5 Easy Ways to Get Everyone Moving GET FIT WITH YOUR FAMILY 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. 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.
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
IT’S LAW DAY! WHY EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD CARE ABOUT LAW DAY
In addition to May Day, May 1 marks a little-known holiday that has deep roots in American history. In 1957, then-American Bar Association President Charles S. Rhyne proposed creating a holiday to recognize and honor our country’s legal system. Just one year later, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 as Law Day. The law is part of the fabric of our nation. The U.S. is divided into three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial systems. The sole purpose of each is to balance out the actions of the other, but all three were founded by the creators of this nation on the idea of the law. The legislative branch creates the laws by writing bills and voting, the judicial branch interprets the law through courts and precedents, and the executive branch carries out the law with committees and action plans. The thousands of laws that govern nearly every action we take on any given day are possible because of this system we have created! That’s worth celebrating.
However, it’s vital that we also recognize the ways in which our laws need to grow. After all, during the founding of this nation, the drafters of the Constitution gave American citizens the right to vote — if they were male, white, and owned land. Today, after a series of law changes regarding “who” can vote, every free American citizen over the age of 18 can vote, regardless of their race, gender, or financial status. Our laws still have many, many steps to take, but one of the promises the law affords us is that it can grow and change. The law is a function of our democracy and affords us with the right to seek compensation when we are wronged or injured by negligent parties, among other things. But when we fight for the injustices it fails to protect us against, that’s when we grow stronger as a nation.
The law is meant to protect everyone, and that’s why we fight to ensure that it does. Happy Law Day!
2 • www.hwnn.com
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter