Health Topics
While a backpack is still one of the best ways to tote homework, an overloaded or improperly worn backpack will get a failing grade. Worn correctly and not overloaded, a backpack is supported by some of the strongest muscles in the body: the back and abdominal muscles. They work together to stabilize the trunk and hold the body in proper postural alignment.
However, improper backpack use can cause injury, especially to children with young, growing muscles and joints. The American Physical Therapy Association recommends a child’s backpack should weigh no more the about 10 percent of his or her body weight.
Regardless of how early families start preparing for the start of a new school year, there never seems to be enough time to stop back to school stress from affecting kids of all ages and their parents. Articles typically abound this time of year with stress-busting tips and strategies. As a psychologist, I’ve written more than a dozen of these articles, and although I do believe traditional stress reducing strategies (e.g., breathing, relaxation, and pacing) are helpful, we all know that the stress facing our kids and parents this year is different. I doubt you need a psychologist to tell you that there’s no magical stress-busting strategy that can make starting school in the midst of a global pandemic easy. Instead, allow this psychologist to offer a different strategy: Stop wasting time trying to kick stress to the curb.
Outdoor Buzz: Take the Sting Out of Insect Bites
Whether you’re in the backyard or the back country, you may encounter nature’s smallest locals: bees, mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers. While usually just an annoyance, some bites and stings can hurt, itch, spread disease, or even be deadly. The first step to protecting yourself is taking preventive measures to keep these pesky creatures at bay.
Play It Safe with Mother Nature
First Aid Tips for Common Outdoor Injuries
Families are flocking to the great outdoors because it’s a COVID-19 safe way to play. But it’s not without minor dangers like insect stings, burns and more. Here’s a quick guide to dealing with most common summer and fall injuries.
The leading cause of death for men is not a specific disease but an attitude of independence and maybe a little stubbornness. Okay a whole lot of stubbornness! The same attitude that prevents us from using a map prevents us from establishing a solid practice of ongoing health monitoring. What is somewhat disturbing is that for the most part the leading causes of early death for men are usually preventable and treatable once found. Let’s look at the leading causes of death for men.
Ultraviolet (UV) rays - from the sun and other sources like tanning beds – are the number one cause of skin cancer. Too much exposure can also cause sunburn, eye damage, and premature wrinkles. But shielding your skin with clothing, broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30, and staying in the shade can help lower your risk.
Take these steps to stay sun-safe:
Healthy Relationships = Healthy You
Relationships impact health. According to Harvard Health Publishing social connections influence long-term health; studies have shown that people who have satisfying relationships with family, friends and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. Inversely, a lack of healthy relationships is associated with depression, later-life cognitive decline, and increased mortality.
Sleep: Why We Need It and How to Get More
I have repeatedly heard that sleep is important for many reasons, but it wasn’t until becoming a mother to newborn babies that I realized that sleep is more than important-it is precious and necessary! I am very fortunate, as I have never had difficulty falling asleep and getting a good night sleep always came easy....until the children came along! With babies comes sleep deprivation and sleep deprivation crushes the ability to function in similar ways as physical illness or extreme mental distress. Thankfully, I can only faintly remember what being sleep deprived felt like, including feeling more irritable, having less ability to concentrate and remember (Where did I leave that dirty diaper!), experiencing decreased mood and decreased ability to manage stress (and are babies ever stressful!).