29/11/2021
Boost your kids winter wellness
'Tis the season for sniffs and snuffles! We know how it can seem that one winter bug follows another when you have kids, which is less than jolly. This year, more than ever, we want to find ways to boost their winter wellness.
As parents, we all want to know how to keep kids from getting sick. We’ve got some top winter health tips for kids that should keep their immune systems in tip top condition.
Sleep it at bay!
This is key no matter what time of year it is. A good night’s sleep is crucial for us all, but even more for kids. Depending on their age, kids need 8-12 hours sleep a night to keep them healthy and firing on all cylinders. Make sure you’re getting into good routines by getting them active during the day, limiting tech before bed and having consistent sleep and wake times to build a good sleep routine. Get more tips on boosting sleep for kids and NHS healthy sleep tips.
Fuel their health
As the saying goes, we are what we eat. Help to keep them healthy and boost their immune systems by making sure they get a balanced diet. Vitamin A, C, D and E are great for reducing infections as well as being powerful antioxidants which help to protect us from free radical damage. Different fruits and veg contain different combinations of vitamins. Make sure your kids are eating a rainbow selection and eating at least 5 portions a day. Get creative, fresh, frozen, tinned or dried food counts, think about how you can add them to main meals, snacks, smoothies and even puddings. Don’t get worked up about ‘super foods’, it’s all about variety and balance. Want more? Get our healthy breakfast recipes for children and healthy snack recipes for kids.
Keep kids active
A great way to do this is to exercise as a family. This is a great way to improve your health too - and what better incentive is there than your family’s wellbeing? Why not take regular bike rides, or play games in the garden. Getting into the great outdoors also has fantastic health benefits like cleaning out your lungs, improving your blood pressure and digestive system and strengthening your immune system. For days when wrapping up warm isn’t feasible, why not make the most of tech and take part in a Hiit session on Youtube? Our fab team have created a number of activity sessions you’ll all love which you can find on our Youtube channel!
Keep it clean
We all know this one by now, hands, face, space is ingrained in our collective psyche! Regularly washing hands for 20 seconds helps to keep the bugs at bay. Make sure they use warm water and soap and wash their hands thoroughly throughout the day, and every time they touch a pet, the bin, handles or doors used by others or something dirty as well as if they sneeze or cough or blow their nose. It’s also important they wash their hands before meal times.
Keep hydrated
Kids might not be feeling so thirsty in winter but it’s important to make sure they’re getting enough liquid to keep them healthy in these colder months. Water carries nutrients to cells and flushes toxins away. If they’re not hankering after a tall iced drink this time of year, why not tempt them with a hot lemon and honey or low sugar squash from time to time.
We know it's not all about their physical health, but also their mental wellbeing. Get our quick guide on how to promote your child's wellbeing for some handy tips.
We hope this has given you some useful tips to keep your kids healthy this winter!