GET FIT WITH YOUR FAMILY 5 Easy Ways to Get Everyone Moving
May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. As a parent, you probably know exercise is important for your children’s physical development. It helps build healthy bones, muscles, and joints and reduces the risk of developing diabetes and other diseases later in life. But did you know that physical activity also has many mental and behavioral health benefits? It’s been shown to improve children’s cognitive skills and concentration, boost their self-esteem, and reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. One of the best ways to encourage healthy behaviors in your children is by modeling them yourself. Studies have found that more than 80% of adolescents and adults are not getting enough aerobic activity, showing that children often follow in their parents’ footsteps and that exercising together can benefit everyone.
You may be thinking it’s hard enough just to get yourself to the gym, but Stephen Virgilio, author of “Active Start for Healthy Kids,” encourages parents not to limit themselves to traditional forms of exercise. Instead, think of exercise more broadly as “leading an active lifestyle.” And remember that exercise can be fun and a great way to get in more family time.
3. Turn chores into games. Dirt has invaded from outer space and must be eliminated. Set the scene with your kids, grab your tools, and get to work removing the enemy while having fun. 4. Incorporate simple exercises into screen time . Start by making up fun names for exercises like situps or jumping jacks. Then, challenge each other to see who can do the most during your favorite show’s commercial breaks. 5. Get fit in the great outdoors. Cleaning up the yard, planting and maintaining a garden, or just running around outside are all great ways to get in more movement.
Here are five easy ways to incorporate more movement into your family’s day.
1. Create a walking ritual. Start walking around the neighborhood before or after dinner each night. Aim for a 20-minute stroll.
2. Have a dance party. Clear some space in the living room, make a
playlist with everyone’s favorite tunes, and boogie down for as long as you have the energy.
HOW DENTISTRY IS PART OF NATIONAL FITNESS AND SPORTS MONTH
This month, we celebrate National Fitness and Sports Month, as we do every May. It’s funny because people don’t really think about dentistry in regard to sports the same way they think about other aspects of medicine and health care. Sure, you might need a dentist if you’re a rugby player or catch a wild left jab in the boxing ring. But is dentistry really tied to sports and fitness in other ways?
To be honest, we’re not sure why people would ever think that dentistry isn’t tied to overall health and fitness. Often, when people buy health insurance, dental coverage is separate, and maybe that’s the source of the divide. But just like physical therapy, internal medicine, and every other branch of health care, dentistry is first and foremost concerned with the health of the human body. It’s just that teeth are so specialized and unique that you really need to study them, and them alone, to be capable of providing effective care. Fitness and Sports Month is a great idea across the board. We all know we could spend a little more time on our health, whether that’s going for a hike, flossing more regularly, or joining an intramural sports team. As physicians who are concerned with the human body and its health, we love to see people flossing. But we’d also love to see people be more active.
It will benefit their whole health, dental matters included.
Studies are now showing a link between poor dental hygiene and heart attacks; at the same time, some experts suspect that obesity is a risk factor for cavities and other dental problems. It’s not enough to just take care of one part of the body if we neglect the others — you can start lifting weights, but if you’re smoking a pack a day, your health would be far, far better if you just quit smoking instead.
Better yet, starting lifting weights and quit smoking!
This month, join us in pledging to be a bit more active than last month and to focus on the awesome sports and other fitness activities that help us achieve that goal. When we look at the body as a whole organism, we really benefit — from our teeth to our toes!
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