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Hacer actividades en familia

Cuando toda la familia hace actividades físicas juntas, los niños aprenden que estar activo es divertido y te hace sentir bien. Y los padres ocupados pueden combinar el tiempo en familia con el tiempo de ejercicio. Pruebe estos consejos para que todos en la familia se levanten y se muevan juntos.

  • Establezca algunas reglas básicas.
    • Hacer de la actividad física una prioridad. No permita que las cosas se interpongan en el tiempo de actividad familiar.
    • Limite el tiempo de pantalla.
    • No use la comida como recompensa por cumplir con los objetivos de la actividad.
  • Empezar.
    • Como familia, hagan una lista de actividades que les gustaría hacer juntos.
    • Asegúrese de que las actividades sean cosas que todos puedan hacer y disfrutar.
    • Mantenga un registro de actividades en el hogar familiar o cuelgue un calendario en la pared para realizar un seguimiento de la actividad.
    • Trate de planificar una o dos actividades familiares a la semana.
    • Una vez al mes, planee algo especial que implique estar activo, como un viaje al zoológico, una caminata de un día o un campamento.
    • Use una mochila, carriola o remolque de bicicleta seguros para que los niños más pequeños puedan participar en las actividades familiares.
    • Ir a caminar.
  • Salir a caminar.
    Cuando los horarios familiares están muy ocupados, salir a caminar puede ser lo más fácil que pueden hacer juntos.
    • Comience con caminatas cortas que todos en la familia puedan hacer. Añade más distancia poco a poco. Los niños más pequeños pueden andar en bicicleta o en triciclo. Puedes tirar de un carro por si los pequeños se cansan.
    • Las búsquedas del tesoro pueden evitar que los niños se aburran en una caminata. Tenga en cuenta una lista de “tesoros” que pueden encontrar, como una hoja roja, una casa azul, un perro negro o una placa de otro estado.
    • Use una aplicación de teléfono o podómetros, y trabaje para aumentar la cantidad de pasos que da en sus caminatas familiares.
    • Inscriba a toda la familia en una carrera/caminata familiar divertida en su comunidad.
  • Pruebe algunas actividades al aire libre.
    • Dar un paseo en bicicleta.
    • Únase a sus hijos en juegos antiguos como la rayuela, la mancha, saltar la cuerda y las escondidas.
    • Participe en deportes familiares como natación, fútbol o tenis.
    • Juegue un juego de baloncesto familiar todos los días en el camino de entrada o en un patio de recreo.
    • Practique golf en miniatura o golf con disco volador.
    • Recoja la basura en un parque local.
  • Esté listo con actividades para interiores y en días lluviosos.
    • Tener una noche de baile familiar. Comparta los bailes de cada generación y enséñese unos a otros a hacerlos.
    • Cree una nueva rutina de baile o ejercicio con una canción favorita. Haga que un niño diferente elija la canción cada semana.
    • Vayan al centro comercial y cuenten cuántas vueltas pueden caminar en familia.
    • Organice un concurso de hula hoop.
    • Organice una divertida carrera de obstáculos bajo techo.

Being Active as a Family

When the whole family does physical activities together, children learn that being active is fun and makes you feel good. And busy parents can combine family time with exercise time. Try these tips for getting everyone in the family up and moving together.

  • Set some ground rules.
    • Make physical activity a priority. Don’t let things get in the way of family activity time.
    • Limit screen time.
    • Don’t use food as a reward for meeting activity goals.
  • Get started.
    • As a family, make a list of activities you’d like to do together.
    • Make sure the activities are things everyone can do and enjoy.
    • Keep a family home activity log, or hang a calendar on the wall for tracking activity.
    • Try to plan one or two family activities a week.
    • Once a month, plan something special that involves being active, like a trip to the zoo, a day hike, or camping.
    • Use a safe backpack, stroller, or bike trailer so that smaller children can be included in family activities.
  • Go for a walk. When family schedules get really busy, going for a walk may be the easiest thing you can do together.
    • Start with short walks that everyone in the family can do. Add more distance bit by bit. Younger children can ride a bike or a tricycle. You can pull a wagon in case little ones get tired.
    • Scavenger hunts can keep children from being bored on a walk. Keep in mind a list of “treasures” they can find, such as a red leaf, a blue house, a black dog, or an out-of-state license plate.
    • Use a phone app or pedometers, and work on increasing the number of steps you take on your family walks.
    • Register the whole family in a family fun run/walk in your community.
  • Try some outdoor activities.
    • Go for a bike ride.
    • Join your children in old-fashioned games like hopscotch, tag, jump rope, and hide-and-seek.
    • Get involved in family-friendly sports like swimming, soccer, or tennis.
    • Play a daily family basketball game in the driveway or at a playground.
    • Take up miniature golf or flying-disc golf.
    • Pick up trash at a local park.
  • Be ready with indoor and rainy-day activities.
    • Have a family dance night. Share dances from each generation, and teach each other to do them.
    • Create a new dance or exercise routine to a favorite song. Have a different child choose the song each week.
    • Go to the mall, and count how many laps you can walk as a family.
    • Have a hula hoop contest.
    • Set up a fun indoor obstacle course.

