activities

October 4th Is Walk And Bike To School Day

October 4 in Health by admin | No Comments

Times Do Change

As a parent have you ever heard your grandmother or grandfather say to you, “Why when I was a kid, I walked to school every day, all year, in the rain, blizzards, and hot sun and it did not kill me?”

Walking or biking to school is excellent exercise and good for the kids to do at least once in a while.

This October 4th is not a new idea. This idea formed over 20 years ago with the sole purpose of celebrating health and the benefits of walking or biking to and from school for individual students. Instead of using a vehicle to and from school, students are given a chance to participate in active transportation to and from school on this day anually.

At any rate, October 4, 2017, is now set aside internationally, yes internationally, as a day where children are encouraged to walk or bike to school. This event is recognized globally by over 40 countries including the United States and Canada. Check with your school to see what events and surprises your school planned for October 4th.

So parents, if you do not trust the world we live in, and with good reason, maybe you can fulfill this day by walking or biking along with your child to school. If your school has individual plans, you will not want to miss the excitement with your family in attendance.

After all, this event is set in place for some reasons, such as,

Good exercise
Parents get outside with their children and teach children about pedestrian and bicycle safety
Reduces the amount of cars on the road and at schools
Helps to bond families, children, the community, and the school together
Preserves the environment
Enhances healthy lifestyles

It is a proven fact that children who walk or ride a bike to school and are physically active before the bell rings for classes are better prepared for class, they perform better in class, behaviors improve, and attention is improved.

Jump On Board and Enjoy This Special Day

Some schools plan to have students register for this event and inform parents, students, and the community through banners, flyers, information sent home, and in local newspapers.

There are many different things various schools do such as planning photo shoots with students, parents, and school staff.
Some dedicate the whole day to fitness and wellness. Schools may host bar-b-ques, picnics, or potlucks promoting nutritious food choices.

Some schools designate the whole month of October with weekly activities set aside

Thousands of school districts report that every year, there is an ever-growing interest and participation on October 4th by parents and children from a 20-year-old idea, made possible by school principals, physical education instructors, and teachers gladly promoting this event every year.

How do Communities Participate?

Children travel to and from school in groups or with parents
Choosing safe routes to and from school
Walking or biking on designated crosswalks
Utilizing crossing guards
Walking or biking on streets where speeds set lower
Walking or biking on sidewalks where there is less busy traffic
Instituting frequent information to the community so people who are diving can be made aware of the importance of October 4th and be ever-mindful of more children walking or riding bikes on that day

Set October 4th aside on your calendar to get outside with your child and get some fantastic exercise in the crisp and lovely fall colors. October 4th is the day you leave your car at home and walk or bike to school with a family.

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Proper Care of Contact Lenses

August 23 in Health by admin | No Comments

Image is from 1800contacts.com

Contact lenses can be incredibly convenient if you are someone who needs corrective lenses but hates having to worry about having glasses or sunglasses on hand. You simply put the contacts into your eyes at the beginning of the day and you can remove them whenever you wish; often at the end of the day before you head to bed. Millions of people use contacts as a way to improve their vision but there are some risks involved with wearing contacts whether it be once in awhile for a special event or every single day. Infection is just one problem that you can develop.

Causes of Contact Lens Issues

There are a number of reasons people will develop an infection or have problems with their contacts. It can be as simple as not washing your hands properly before touching your lenses or you may be using the wrong type of lens. Many people use extended wear lenses that can be left in the eye for days at a time (you do not need to remove them at the end of the day each day). The eye can become quite damaged this way and not a lot of doctors recommend this type of product. Some people have dry eye issues and when you place a contact on the surface of the eye, you can damage the eye. It can take time and diligence to correct this problem.

How To Prevent A Problem

When you obtain contact lenses for the first time it is likely that you eye care professional will spend some time with you, educating you on how to properly care for not only your lenses but also your eyes. You will learn how to properly clean your lenses using a rub and rinse process and you will learn about cleaning the lens case that you will be using. Properly inspecting your lens before placing it into your eye each day can prevent a corneal scratch or infection. Some other tips include:

-Washing your hands anytime you need to remove your lens or put them back in.
-Dry your hand on a lint free towel. You don’t want to introduce fabric fibers to your eyes or your lenses.
-Try not to come into direct contact with water while wearing your lenses. Plain water can dry out contact lenses, which is why you need to use specially formulated contact solution.
-Saline solution should never be used to clean your lenses. Storage in saline is fine, but there are special formulations for different uses.
-Clean your lens case each time you remove your lenses and leave it open to air dry for the duration of the day while you are wearing your lenses.
-Do not reuse solution in your contact lens case. Dump the used solution each day and refill it when you are going to be taking out your lenses.
-If you haven’t used your lenses in a number of days, you may want to clean them an additional time before using them.

Keep in mind, there are different types of lenses and each variation has its own method of being taken care of. Some lenses are designed to be worn once and then thrown away while others are long term lenses that are not thrown away unless they are damaged or defective. Follow your eye care professional’s advice and take care of your lenses how you were told to do so. If you have any questions or your contact lenses are no longer feeling comfortable like they normally do, seek attention from a doctor before continuing to wear your lenses.

