It’s time to send the kids back to school for another year, which means the concern for illness is increased. Whether it’s a cold, virus, or injury, as a parent, you’re concerned about your child’s safety. Here are some tips to have a healthy school year.
1. Be sure your child has the proper backpack. Choose one with wide, padded straps and a padded back. Your child should always use both should straps and buckle all other straps because it decreases muscle strain and takes the load off the spine. Make sure that the bottom of the backpack is at waist level to minimize back strain.
2. Practice bike safety. If your child rides his/her bike to school, it’s important to make sure he/she always wears a helmet and follows the rules of the road. Be sure that your child is wearing bright colored clothing so he/she can be easily seen by traffic.
3. Don’t skip breakfast. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your child should always have a nutritious breakfast to function properly at school. Following a proper diet also helps keep the immune system functioning, which can help ward off colds and viruses that crop up during the school year.
4. Good night sweet prince/princess. Getting the proper amount of rest also helps your child stay well and increases concentration. The optimal amount of sleep for adolescents is 8-10 hours per night.
5. Visit your chiropractor. To keep your nervous and immune systems functioning at peak performance, a visit to your chiropractor is necessary. Your immune system will be 200% stronger as a result of chiropractic care. It also aids in helping the body adapt from the stresses of backpacks, keeping your head down from consistent electronic use, sports, and so much more.
Let’s start this school year off right! Follow these tips and you and your child will be much happier and healthy. Wishing you all a successful school year. Stay healthy!
To your health,
Dr. Roger Sahoury