Beat the Heat the Healthful Way!

Summer is here!  Along with sunny days and high temperatures comes the need to keep our bodies cool...and hydrated.

Nothing is as simple or refreshing as good old-fashioned H2O. Besides being readily available, water is naturally calorie-free. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, obesity has more than doubled among children ages 2-5 and more than tripled among youth ages 6-11 and adolescents ages 12-19 since 1980.  As a result, it’s critical to encourage kids to value their health and well-being.

Parents and caregivers are role models for their children.  If you eat right and are physically active, there is a good chance your children will make these choices, too. 

With school out for the summer, kids have more time to be active.  Parents should encourage kids to turn off the TV or computer and get outside. A game of flashlight tag or pick-up soccer on a summer evening or splashing with friends at the pool or beach is not only fun, but healthful! And the memories made can’t be beat.

Here are some tips provided by Arrowhead Aquapod’s partner, We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition!), a national education program of the National Institutes of Health, designed to encourage families to eat healthy, get off the sofa and get active:

• Make physical activity a part of your family’s daily routine:
• Walk the dog with your children
• Park the car further away from your destination
• Assign “active” chores like raking to kids

• Establish a family day once a week.  Play a friendly game of Frisbee or basketball in the park, or walk around the zoo or your favorite museum

After all of that activity, it’s important for kids to stay hydrated! In fact, kids lose proportionally more fluids through sweat than adults.  Hydration affects our bodies physically and mentally.  Here are some hydration tips from Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, M.D., F.A.A.P, a renowned pediatrician and author.

• Encourage your children to drink water at 6 months old.
• Hold off on juices until after age one to help encourage the taste for water as a thirst quencher.
• Serve as a role model for your children by drinking water in front of them.  Try to change your habits when it comes to drinking sugary or caffeinated beverages. 
• Freeze water bottles the night before to put in your child’s bag—kids will have cold water to drink at lunch or during afterschool activities.
• Depending on their age, children need approximately 18-32 ounces of fluid daily.

Use these tips on exercise and hydration as a starting point, and consult your pediatrician to suit your family’s lifestyle. A few changes now can make a lifetime of difference in your family’s well-being!

For more tips on healthy ways to stay hydrated, visit www.aquapod.com

Nutrition/Fitness content provided by Nestle Waters, Inc.