February is National Heart Month. Here are
the American Heart Association's Top Ten
Ways to Help Children Develop Healthy
Habits:
1 Be a positive role model. If you're practicing
healthy habits, it's a lot easier to convince
children to do the same.
2 Get the whole family active. Plan times for
everyone to get moving. Take walks, ride
bikes, go swimming or just play hide-andseek
outside. Everyone will benefit from the
exercise and the time spent together.
3 Limit TV, video game and computer time. These habits lead to a sedentary
lifestyle and excessive snacking, which increases risks for obesity and
cardiovascular disease.
4 Encourage activities that children enjoy. Every child is unique. Let children
experiment with different activities until each finds something that they
really love doing. They'll stick with it longer if they love it.
5 Be supportive. Focus on the positive behaviors rather than the negative.
6 Set specific goals and limits, such as one hour of physical activity a day
or two desserts per week other than fruit.
7 Don't reward children with food. Candy and snacks as a reward
encourage bad habits. Find other ways to celebrate good behavior.
8 Make dinnertime a family time. When everyone sits down together to eat,
there's less of a chance of children eating the wrong foods or snacking
too much.
9 Make a game of reading food labels. The whole family will learn what's
good for their health and be more conscious of what they eat.
10 Stay involved. Be an advocate for healthier children. Insist on good food
choices at school.
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