4 Simple Ways to Care for Yourself

From Sharp Health News, a publication of Sharp HealthCare

We all do our best to take care of ourselves while also taking care of our kids, our aging parents, work, home and other responsibilities. Setting time aside for self-care can be challenging but does wonders to improve our mental and physical health.

So where can you start? Try these four tips to help you get started.

  1. Practice yoga or meditation. Yoga is a great way to improve flexibility and tone muscles while leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed. Meditation can be done practically anywhere and is a quick way to mentally unplug.
  2. Make time for exercise or a brisk walk. Get outside and go for a walk. Enlist a friend to join you, too — having a workout buddy provides health benefits for your heart and soul, plus it’s more fun for everyone involved.
  3. Sample essential oils. Powerful plant extracts such as lavender and eucalyptus can help ease tension and promote calmness in your day. Add some drops to a warm bath at the end of the day or put a few drops into a diffuser at night to help you sleep.
  4. Eat a healthful diet. Choosing healthy options and meals filled with vegetables, fruit, heart-healthy grains and lean protein can help keep your energy level optimized and your health in tip-top shape.

The VEBA Resource Center offers Sound Healing Therapy Classes. You’ll be guided through soothing exercises of breathing, humming, tapping and energy clearing, followed by a deep relaxation meditation and sound bath, leaving you feeling more refreshed and energized. Check out our calendar to sign up for an upcoming class.

4 Formas Sencillas de Cuidarse

Por parte de Sharp Health News, una publicación de Sharp HealthCare

Todos hacemos todo lo posible para cuidarnos a nosotros mismos y al mismo tiempo cuidar de nuestros hijos, nuestros padres, el trabajo, el hogar y otras responsabilidades. Reservar tiempo para el cuidado personal puede ser un desafío, pero hace maravillas para mejorar nuestra salud mental y física.

Entonces, ¿por dónde puede empezar? Pruebe estos cuatro consejos para ayudarlo a comenzar.

  1. Practica yoga o meditación. El yoga es una gran manera de mejorar la flexibilidad y tonificar los músculos mientras te hace sentir revitalizado y renovado. La meditación se puede hacer prácticamente en cualquier lugar y es una forma rápida de desconectarse mentalmente.
  2. Tómese tiempo para hacer ejercicio o caminar a paso ligero y salga a caminar. Incluya a un amigo para que también lo acompañe: tener un compañero de entrenamiento brinda beneficios para la salud de su corazón y alma, además de que es más divertido para todos los involucrados.
  3. Muestra de aceites esenciales. Los poderosos extractos de plantas como la lavanda y el eucalipto pueden ayudar aliviar la tensión y promover la calma en su día. Agregue algunas gotas a un baño tibio al final del día o ponga unas gotas en un difusor por la noche para ayudarlo a dormir.
  4. Lleve una dieta saludable. Elegir opciones saludables y comidas llenas en vegetales, frutas, granos saludables para el corazón y proteínas magras puede ayudarlo a mantener su nivel de energía optimizado y su salud en plena forma.

VEBA Resource Center ofrece clases Terapia de Sanación con Sonido. Será guiado a través de ejercicios relajantes de respiración, tarareo y limpieza de energía, seguidos de una meditación de relajación profunda y un baño de sonido, dejándol y sintiéndose más renovado y lleno de energía. Consulte nuestro calendario para inscribirse en una clase.

Ways to Destress at the End of the Day

With so much change this school year, you may feel like you are working harder than ever. New routines, new schedules, new ways of delivering information — it all requires energy and brain power which may have you feeling drained at the end of your day.

