Get Moving With Thibodaux Regional Health System | Keeping Active Through Stressful Times

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Exercise is vital for maintaining mental fitness and reducing stress. Studies have shown that exercise is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration, and enhancing overall cognitive function. This can be especially helpful when stress has depleted your energy or ability to concentrate.


Staying active as a family may feel like a challenge while you try to balance today’s changing social environment, transition to homeschooling sessions, or the inability to participate in activities or school sports. It’s easy for physical health to go out the window.

Thankfully, there are plenty of creative ways for kids to get moving now that it’s warm outside. Let’s explore a few options to help you move, burn calories, and keep a positive outlook!

 

Take group walks. Get your family into the habit of taking walks in the neighborhood after dinner. Not only will kids get some fresh air and exercise, but it’s a great opportunity to bond!


Go on nature hikes around the neighborhood and back yard! Hikes may not get your heart pumping as much as baseball practice, but they’re a great opportunity to sneak in some physical activity while bird watching or looking for collectibles to use for craft projects.

Encourage “old-school” games from your childhood. Do you remember when you used to play games of four-square or double-dutch? There’s no reason why you can’t pass your childhood games onto the next generation.  Try hopscotch, jump rope, old school sack races or 3-legged races, or challenge your child to a 50-yard dash.

Household chores are a score for mom and dad! Cleaning your house is exercise. While you may not be in a gym pumping iron or running on a treadmill, it is still exercise and requires you to work and burn more energy than being sedentary. Any type of movement leads to additional calories burned, so absolutely, housework is considered exercise.


Put on a YouTube tutorial. Yes, the thing that often keeps kids from any physical activity can also be a source of great (and free) exercise for all different ages! You can access many kid-friendly exercise tutorial videos.

Create an Indoor Dance Floor. Parents.com suggests moving aside the furniture in the living room, and cranking on some high-energy dance music. You can even let the kids use a flashlight as “strobe light,” presumably to mimic a dance club atmosphere, or tune into music that your younger ones know the words to, so they can sing along as they move.

 

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