The school year is approaching and soon you and your children will be back on a strictly regimented schedule that involves work, school, sport practice, meetings and all the extra travel-time in between. The last thing you want is to find yourself keeping up with the rat race at the expense of your health and wellness. As for your children, this could mean jeopardizing their performance in sport, and the classroom if proper guidelines aren’t taken into consideration. Here are some healthy and helpful tips to get the whole family on the same page as we enter a new school year.

Plan

Planning is the single most important pillar to making sure your day goes as smooth as possible. On the weekend try planning out the most important events for the week. Your plans are your children’s plans, so accommodating both will be important for your daily routine. Other than that, just take it one day at a time and plan food, activities and travels each night.

Start the day off right

Sometimes the quality of your day is dictated by how well you start. Give yourself time in the morning to have breakfast with your children. This not only allows you to take advantage of quality time with your kids, but will hold you both accountable to what you’re putting in your body. Parents preach a lot, but kids need to see their lectures put into practice. So eat a healthy breakfast and you’ll be sure to see you and your kids’ performance improve at work and school.

Fuel to Perform

Pack lunch or snacks for you both and phase the sugar out. Replace any sugary drinks with water and opt for a couple fruit items to satisfy your sweet tooth. This will give you longer lasting energy and essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to function. Include protein rich choices like peanut/almond butter with apples or celery, or a protein bar with natural ingredients. Studies show consuming protein not only gives you sustained energy but also boosts your metabolism by the increasing thermic effect it has on your body.

Lastly, it’s helpful to pack nutrient dense foods, so making a sandwich or wrap packed with greens and some form of meat and cheese will certainly satisfy those requirements.

Be Active

Set aside time to workout and, in turn, encourage your children to explore their interest after school. This could be in the form of sport or other activities that require kids to productively interact with each other or work together. Let’s face it, anything to get them off the couch is good, just as long as it’s healthy. Plus, the extra time they spend at school could possibly be an opportunity for you to hit the gym.

Hit the Sack

Setting a bedtime for weeknights will help your children remain on schedule to get a good night’s sleep. Children need at least ten hours of sleep, and teens need eight and a half to nine hours every night. If the whole family agrees to turn off the TV and other electronics by late evening, everyone can look forward to a more restful night, and high energy with clear thinking the next day.

If you’re looking for additional tips to implement this school year, contact one of us at FAST Ahwatukee. We’d be happy to share additional tips and even create a training program for the entire family through our personal training, sports performance or group fitness classes.