LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE By: Kelsey M Gage

Living a Healthy Lifestyle  The key to living a healthy lifestyle is to balance your diet and exercise.  Being healthy can also be fun!  It’s important to educate yourself so you know how to live a healthy life.

Exercise  Before you exercise be sure to stretch!  Exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week.  Find something you like to do that keeps you moving.

Exercise  Exercise can help you and your child:  Feel better  Control weight  Reduce Blood Pressure  Reduce the risk of diabetes and certain types of cancer  Gain more self confidence and self-esteem

Ways to Exercise  Aerobic Exercise  Burns fat & involves increased breathing and elevated heart rate over an extended period of time.  Can be fun for both adults and children & includes the following activities: Swimming Running Basketball Soccer Bicycling Tennis

Ways to Exercise  Anaerobic Exercise  Builds muscles & involves short periods of more challenging exercises followed by periods of rest.  You can build muscle by doing the following: Sit-ups Push-ups Pull-ups Lifting weights

Nutrition  Eat breakfast!  Eat more fruits and vegetables  Leave them out for snack in between meals  Cook & season to add with lunch or dinner  Eat in moderation  There are no “good” or “bad” foods. Eat fruits, veggies, and sweets in appropriate portions.

Nutrition  Talk with your family  Find out what they like & don’t like  Plan out your meals and snacks  Aim for a diet that is:  Low in salt and fat  High in fruits, vegetables and whole grains  Take a multi-vitamin  This will ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs  Find a kid friendly vitamin for your child

Nutrition  Drink plenty of fluids  Water  Drink 8 glasses a day  Juice & V8  Stay away from too many caffeinated & sugary drinks

Sleep  Sleep can help protect against health risks such as:  Obesity If you’re not getting the recommended hours of sleep each night it could slow down your metabolism May also increase your appetite, which could lead to weight gain  Heart disease  Depression  Stress

Sleep Average Sleep Needs AgeHours Newborns (0-2 months) Infants (3 months to 1 year) Toddlers (1 to 3 years) Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) School-aged children (5 to 12 years) Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) Adults (18+)

Managing Stress  Stress occurs when your life becomes unbalanced physically, mentally, emotionally, and from fatigue.  Four simple techniques for dealing with stress:  Positive Self-Talk Instead of telling yourself you can’t do something, try telling yourself that you can do it.  Emergency Stress Stoppers Counting to 10 before speaking Take 5 deep breaths Go for a walk  Find Pleasure Take up a new hobby Listen to music  Daily Relaxation Yoga

Make It Fun for Kids  Encourage your children to want to live a healthy lifestyle by teaching them how it can be fun.  Let them choose an activity that they will enjoy.  Concentrate on your child’s successes rather than their failures.  Give them praise.

Make it Fun for Kids  Sign your child up for activities that keep them active!  Ballet  Basketball  Baseball  Gymnastics  Play and participate in outdoor activities with your child.  Basketball  Soccer  Jump Rope  Tag  Bicycling

References  Every Day Health Every Day Health  Help Guide Help Guide  Heart.org Heart.org  Life Optimizer Life Optimizer  Nutrition.com Nutrition.com