Keeping Healthy
What does being healthy mean?
Bodies come in different shapes and sizes and it’s normal for yours to grow and change as you get older. Looking after yourself is really important, especially while you’re developing as your body needs a whole variety of things to function properly.
Looking after your body can mean eating well, exercising and learning about what keeps you healthy. This can include getting plenty of sleep and looking after your mental health as well as the physical stuff.
Food & Nutrition
Most people love sweets and snacks, and it’s absolutely okay to enjoy these. But it can also be a good idea to balance this out with healthy meals and exercise. Too much sugar can cause weight gain, but it can also give you slumps in mood and is bad for yout teeth! Cutting back on snacks that have a high sugar & fat content, such as crisps, cakes and biscuits, can give you more energy in the long run. Even some supposedly healthy foods like cereal bars can have a higher sugar and fat content. Try eating more fruit or small portions of nuts or seeds for a sweet tooth. The key is giving your body a range of foods, you can read more about this and why it’s a good idea HERE.
Exercise
Look at the amount of time you sit in front of a screen, whether that is a TV or computer or phone. Try to limit this to 2 hours a day. This time could be spent being active, meeting up with friends for a cycle ride, swim or joining a sports club where you can enjoy some kind of exercise with a group of people of your age, football, dancing, and tennis. Exercising doesn’t have to be the stuff you do in school, finding something that you really enjoy means you’re more likely to stick at it.
Any exercise that works up a sweat and gets the heart beating faster than usual is brilliant – you can read more about this HERE. But little steps are also good, especially if you’re just starting to think about keeping fit. Are there small changes you can make? Like walking to school more or taking the longer way home? There are lots of apps that can help with ideas and get you into a regular habit.
Weight & Body Changes
It’s important to remember that thin and healthy are not the same thing. Everyone has their own healthy weight range depending on things like their age and height. If you’re worried about your weight at all please come and ask us a question HERE. Or you could chat to whoever you live with, a youth worker, a school nurse, a teacher or even a doctor. Any of these people can speak with you about making changes to help you feel healthier.
It’s really common for young people to have questions or concerns about their bodies – if you’re struggling to understand or cope with a changing body have a look HERE.