Staying healthy and partying hard - it can be done!

Summer in London is sweet and short, and should absolutely be celebrated. As the twilight period extends far beyond 9pm, many of us find ourselves out socialising far more frequently than in the winter months. We know that social interaction fuels happiness and health, and we can also feel a need to make up for lost time following the winter hibernation period.

I am a big advocate for making the most of the warm nights and instagram-worthy rooftops of London, and here are a few of my tips that can help you find the balance between work and play.

1. Preparation: If you know you have a few mid-week social activities coming up, spending a couple of hours on Sunday preparing healthy meals and snacks for the week can be a real game-changer. Many people blame a lack of time for poor eating habits, but eating well in these busy periods will help with concentration, energy levels and overall feeling of vitality. A big vegetable stir-fry and a healthy curry are a great start and keep well through the week.

To fail to prepare really is to prepare for failure.

2. Exercise: I always make a point of booking myself in to an early HIIT class the morning after I have plans to socialise with friends. It holds you accountable and really makes you question whether you actually need that final G&T (it only takes one tough class after one-too-many to learn that lesson quickly)

3. Sleep: In the middle of summer when the days are long and light, we often feel as though we can survive on far less sleep than in the winter months. We are getting constant feedback from the environment that it is 'daytime', and can often get carried away with staying out far later than we should. The age-old trick of a friendly pre-set 'home time' reminder is great and means you can calculate maximal socialising time whilst also allowing a healthy 8 hours of sleep.

4. Hydration: A no-brainer really. Alcohol is a diuretic which means it encourages excretion of water from the body via the bladder. If you are trying to chase lack of sleep with an extra coffee or two through the day, this will be dehydrating you further as it is also a diuretic. Dehydration leads to poor concentration, headaches, feelings of lethargy and fatigue, and lightheadedness. My general rule is a tall glass of water for every alcoholic beverage or coffee consumed, on top of your normal 1-2L per day.

5. Get adjusted! I always encourage people to get adjusted after a night out socialising. This can really help to lift that 'brain fog' we can experience the next morning, as well as increase energy levels and concentration for the day. As we know, an adjustment helps to remove stress from our nervous system, and after one-too-many G&Ts it needs all the help it can get!!

Enjoy these long summer nights out with friends and family while they last, they really are pretty special.