WHOSE PICKS WILL GO ALL THE WAY?
MARCH MADNESS FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
One of the greatest things about March Madness is that you don’t have to be a huge college basketball fan to get in on the fun. Kids of all ages can fill out brackets — or have a parent fill one out for them — and watch their picks duke it out on the court. While healthy competition among family members can be fun all on its own, check out the following tips if you’re looking to go the extra mile and reap as much fun from March Madness as you can.
party. It doesn’t have to be fancy; make fun snacks to eat while you watch or bet pieces of candy on who will have the most points to create great family bonding opportunities.
REWARD THE WINNERS WITH PRIZES.
Offer prizes to each round winner as well as the overall bracket winner to get the whole family involved. Small prize ideas for each round can include a homemade dinner of the winner’s choice, a week’s supply of their favorite snack, or a coupon for getting out of a chore. Whoever wins the whole tournament (or makes it the furthest with their bracket) deserves a bigger reward. Offer them the chance to see a movie of their choice in theaters or to eat a meal at their favorite restaurant.
TURN EACH GAME INTO AN EVENT.
Not every kid may like watching basketball, but if they fill out a bracket, then they might gain at least a passing interest in who will win each game. To elevate their interest, turn each March Madness matchup into a little
CREATE A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.
Learning math or geography might not sound like your child’s idea of fun, but it can be when they learn it through the lens of March Madness. See if your kids would be interested in understanding the inner workings of the ranking system or studying where some of the qualifying colleges are located on a map of the United States. They may find it so interesting that they don’t even realize they’re learning valuable skills.
WHILE I’M IN PHYSICAL THERAPY? WHAT SHOULD I EAT Coming to your regularly scheduled appointments and doing your prescribed exercises at home are both essential parts of healing your body through physical therapy. Did you know that what you eat could be just as important? We all know a balanced diet and regular exercise go hand in hand to form a healthy lifestyle. If you know exactly which foods and nutrients aid in healing your body when you’re injured, you can incorporate them into your diet and accelerate the healing process. naturally. This dietary fat can prompt proper blood flow and the functionality of immunity cells, both important functions in reducing
inflammation. Some foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are fish, avocados, pecans, and almonds.
If you’re an athlete or otherwise active person, you might be worried that eating the same amount of calories per day as before you were injured might lead to weight gain. While this concern is warranted, you shouldn’t undereat. When you’re injured, your metabolism kicks into overdrive to aid in the healing process, causing you to burn 5–50% more calories than you do normally. So, while overeating can lead to weight gain while you’re injured, don’t overcorrect your diet and leave your body without a source of nutrients with which to heal itself. Proper nutrition aids the healing process brought on by physical therapy in two ways: It can reduce inflammation and help build muscle. To reduce inflammation and prevent further swelling around the injured area, find foods rich in the fatty acid omega-3, which our bodies cannot produce
When it comes to building muscle, you’ll obviously want a lot of protein-rich foods. While physical therapy helps strengthen your muscles, protein helps decrease the rate of muscle atrophy. When your musculoskeletal system is injured, your body will experience anabolic resistance, which basically means it stops making proteins on its own. That’s why it’s important to get protein from the foods we eat. Eggs, quinoa, Greek yogurt, and broccoli are all great sources of protein.
If you have any other questions about what to eat while in physical therapy, ask the PTs at Campus Commons if they have any advice!
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