7 Good Health Habits to Kick start the School Year

 The new school year is creeping up on us and most of us tend to find ourselves in a last minute frantic scramble to get organized. While so many parents out there have the best intentions of starting the year off right and getting the children and family’s butts into gear with a healthier lifestyle, very few actually achieve this. Here are good health habits for school children in which your family can have a healthy and happier year ahead.

 

  1. Eat well

In order for your children to grow up good health habits you need to set the example. Enjoy family meals together and make good wholesome food a priority. Start the day right and fill up on a healthy breakfast. Toss out those store bought sugar laden cereals and swop their breakfast for something nutritious. There are thousands of easy recipe ideas out there such as bran and homemade oat muffins, avocado and toast, peanut butter and banana smoothies, bacon and eggs or sugar free muesli with some Bulgarian yoghurt and fruit.

When kids go to school chock full of sugary cereal they end up hitting a slump by the second period which affects their performance negatively.

 

  1. Sleep more

Our bodies require at least eight hours of sleep in order to function at their best. It may be difficult to get the kids back into a routine after the festive season, but it is vital for them to perform each day at school and at sport. A great health habit for school is to ensure everyone is off to bed at a reasonable hour and then rising early to enjoy a morning walk with the dog or sitting down to breakfast together before starting the day.

 

  1. Work smarter

 So many adults and children are guilty of postponing work tasks, assignments and any number of things, which result in taking much longer than necessary. Plan your day accordingly and see to it that you do what needs to be done first and in time. When you work efficiently you allow yourself more time at the end of the day to wind down and relax. Getting your children into a habit of managing their time efficiently will also be of great benefit for them when it comes to exam time.

 

  1. Watch less, Read more

At the end of a long day there is often nothing better than lazing on the couch and zoning out in front of the TV. Sadly, this does nothing for our minds or our waistlines. Rather than opting for the remote, take the dog for a walk or spend that last half hour before bed reading a good book. Encourage the children to read at night or do something productive as this will help build their minds, where endless hours of TV or with their cellphones glued to their hands will only result in their becoming lazy and demotivated.

 

  1. Get Outside

One of the very best ways to kick start the year and get your life in gear is to spend more time outdoors. Have a thirty minute lunch break or an hour before sport practice with the kids? Why not eat lunch outside or enjoy your mid morning coffee break out in the fresh air? Numerous studies have shown that time spent outdoors and in nature does wonders for your mental, spiritual and physical health.

 

  1. Exercise

Ask yourself this: why would I even want to exercise? Why should I break a sweat and what’s in it for me? Well, increased life expectancy for start. Exercise not only brings us fitness and weight loss, it improves cardiovascular functioning, strengthens your whole body, decreases the risk of diabetes and cholesterol and improves our overall mood, among many other benefits.

Living a happy, healthy and fit lifestyle is beneficial to every part of our lives and is vital to raising your children. Get the kids out the door and go for a run or play tennis as a family. Exercise is important for both young and old as it not only aids in our physical well – being, but enables us to focus and perform at our best daily.

 

  1. Stay on track

 It is so easy to lose your focus and stop making effort once the year gets going and we are all so very busy. It takes a lot of work and time to take each day and live it to the fullest. We have work deadlines, exams, assignments and a myriad of other responsibilities to take into account, and this causes us to lose our way and neglect what is important.

Your health is important. Your family’s health and well–being are important. Happiness and maintaining the life we would ultimately like to live is important. Set goals as a family for the things you would like to achieve by the end of each school term and motivate and encourage each other as the weeks go by. If one of you is slacking, call them up on it and help them where you can.