Healthy Eating
Nutrition is a large component to our everyday health. Maintaining a healthy diet helps to boost your body’s immune system and reduces the risk of chronic conditions. The American Heart and Stroke Association suggests adding more color to meals to get a boost in vitamins and nutrients from fruits and veggies. Want to get your kids started with healthy living at a young age? Get them involved in the kitchen by checking out some of their recipes!
Exercise
Getting active is another great way to keep your body in shape. While the thought of consistently exercising might be daunting, this doesn’t always mean an intensive workout everyday at the gym. Going for family walks after dinner or bike rides on the weekend are great, fun ways to get the whole family involved in an active lifestyle. As part of their “Move More” challenge, the American Heart and Stroke Association suggests an exercise goal of 150 minutes per week. Are you up for the challenge?!
Managing Stress
Your mental wellbeing is important too! Adding stress management strategies to your toolkit will help you better navigate situations and monitor your wellbeing. Some suggestions include meditation, positive self talk and exercise! The American Psychological Association is a great resource for mental wellness tips and information.
Sleep
Getting a good night of sleep is essential to our overall wellbeing – sleeping is our body’s time to reset! If you struggle with sleep, consider implementing a bedtime and morning routine where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. As tempting as it may be, if your sleep quality is low you may want to ditch the electronics before bed. Switch it up and listen to music or read a book instead!
Know the Symptoms
Educating yourself on cardiovascular disease is just as important as taking steps to improve your health. Knowledge is power! There are many great resources out there but it’s always recommended to see your doctor to gain medical advice. One acronym that’s really helpful for kids and adults alike to know is FAST for stroke. It stands for “face drooping”, “arm weakness”, “speech difficulty”, “time to call 911”.