Learning how to destress at the end of each day not only helps you stay motivated and refreshed, but it also helps your overall health. Keeping stress at bay benefits your physical health in more ways than one, including:

  • Healthier immune system.
  • Better sleep.
  • Improved digestive system.
  • Reduced blood pressure, chronic illness and inflammation.
  • Better weight management.

On the flip side, letting stress overtake you can be detrimental to your health. Stress can lead to chronic illness such as type 2 diabetes and inflammatory diseases. With increased levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, in your body, you are more likely to:

  • Keep extra weight on.
  • Become easily fatigued.
  • Develop insomnia, depression and/or anxiety.
  • Have poor self-regulation habits.
  • Age prematurely.

So, what are some ways you can destress at the end of the day? VEBA suggests the following ways to reset and recenter after a long day:

  1. Go for a walk. One of the easiest ways to relieve stress is to go for a walk outside. Take a mindfulness walk in nature and breathe in the fresh air. As you walk, notice the trees, smell the flowers, feel the breeze, listen to the sounds of nature. Being outside on a walk, even if it’s just for 15 minutes, will help clear your mind and relieve your stress.
  2. Journal your thoughts. At the end of each day, journal all of the things from the day for which you are grateful. Try to think of at least 3 positive things that happened and write about them. Focusing on gratitude helps shift your mindset and improves your overall emotional well-being.
  3. Cook a healthy dinner. Eating healthy foods will contribute to overall better health. Taking it one step further, prepare a dinner that is vibrant in natural colors from fruits and vegetables. Be mindful of the preparation and grateful for its bounty. Enjoy the flavors, textures and smells as you savor every last bite.
  4. Take a warm bath or shower. Sometimes, literally washing away your stress is just what you need. Create a relaxing mood. Draw a bath, light some candles and listen to soft music with no words. Add some epsom salts to a hot bath to help relieve stress, pain and to avoid constipation (which can be stressful!). Focus on your breathing and clear your mind.
  5. End your day under the stars. Grab a blanket, some healthy snacks and go watch the sunset at a nearby park, beach or even in your backyard. Then, wait for the moon to rise and the stars to come out and just gaze. Try to let your mind wander and naturally clear the stress of the day.

Whether you choose to walk off, write out or wash away your stress, doing so is beneficial to your health. Intentionally getting rid of it at the end of the day will not only help you feel better but will also prepare you for the days ahead. For more ideas on how to destress after a long day, watch VEBA Resource Center’s Tips on How to Destress or Breathing to Relieve Stress.

Sneak Exercise Into Your Day Without Breaking a Sweat

Exercise, now more than ever, is important to help maintain your mental and physical health. While some folks have no problem waking up at the crack of dawn to get in their workout, others may have a more difficult time rolling out of bed and onto the treadmill. Still, there are ways you can work a workout into your day without breaking a sweat! Here are several ways to get your blood flowing during, in between and after your next Zoom session!

Stand Up & Hydrate

If you are teaching, sitting on virtual calls or tied to a deadline, be sure to get up from your desk every 30-60 minutes and grab a glass of water. While you’re up, do some quick stretches to get you going. Check out 3 Stretches, 3 Movements from VEBA Resource Center’s Health Coach and Nutritionist, Teresa Guglielmo.

Walk & Talk

If your schedule is booked solid, try walking and talking! Instead of sitting down for your calls, grab your headset, stand up and walk around the room. Your multi-tasking will help increase blood flow to the brain and help you stay focused. Plus, you’ll get in some extra steps! 

Movement on the Mat

Grab your exercise mat and unroll it in your office or living room floor for a quick stretching session, core workout or balance exercise. Stretching out after sitting all morning will wake up your body and get your blood circulating. Plus, it will feel great!

‘Om’ Gonna to Take a Break

In between calls or classes, do a quick yoga series, such as a gentle 15-minute flow. You’ll feel less stressed, and will also be boosting your immune system which will help you stay healthy!

Get Outdoors!

Sometimes, a change of scenery is enough to get you motivated to move. During your lunch break or right after school, try getting outside for a quick walk or bike ride. Make it a family affair and take the dog. Or, if you have access to a pool, jump in with the kids. Put your green thumb in action and give your garden some love. Whatever it is you choose to do, you’ll find that the fresh air will do your body good!

Scheduling a solid workout may seem daunting right now. By incorporating these small exercises throughout your day, you will be giving your body and mind a boost it needs to help you stay focused. Visit the VEBA Resource Center’s Movement playlist for more exercises to incorporate into your daily routine.