Monday off work means a three-day weekend for most of us (not all obviously). These three day weekends are different for everyone, but for the most part involve gatherings with friends and family, eating socially, and a full-three days of “no-obligation” R & R (rest & relaxation).
If you have been steady on your fitness training program and eating healthfully, a three-day Holiday weekend like Labor Day weekend poses a threat to the un-prepared fit-goer and possible derailment of your hard-earned progress. No need to fear because for that exact reason, we have covered the most frequent derailing issues with Holiday weekends such as this Labor Day weekend below and how to prepare yourself for success in addition to fun times with a little R & R.
“Failure to prepare=Prepare to Fail.”
Derailments - Derailed:
1. “How do I get my workouts in? Won’t being off for three days make me gain weight?”
a. No, you will not gain weight simply by taking off for three days from your workouts and in fact, a three day rest could actually do your body good in multiple ways assuming you hit your training program for the week prior to AND use the three day weekend as “fuel to your training fire” come Tuesday’s workout.
b. Plan an extended workout for the Friday prior to Labor Day weekend “kicking off,” and work your tail off a tad bit harder and give that extra oomph. Try adding a couple of extra sets on the tougher exercises; Try adding 1-minute run intervals in-between exercises; Complete your workout then finish up with a 20-minute 75-80% intensity cardio session.
c. Make a plan to get up on Saturday morning and get a shorter duration/ higher intensity workout in.
2. “I have a habit of eating all the finger foods and snacking throughout get-togethers and social gatherings over Labor Day weekend. How can I prevent this?”
a. This is common and not necessarily a completely bad thing. The trick here is to figure out why you’re eating: Because you’re bored; Because it is there; Because it looked good?
b. Eating when you’re hungry and it is time to eat is never a bad thing. On the contrary if you’re feeling hungry the whole time it is likely because your activities wherever you might be aren’t that fulfilling. If you’re eating because your activities consist of sitting around the lake house with friends/family and chatting around the food trays etc., make a conscious effort to get everyone up and outside for some fun! Go play horseshoes, a friendly game of touch football, or if you’re sitting at the lake house OBVIOUSLY you should go for a swim and burn up some calories while having fun!
c. If there is absolutely no way around you sitting around the food trays and chatting with family, be smart and take preventative measures.
i. Neat Trick: Protein functions as a natural appetite suppressor in the body. So if you notice you’re sitting around chatting and catching up with everyone is getting you fidgety and wanting the finger foods, go drink a protein shake really quick. Simply put a scoop or two of your favorite protein into your shaker and throw some water in there and bam, you’re set.
ii. If you drink your protein shake and are still hungry 30-minutes later, it might actually be time to eat! You will notice that you achieve your full-feeling much faster and don’t crave those pies and fattening treats sitting around the food trays.
3. “I have big plans with friends and family I haven’t seen in ages over the Labor Day weekend, and don’t want to be the ‘outsider’ worrying about what I eat and having to workout the whole time.”
a. We won’t jump on this opportunity for you to turn this into a preaching moment and convert your friends and family to health-conscious fit-goers (although we want to). Rather we will explain how to make this work for you without being the ‘outsider.’
b. Go checkout a local parade or local Labor Day weekend events in your neighborhood which will likely require walking the events, possibly some games and activities which require mobility and energy (energy=calories). Not only will this allow you to stay active over the Labor Day weekend, but when your friends/family notice how winded and tired they are while you’re still “trucking along,” this might give you the open door you have been looking for to discuss getting into a health-minded lifestyle with them!
c. Keep your healthful snacks and protein handy. These will help on the in-between hours where they likely only eat 2-3 meals a day, you can maintain your 5-6 smaller meals by simply remembering once you get back into the vehicle to head to your next destination to grab one of your snack and scarf it down on the way. You also won’t eat as much if you decide to go eat out with everyone because you’ve stuck to your guns and ate your snacks as needed.
d. Use some of the tips from #1 and get your tougher workout in either Friday prior to Labor Day weekend or early Saturday morning, then relax over the weekend while making a conscious plan to “fuel your training fire” on Tuesday when you get back to your workout!
4. Remember the following math when you head into your weekend:
a. Carbohydrates=4 calories per gram
b. Protein=4 calories per gram
c. Fat=9 calories per gram
d. ALCOHOL= 7 calories per gram
i. We all know that the possibility of alcohol on a Labor Day weekend with family/friends and festivities are highly likely. Just keep in mind that one gram of alcohol is almost equal to two grams of carbohydrates. Which would you rather enjoy?
Last but not least, ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND! You deserve it!
Keep it fit,
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