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Importance of Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

August 22 in Health by admin | No Comments

Image result for children’s eye health and safety month 2017

Image is from Specialty Eye Institute

Not many people are aware it exists, but August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. This is an important month because nationally, information is promoted that explains just how important it is to pay attention to a child’s eye health. Most people just wait for their child to come home from school with a note from their teacher explaining their child failed the school’s eye test and needs to obtain glasses. When really, there are a number of different conditions that can occur to the eye as a child develops and it is important to make sure regular checkups are scheduled either with an eye doctor or a pediatrician to ensure optimal eye health is being achieved.

Proper Vision

Not being able to see the chalkboard or smart board in school can make for a challenging school year, but more importantly, vision should be checked to rule out other issues that could be going on. For example, many developmental delays and learning disabilities can be due to vision disturbances rather than brain development. A simple pair of glasses can sometimes be the fix that is needed and this is much simpler than needing additional tutoring or separate class instruction. There are some signs that parents can watch out for that indicate vision issues may be present and this includes:

-The child squints when trying to focus on something far away like the television or the road ahead while in the car.
-The child squints when trying to read a book or something that is close to them.
-The eyes seem very bloodshot or irritated after the course of a normal day.
-Eyes may appear watery.
-Headaches are very common amongst children who are having trouble seeing. –They can occur from squinting or simply from trying to focus on something that is giving them problems.
-One or both eyes may appear crossed.

Eye Safety

In addition to making sure your child’s eyes are healthy and strong, making sure the eyes themselves are safe is also very important. When a child is playing sports or doing certain activities, protective eyewear can be beneficial to protect the eyes from harm. Physical injury to this very sensitive part of the body can be very hard to correct and can often lead to lifelong problems with one or both eyes. Eye surgery is not something you want your child to have to undergo. Physical injury to the eyes can occur not just during sports of activity but even during play at home. A small child can greatly damage the eye by tripping or falling while improperly holding an object as they move along. This is especially true with small toddlers who are just learning to navigate their way around and like to toddle around with their toys. While accidents happen, you want to prevent these situations from occurring as best as you can.

Eighty percent of education occurs by way of sight. With the new school year rapidly approaching, now is the time to ensure that your child’s eyes and healthy, safe and ready to be used for reading, learning and absorbing information. Don’t forget that once school starts, illnesses are usually on the rise and conditions such as pink eye are often running rampant. You want to make sure your child knows the importance of washing their hands and not touching their eyes. If you suspect there is an eye problem of any sort, you will want to make an appointment to have your child’s eyes examined. Infection can be present as well as refractive errors, astigmatism, strabismus and even color blindness.

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National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

May 25 in Health by admin | No Comments

Image is from Luvo

Every month is a good month to expound on the benefits of physical fitness and sports. However, May is set aside as the one month, out of 12 where the focus is high in the areas of physical fitness and sports. Start getting physically fit in May.

What is Physical Fitness?

Physical fitness is good for everyone from babies to seniors. All ages realize that physical activity is great for the body. To be physically active means adding years to your life. May is the best time to spread the good news about the benefits of physical fitness and the sports arena. You must be physically fit to play sports. If your activity level is at an all-time low, May is the month to make some changes.

Listed are a few of examples of how physical activity can impact your life.
Be creative and find fun interests to help you become more active.
If you are a child or teenager, increase your physical activity because this improves your bone, muscle, and heart health.
If you are an adult becoming more physical means that you are going to lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
If you are a senior becoming more active means you reduce your risk for falls, you improve your cognition, improve your judgment and reactions

Ways to Become More Physically Active

Take a walk
Go for a bicycle ride
Go for a run
Play a round of golf
Play a game of tennis
Follow a favorite exercise video
Join an exercise class
Jump on the treadmill

How do you Maintain Physical Well-being?

Accomplish peak health and wellness by getting sufficient rest at night, by eating healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks every day, exercise, good hygiene, annual checkups, avoid smoking, drug, and alcohol abuse.

Arrive at the Peak of Physical Fitness starting in May

Physical fitness means you eat well-balanced proper nutrition. You participate in physical exercise according to your abilities, and you realize adequate restful sleep every night. You may only need six hours of restful sleep.

Physical fitness is also your ability in many different areas such as, tasks that do not create undue fatigue, your heart and circulatory endurance, your muscle strength and endurance, your body’s flexibility.

Benefits of Physical Fitness

If you are physically fit in all areas you increase your body’s ability to live a longer and fuller life. Your physical and mental capabilities are excellent and you have less risk for disease processes to set into your body.

When you are physically fit you realize an ideal body weight range, which is important for longevity. Did you know that if you are over 30 pounds your ideal body weight range you are considered obese? One pound over these 30 pounds and you become morbidly obese.

If you are physically fit you move your body easier and realize better agility, you have quicker responses and reflexes, you realize better coordination, your balance improves, you run your race faster, enjoy life more, and live longer.

Muscle strength, respiratory fitness, and overall endurance equal a physically fit body that is ready for living life to the fullest.

Spread the Word in May

The National Physical Fitness and Sports Month say to encourage those around you to be more active. Speak to your children’s teachers to initiate physical activity every day in your child’s class.

You can help spread the word by initiating a newsletter to the community about physical fitness. Research family fitness activities and encourage your family, friends, and neighbors join in on the fun.

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