Student Health: Tips for Staying Healthy This Summer
By Genevieve Cunningham
The summer is an exciting time. Everyone loves the sun, the heat, and the carefree attitude. But if there’s any group who looks forward to summer the most, it’s probably students. From elementary to college, students of all kinds count down to the summer months. And while summer is full of late nights and days with friends for this crowd, it’s also a time when watching their health becomes incredibly important. Parents know all too well that healthy habits can quickly get out of hand. If you need to keep your own habits in check this summer, or those of your favorite student, take a look at these tips to help you out.
Get a Job or Volunteer
It’s tempting to get out of school, and then spend the summer sleeping in and lounging around. But if you want to maintain good health, you should probably find something constructive to do with your time. If you’re old enough, it might be a good idea to get a job or spend some time volunteering. A job will give you some purpose and allow you to save some money, and volunteering will provide a way to do some good in your community. If you want to be healthy, getting a job or volunteering your time can boost both physical and mental wellness this summer.
Stick to a Routine
Getting way out of routine can really be bad for overall health. But of course, it’s incredibly tough to stick to the same old routine during the summer. Try to modify your usual routine, but not too far from the norm. Get up and go to bed relatively early. Make sure to exercise regularly and stick to certain meal times throughout the day. Though it’s OK to break from the norm and have a little fun, maintaining some sort of schedule will help your health stay a bit more on track.
Keep Your Eating Under Control
The summer makes you want to binge on junk food all day. Ice cream in the morning? Yes! Chips and sweets for lunch? Let’s do it. But if you fall into this trap, your health will get out of control really quickly. Eat as much healthy food as you can. Stick to fruits and veggies and lean meats. Binge on the occasional summer treat, but don’t let the carefree attitude of the summer cause your diet to crash and burn.
Summer should be a ton of fun. It should be full of beach days and parties and dips in the pool. But even with all of the fun, it should also be a time to protect and even improve your health. Use these tips to keep yourself or your students healthy this summer, and make it to next school year in the best health of your life.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Smyrna, Ga.