By Homa Warren
Spreading holiday cheer during a busy time of year might feel overwhelming for many, but especially for Santa Claus. Preparing for travel, staying in shape and staying healthy can feel like a major feat for anyone, Santa included. A Baylor College of Medicine physician provides tips for Santa as he prepares for his busiest night of the year.
Avoiding common illnesses
It’s flu season and COVID, the common cold and other respiratory viruses also are spreading. Santa could consider traveling with a mask to mitigate transmission of these illnesses during his flight. Santa also encounters soot, allergens and dust going down chimneys and visiting others’ homes. Keep your living space clean to reduce dust and dander that Santa may encounter.
“Vacuum regularly and make sure your vacuum has filters so you’re not spreading dust,” said Dr. Mike Ren, a Baylor primary care doctor. “Having an air purifier or air filer in the home is also helpful. Remember to change the filters in your ceiling or vents too.”
Staying warm
Santa will experience low temperatures and needs to prevent frostbite. Ren recommends layering instead of wearing one big parka so he can shed layers and avoid getting too cold or too warm. He should wear long johns, a thermal long sleeve T-shirt and a fleece on top. He should wear a mid-layer or an outer shell like a wind blocker, allowing him to remove layers if he feels too warm.
Sustenance and cookies
Santa should eat hearty foods that the body is slow to digest, like oatmeal or nuts that have protein rather than all the cookies he will encounter. Enjoying one or two cookies per stop is fine, but he should have high-protein snacks to avoid the sugar rush and provide long-lasting energy.
“Sugar gives us energy, but the body digests high-sugar foods fast so you get a rush of sugar into your system, which gives you energy at the early onset, but after 30 minutes or so, that wears off and you feel fatigue even more than you would have if you didn’t eat anything,” Ren said.
Time change and jetlag
Santa will have to be careful not to allow changes in time zones and jet lag to dampen the mood this holiday season. If he is too tired, he could make mistakes like forgetting to check his list or missing houses to drop off gifts, so getting good sleep until Christmas Eve is crucial. If he has low energy, one or two cups of coffee before his travels might help. Ren suggests strategically planning coffee breaks: if Santa has 12 hours of deliveries, he should have a coffee at hour five to avoid exhaustion at hour six. Then he can have another cup after if he feels low energy.
“If you know you’re going to be in the U.K. and there is a 7- or 8-hour time difference, then a week leading up to the trip try to sleep one hour earlier each day so on the day of travel, you’re more or less in that time zone already,” he said.
Lugging heavy gifts
Before Santa makes his big trip, he must make sure his body and muscles are trained to handle the load of gifts.
“If you’ve never walked around with a 5-pound backpack and the next day you plan to do a 10-mile hike with a heavy backpack, that will have significant wear on the body, but if you gradually build up to it with lower back exercises, that can help condition you for the task at hand,” Ren said.
He also emphasizes the importance of cardiovascular health and suggests Santa do cardio workouts such as jogging, running and swimming to make sure the body is conditioned.
Santa faces hazards going down chimneys and being on rooftops with snow and ice, so Ren recommends having a good set of boots to prevent slipping and falling.
Mental health
The holidays are joyous but can bring stress to many – even Santa. Keep your mental health in check this holiday season.
“If Santa has to make all these deliveries in one night, even for him, it can be tough and stressful so keep mental health in perspective. You don’t want to do something that is too overwhelming for you,” Ren said.
