Staying Healthy During the Fall Season

Rowers and Parents:

After the unseasonably warm September on the Mohawk River, it is hard to tell what type of weather conditions October will bring. What you should expect is that both the air and water temperatures will begin to drop.

The Niskayuna Freshmen Boy’s team has grown to 2 eights; however, we will take a hit every time a rower needs to miss a practice due to illness. Here are some preventive measures you should take to avoid illness this fall:

1. Pay Attention to the Weather Forecast: be aware if it is supposed to rain, if there will be an evening frost, or another day in the 90s. This will, most importantly, influence how you dress.
   
   
2. Dress appropriately: If there is a chance that it will rain or be cold on the river, bring extra clothes. If you need to, carry an extra gym bag to school; don’t forgo that extra fleece because it won’t fit in your backpack. Hypothermia can set in quickly and make you very sick. Also, avoid cotton; it will absorb water from rain or backsplash and keep you wet the entire cold, windy practice.
   
   
3. Bring plenty of water: Even on cold or rainy days, you will sweat, and your body needs to rehydrate. Plus, bring your own water bottles, because there is nothing worse than catching a cold from someone else.
   
   
4. Eat right: scholastic rowers have awesome diets…eat all the carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, and vegetables you want. If you don’t replenish your body with the nutrients it needs, you will become more susceptible to illness. Also, try not to eat so much candy or drink so much soda, they won’t help alleviate muscle fatigue or regeneration.
   
   
5. Get plenty of rest: with school and crew, it may be easy to forget how important sleep is; but don’t. While you rest, your body is at work fighting off antigens, reconstructing muscle tissue, and re-energizing you for the next day. If you don’t get sufficient rest, it is easier to catch a cold.