Staying healthy and having fun at the Iowa State Fair

The 2022 Iowa State Fair is right around the corner!

The staff at Exemplar Care loves the Iowa State Fair  and here are five things that we do not want to miss this year:

  1. Record Setting Fun: There will be a Guinness World Record Attempt on Saturday, August 20th for the largest corn hole tournament.
  2. Fun on the farm: You might see us at one of the pop-up happy hour events or at the Farm to Fair Dinner.
  3. Sensory-friendly morning: You can find a list of activities, exhibits, and calming spaces sponsored by ChildServe on August 17th at iowastatefair.org
  4. Demonstrations and lessons in the kitchen: We are great fans of the Blue Ribbon Foundation and excited to visit The Kitchen
  5. New favorite foods: There are 53 new foods for 2022 and we plan on trying all three that are competing for People’s Choice best new food. The top 3 are OMG Chicken Sandwich (Chicken City), Pork Picnic in a Cup (Iowa Pork Tent), and The Finisher (The Rib Shack). So as not to overindulge, we will sample these by sharing them as a family. Which will be your favorite?

Staying healthy at the fair

The fair may be filled with unhealthy temptations, but here are a few tips to help you stay healthy:

Stay hydrated
You are more likely to get dehydrated when outside in hot and humid weather. On average, people should drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day just to stay hydrated and healthy. Drinking water also helps to lower body temperature. Signs of dehydration are dark or less urine, dry mouth, lightheadedness, confusion, cramps, fatigue, headache, extreme thirst, flushed skin, and feeling excessively hot or cold. We recommend that your family take at least one reusable water bottle to the fair and avoid sugary drinks. There are water fountains near the restrooms inside many of the buildings, so you do not need to purchase water all day. 

Make sure you’re getting your steps in
Wear comfortable footwear and be prepared to do a lot of walking. The fair area of the fairgrounds is composed of approximately 160 acres. This means that there is plenty of opportunities for you and your family to get your steps in. There are also exercise classes such as barnyard yoga and play areas for your children to run around and kid-friendly activities for them to try out. You can also get at least your 30 minutes of recommended exercise a day by dancing along to many of the music events. 

Make healthy food choices
The fair does sell healthy options and these include fruit on a stick, sandwich wraps, or grilled turkey sandwiches amongst others. You could also bring along healthy options for you and your family to snack on as you watch the various entertainment, contests, and competitions and wait in line for rides or food. You do not need to forego other foods but maybe sample and share them rather than overindulge in them and choose at least one healthy food choice, throughout the day. You’ll feel better for it. 

So fellow fairgoers, go ahead, check out the programs, choose a day to visit, enjoy your favorite fair traditions, make memories, and stay healthy.

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