How to Keep the Kids Healthy All Summer
By Virginia Laird
With school out for the summer it can be difficult to find ways to keep your kids active and healthy over the year's warmest three months. However, there is plenty you can do to help your kids stay healthy. Health professionals suggest children should try to remain slightly on schedule in an effort to stay on top of their health. A few things to include:
- Get plenty of sleep
- Get out of the house
- Turn off the electronics
Get Plenty of Sleep
Although it can be tempting to stay up late and wake up later in the day, this is not the best choice. Making sure that your children get plenty of sleep throughout the summer is the best idea. Research suggest that children should sleep an average of eight hours each night. While it can be tempting to throw that out the window and cram as much as possible into each summer day, it is not wise to make sleep a thing of the past.
Get Out of the House
While it can be tempting to spend hours on end playing video games and watching as much television as possible, this is not the best idea. Spending long periods of time indoors promotes laziness. It is suggested by health and wellness professionals that children should spend time outdoors during the summer. Although the summer heat can prove to make this quite difficult, it is necessary. Spending time outside can offer a host of health benefits, including:
- Fresh air can boost the immune system
- Soaking up Vitamin D is good for the body
- Getting outdoors and away from the screen is great for mental health
Your children may need your help getting a little push to get up early enough to be able to spend time outside before it gets too hot. However, you will be glad you gave them that push.
Turn Off the Electronics
Another healthy thing for children to do during the summer is to spend time without the electronics. Whether this happens by limiting the hours of the day which can be spent on electronics or whether you take them away altogether, it is completely up to you. However, turning off electronics can promote healthy lifestyles. Children who spent hours on end in front of electronics generally live a more sedentary life. All children who get up and do other things may be more actively involved in sports, learning new skills or other healthy activities. Help your children understand the importance of being able to put down the electronics and spend time doing something else.
With these tips you are sure to be able to help your children stay healthy all summer and have the best time of their life. Good luck and happy summer!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Midlothian, Va.