Learn healthy habits at school
With the return to school, children spend much of their days in school, an average of 792 hours a year. For this reason, this is the ideal place to obtain knowledge about healthy dietary options and physical activity, as indicated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
"Establishing healthy routines during childhood is an investment for life. Apart from having a good example at home, it is important that healthy diets and physical activity be promoted at school, since children spend much of their time in school. time in this environment ", explains Dr. Julián Álvarez, specialist in Sports Medicine and nutritionist.
Learning healthy habits in school has many benefits, among which is the prevention of diseases such as obesity and overweight. The WHO ensures that the promotion of healthy diets and physical activity in school is essential in the fight against childhood obesity. Promoting healthy living habits is investing in future health.
Tips for a healthy lifestyle: learn it at school
Here are some tips to instill a healthier lifestyle for your children:
1. Preach by example. At school, children can learn many healthy habits, but it is important that you start training at home so that your children can have a more open mind to good habits. For this reason, we must preach by example because children learn by imitation. So, if, for example, they see you enjoying eating fruits or vegetables and doing sports, they will learn to do it and enjoy it too.
2. Bring fruit to school. The WHO recommends the consumption of at least five pieces of fruit or vegetables a day and avoid foods that contain added sugars. To comply with these recommendations in an easy way, you can substitute the breakfast pastries and the snack for fruit. To make it easier to consume, you can prepare a lunch box with clean, peeled and cut fruit. If you want to keep a good appearance and not rust, sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Move the skeleton. The WHO recommends 60 minutes of physical activity for children and young people between 5 and 17 years. Schools often offer numerous options for your children to exercise: games, sports, extracurricular activities, etc. In addition, more and more schools offer extracurricular activities in which parents and children can participate, which brings the added benefit of strengthening family ties. Another option for your children to exercise is to replace the car by walking or in Bike to school, if it is relatively close to home.
4. A good routine. Establishing routines is a good way to encourage healthy habits in children. The school facilitates the acquisition of beneficial routines by having fixed schedules for each meal and activity. Thus, the body can follow a regular rhythm that distances it from pecking between hours and childhood obesity. However, it is not good to let the routine absorb us completely. That is why it is necessary to break it occasionally to recover vitality and energy.
Isabel López Vásquez
Counseling: XIII Healthy Habits Panel of Herbalife Nutrition
