Did you know that regular stretching exercises can help to strengthen your back, tone your body and prevent injury? Stretching is also really easy to do. You don’t need a lot of space or a lot of time to do it.

Stretches for Your Back

Warm up first: Avoid doing damage by warming your muscles up first with a little bit of light activity. You don’t have to schedule in extra activity, simply do your stretches after your normal daily activities – like when you get home from walking the dog or after your evening walk home from the train station – that way your muscles will already be warm, soft and pliable, and ready to stretch.

Arm stretching: Standing with your feet hip-width apart, clasp your hands behind your back and gently pull your arms back until they are both straight. Hold for 30 seconds. This stretch will strengthen and tone most of the muscles in your arms and help with arm tone and definition.

Back stretching: Sit with one leg straight out in front, and tuck the other leg in so your knee is bent and your foot is flat against your inner thigh. Keeping your back as straight as possible, lean forward and reach your hands down the leg as far as you can. Hold for twenty seconds, rest and repeat, aiming to reach a little further down the leg each time you stretch. This type of back stretching is great for strengthening your upper back muscles.

Quad stretch: Stand straight and tall on one foot, grab hold of the other foot with your non-dominant hand and hold it behind you so that the leg is bent. Pull the foot towards your bottom until you feel a stretch down the front of your leg. Hold for thirty seconds, repeat on the other leg. If you struggle with balance, you can gently rest your opposite hand against a wall to stabilize yourself. This stretch is great for working and strengthening the quad muscles, down the front of your legs.

Modern family life can be so hectic that we just about get the basics completed each day. Trying to keep children fed, clothed and ready for school each morning can be a chore in itself, without the added burden of considering whether or not they are getting enough physical activity, particularly during school holidays. Children need at least 60 minutes of exercise up to five times a week.

Practical Life Activities

Ride with your child to school, if the distance is not too far. Riding a bike is a great form of exercise that can be done in most areas. Make sure children have suitable bike riding safety equipment on and that they are shown the basic signals for riding a bike. I appreciate this is not safe for everyone , so try the next suggestion.

If driving, park further away and walk the rest of the way to store, school  or their friends. Over a period of time this increases their  weekly activity and result in healthier children.

We’re focusing on family fitness, and keeping our families healthy is a team effort. Parents and caretakers must recognize the vital role they play in their children’s health both as providers, and as role models.

Family Lifestyle

Adults should be getting at least 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity. They should also be doing strengthening exercises for each major muscle group twice weekly.1 Kids need at least 60 minutes per day of exercise including a combination of aerobic activity, muscle strengthening activity, and bone strengthening activity (those that include impact exercises like jumping or running). The best part is, you can take part in these exercises together, and in intervals of as little as 10 minutes at a time. Get your kid(s) involved in a sport and help them practice their skills. Plan family activities such as hiking, walking the dog, playing at the park, swimming – the possibilities are endless. Find something you both enjoy, and as long as you are moving your body, it all counts!

Healthy Family Lifestyle

Did you know the month of April is National Youth Sports Safety Month? This is an important time to remember that staying active year-round will help keep growing muscles and bones strong to help prevent injury when jumping into a new sport or reentering a sports season. This same rule applies to non-sports related physical activity like playing at the beach, climbing trees, and enjoying the playground when the weather starts to warm up. When beginning a new activity, both kids and adults should respect their current level of fitness as well as what their bodies are feeling. It is never too late to start getting more active. Finding new ways to be healthy as a family is an adventure that can last a lifetime, not to mention extend your lifetime!

We must also complement an active lifestyle with healthy eating habits. It may seem like an antiquated practice, but sit-down family dinners are proven to play a role in kids adopting healthy eating habits and behaviors.  It can even improve their performance in school.2  It’s OK to be realistic; maybe you don’t sit down to a home cooked meal seven nights a week, but you can show that what and how you eat matters, and can even be fun. Try preparing meals together and get creative with everything from ‘ants on a log’ (raisins, peanut butter, and celery) to silly face pizzas (see recipe at www.family.go.com).

The most important part of initiating or maintaining a healthy family lifestyle is finding what works for everyone as individuals, as well as a unit.  Get everyone involved, be open and adaptable to change, and make your health a true priority. Remember that you can start small to make a big change – not much that is worthwhile comes easily or overnight.  Families that play together, stay together…and stay healthy!

References:
1. Health Finder 2. BeSmart BeWell