8 Health Habits to follow
When you’re thinking of ways to keep your family healthy, there are a few different things you can do. Doing these things together as a family gives you more opportunity to build up momentum, and therefore, more chance of success. Take a look below for 8 health habits that the entire family should be using and you’ll see what you can change:
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Keeping A Regular Bedtime/Get Up Time
The whole family should have a regular bedtime/get up time. This doesn’t mean that the parents have to go to bed at the same time as the kids; it just means that every night, you should make sure you’re all getting a good night’s sleep by going to bed at the same time, for example, 8pm for the kids and 10pm for the adults. Then, ensure that you get up at the same time each morning. Do this even on weekends, and you’ll ensure your circadian rhythms are healthy and that you don’t feel the need to sleep in! If you do feel like sleeping in on weekends, chances are, you’re not getting enough sleep in the week. Try to get around 8 hours a night. Just bear in mind that you might need a little more or a little less depending on your age and activity levels. Kids tend to need more than adults!
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Eating One Meal Together Daily
Eating just one meal together daily can help your family to feel closer together, and science says your kids will benefit greatly too. Studies have shown that kids who eat at least one meal a day with their families do better in school, avoid peer pressure, and have higher self-esteem, amongst other things.
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Keeping Up Regular Health Appointments
Make sure your family doesn’t skip health appointments. You can save time by getting your NHS repeat prescription online, but that doesn’t mean you should miss doctor’s check ups. If you have symptoms or you sense something is wrong, getting it seen to early could help you to avoid big issues later on down the line.
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Daily Activity/Movement
Getting active as a family should be fun, so find something that you all like to do together and stick to it! You could go swimming, walk, clean the house or even just play in the garden together for 20 minutes. A little exercise is better than no exercise at all, so get into the habit of doing this and then build yourself up little by little if you want to. You could even go on hikes together, take picnics, and explore new places. Things like this are great bonding activities and you’ll stay healthy.
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Limit Screen Time
Don’t be the family that sits together but doesn’t pay attention to one another because you all have your face in a screen. Do your best to limit screen time. Whether it’s your mobile phones, a computer game, or something else, aim to spend real, quality time together.
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Fill Up On Real Food
Plan your meals for the week ahead and make a shopping list so you can ensure your family is always full of real food! Buy plenty of fruit and vegetables, and get to know how much you use each week so that you don’t buy food that goes to waste. Avoid having junk food in the house, as if it’s there you’ll likely just reach for it and eat it. Have healthy food to snack on, and get used to reading nutritional labels so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.
As well as buying the right kind of food, make sure you all drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid carbonated drinks and too much juice!
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Find Hobbies And Passions
Set an example to your family by finding hobbies and passions – things that you love to do that light you up! Everybody should have things that they love to do, and if you make an effort to find things you love, you’ll be setting an example to your kids. This could even help to introduce them to something they want to do in college, or even as a career.
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Develop A Healthy Body Image
You will usually pass your body image on to your kids. If you talk negatively about your body, your kids will learn to do the same with theirs. Developing your own healthy body image is so important, as so much pressure is put on young people to look ‘perfect’! Make sure you don’t talk about your weight in front of your child, or even mention their weight to them. Put a focus on being healthy, over everything else, but don’t give them a complex.
