We all want to do our best for the Extra Life cause, and those of us who are playing for donations are pretty stoked for the marathon waiting for us tomorrow. That said, 24 hours is a very long time to be doing one thing, and while we appreciate your tenacity, we don’t want anyone suffering from any health issues resulting from this cause.

So after the break, you’re going to find a list of tips, tricks, and general advice to help you power through the 24 hour gaming session and feel no worse for wear at the end of it.

Health Tips

1. Don’t drink all your energy drinks in a short amount of time.
   This basically means that if you’re planning to stay up the full 24 hours with caffeine or Red Bull powering you, be sure to space out when you drink them, and drink something with much less caffeine in between. If you load up on caffeine too early, you’re likely to crash long before you reach the 24 hour mark. During the day, I would suggest drinking healthier drinks like Water, Juice, or Tea. Pull out your energy drinks and caffeine later on.
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2. You’ve gotta eat, but avoid heavy, greasy foods.
   While caffiene is a fine way to stay awake, keeping food in your system is essential as well. That said, don’t go running to McDonald’s and stocking up on Double Cheeseburgers. Chicken or Fish is a great way to start a 24 hour romp because of the protein, and as you get further in, Fruits and Sandwiches are great snacks to keep you from feeling weighed down. Just use your best judgment here.
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3. Get plenty of sleep the day before.
   That said, you don’t want to sleep all day long, because that’s just not good for you. Take a nap here and there if possible, and try to get an extra hour or two of sleep the night before Extra Life. This will get your body ready for the day ahead. Now, if you absolutely feel yourself fading away while playing on Saturday, I would suggest taking a Power Nap. This is a 30 minute nap or less where you wake up before hitting your deep sleep phase. If you wake up before you hit that deep sleep, you’ll feel energized and refreshed. It’s no substitute for a night’s sleep, but it will get you back into the game.
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4. You’re allowed to take breaks.
   Sitting in a chair or couch for that extended amount of time isn’t going to be healthy for you. You need to take breaks from the action. Even 5 minutes of standing up and stretching will do wonders for how you feel, and looking out the window or something that isn’t a screen will probably make your eyes feel better after an extended play session. 5 Minutes here and there isn’t going to pull you from the action for too long, and you’ll feel a lot better and less drowsy for doing it. Plus your legs won’t cramp the next day. If you need a quick bit of exercise and a break from the screen, take the dog for a walk around the block. A quick walk won’t take too much time, and it’s a fine way to stretch your legs and get some air.
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5. Don’t have everything in your man cave turned on the entire time.
   This is not only for safety reasons, but for comfort reasons as well. None of us want to see our 360 Red Ring 10 hours into the session, but also when you hit the later hours and your room feels like a sauna, you may wish you had kept a few things turned off. Let your consoles rest, use only as many lights as you need to, and be sure to keep your cave well ventilated.

General tips to make it through the session can be found on page 2.

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