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Healthy Young people

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:33:58 +0000

Young people with healthy lifestyles have a good balance of work and play, a healthy diet and an appropriate amount of physical activity and rest. A healthy lifestyle is about both physical and mental wellbeing.

Education for health is concerned with the social and emotional aspects of learning, and relates to issues that are real and relevant to many young people, including sex and relationships, body image, drug, alcohol and tobacco use.

Education for health should seek to encourage young people to eat sensibly, stay physically active and maintain good levels of personal wellbeing. Young people should be able to look after themselves, and stay safe from violence, exploitation and injury.

Good health and effective learning go hand-in-hand. Schools educating young people on, for example, the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise can bring about both immediate and long-term improvement to their quality of life.

In order to live healthy and fulfilling lives, young people need to understand the consequences of the choices they make. They need opportunities to develop self-respect and build the confidence to make responsible, informed and healthy choices about their lives. Schools can provide the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils need to lead healthy lives, not just through what is taught, but also through the school’s routines, organisation and environment.

Developing a curriculum that supports healthy lifestyles

In order to help learners understand the characteristics of a healthy lifestyle and make informed decisions about living healthily, they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:

meet, talk and work with a range of people, including professionals from the health and emergency services
develop positive relationships with a wide range of people
consider social and moral dilemmas, including the varied attitudes and values underpinning some of the healthy lifestyle issues they encounter in their communities
find information and advice, for example through helplines and websites, and learn how to provide information to others
prepare for change, for example by anticipating the challenges of new and widening social groups as they get older, and by considering the choices they may have to make
feel positive about themselves, for example by giving and receiving positive feedback, and keeping a record of their progress and achievements.

The DCSF has identified five key objectives to help schools create a healthier environment for pupils.

To promote a school ethos and environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle.
To use the full capacity and flexibility of the curriculum to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
To ensure that the food and drink available during the school day reinforces the healthy lifestyle message.
To provide high-quality physical education and school sport, and promote physical activity as part of a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
To promote an understanding of the full range of issues and behaviours that impact upon lifelong health.

Supporting resources

Healthy schools

The National Healthy Schools Programme

Making sense of health

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)

NICE has issued the first national guideline addressing the assessment and management of weight and the identification and prevention of obesity in adults and children. The guideline contains wide-ranging recommendations, not just for the NHS, but also for schools and providers of early years' education, local authorities, employers and town planners.

The guideline recommends that schools address their environment and ensure that the ethos of all policies helps children and young people to maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet and be physically active. This includes policies relating to building layout and recreational spaces, catering (including vending machines) and the food and drink children bring into school, the taught curriculum (including PE), school travel plans and provision for cycling.

The guideline is available from the NICE website, along with a version entitled 'Understanding NICE guidance: preventing obesity and staying a healthy weight.'

(NHSP) helps schools develop a whole-school approach to promoting young people’s health and wellbeing. The programme supports the link between health, behaviour and achievement – it is about healthy and happy children and young people doing better in learning and in life.

is an educational and community health, web-based resource for teachers and young people in primary and secondary education, and also for parents and public health professionals. It is a preventative health resource that aims to empower young people to make better lifestyle choices, engage with community health issues, become better informed patients and use the NHS more appropriately.

Jogging injuries

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 07:38:51 +0000

There are four periods of time when runners are most vulnerable to injury:

-During the initial 4 to 6 months of running

-Upon returning to running after an injury

-When the quantity of running is increased (distance)

-When the quality of running is increased (speed)

Most running injuries are caused by recurring factors that runners can often prevent or avoid themselves

Training errors are the most common source of injury, particularly lack of adequate stretching; rapid changes in mileage; an increase in hill training; interval training (going from slow speeds over long distances to faster over less ground); and insufficient rest between training sessions.

When selecting a running shoe, the athlete should look for a style that will fit comfortable and that will accommodate his or her particular foot anatomy. When a shoe’s mileage exceeds 500–600 miles, it should be replaced. Runners should keep also in mind potential anatomic abnormalities.

Hip disorders typically manifest themselves as groin pain. Back discomfort that radiates down the leg is cause for referral to a sports medicine specialist.

The patella (kneecap) is a common site of overuse injuries that can benefit from a 20 minute ice massage, a program of stretching and strengthening of the hamstring and quadriceps muscles and a short course of an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. Surgery is rarely indicated.

Ankle laxity can lead to frequent ankle sprains and pain. Beneficial treatment includes muscle strengthening to increase stability, shoe modification to alter gait, and change of a running surface. Foot problems in runners are related to foot types. Nonoperative treatment such as orthotics and shoe modifications should be used if necessary.

The ideal surface on which to run is flat, smooth, resilient, and reasonably soft. Avoid concrete or rough road surfaces. If possible, use community trails that have been developed specifically for jogging and running, so you can measure your records for your exercises calculation and monitoring your heart rate, but you can also use speed and distance devices. Use fine jogging shoes to avoid unnecessary impacts on your feet. Hills should be avoided at first because of the increased stress placed on the knee and ankle. During warmer, humid weather, increase fluid intake; in cool weather, dress appropriately. It is often helpful to weigh yourself before and after running on a hot, humid day. One pint of water should be consumed for every pound of weight lost. Avoid running during extremely hot and cold temperatures or when the air pollution levels are high. When running at higher altitudes, the runner should gradually acclimate to the lower oxygen levels by slow, steady increases in speed and distance.

Create Better Work-Life Balance

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:30:50 +0000

here now 5 Tips for make better work and your life balance

1. Figure Out What Really Matters to You in Life
Personal coach Laura Berman Fortgang, author of NOW WHAT? 90 Days to a New Life Direction, says getting your priorities clear is the first and most essential step toward achieving a well-balanced life. The important point here is to figure out what you want your priorities to be, not what you think they should be.

"I use an exercise for figuring out what matters most," Fortgang tells WebMD. She has her clients take a couple days off from work to contemplate the following series of questions:

1. If my life could focus on one thing and one thing only, what would that be?
2. If I could add a second thing, what would that be?
3. A third?
4. A fourth?
5. A fifth?

If you answer thoughtfully and honestly, the result will be a list of your top five priorities. Fortgang says a typical top-five list might include some of the following:

Children
Spouse
Satisfying career
Community service
Religion/spirituality
Health
Sports
Art
Hobbies, such as gardening
Adventure/travel
Ismael Al-Ramahi, a graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine, says his current priorities are his wife, his 4-month-old son, and his research. He tells WebMD the key is not only knowing your priorities, but devoting your full attention to just one priority at a time. "Split your time and your mind so that you're thinking about work when you're at work and you're paying attention to the baby when you're with him."

2. Drop Unnecessary Activities
By making a concrete list of what really matters to you, you may discover you're devoting too much time to activities that aren't a priority, and you can adjust your schedule accordingly. Since having a baby, Al-Ramahi says he and his wife have become much more efficient in managing their time -- cutting back on television, for example.

If at all possible, Fortgang recommends dropping any commitments and pursuits that don't make your top-five list, because "unnecessary activities keep you away from the things that matter to you."

3. Protect Your Private Time
You would probably think twice before skipping out on work, a parent-teacher conference, or a doctor's appointment. Your private time deserves the same respect. "Carve out hours that contribute to yourself and your relationship," says Stevan Hobfoll, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at Kent State University, and co-author of Work Won't Love You Back: The Dual Career Couple's Survival Guide. Guard this personal time fervently and don't let work or other distractions intrude. "Stop checking email and cell phones so often," Hobfoll advises. "Few people are so important that they need their phones on at all times."

If work consistently interferes with your personal time, Hobfoll recommends discussing some adjustments with your boss. "There's a mythology in the workplace that more hours means more," he tells WebMD. Demonstrate that you can deliver the same or better results in fewer hours. Your job performance "should never be judged in terms of hours of input," Hobfoll says. Protecting your private time often leads to "greater satisfaction in both work life and personal life, greater productivity, and more creativity."

4. Accept Help to Balance Your Life
Allow yourself to rely on your partner, family members, or friends -- anyone who can watch the kids or run an errand while you focus on other top priorities. "Try tag-teaming," Hobfoll suggests. "One spouse works out before dinner, one after dinner, while the other watches the kids."

To get more alone-time with your partner, accept babysitting offers from friends and family, or try arranging a regular trade-off with another couple. "'I'll watch your kids this Saturday if you watch mine next Saturday.' Tag-teaming is a great way to create extra free time," Hobfoll says.

5. Plan Fun and Relaxation
Fun and relaxation are an essential part of living a well-balanced life. That's why Brown makes time for weekly guitar lessons, a yoga class, a date night with his wife, and a guys' night out a couple times a month. In addition, he exercises on a trampoline in his backyard most days of the week. How does he squeeze in all this playtime while running his business and sharing the responsibilities of raising a daughter? "If you believe that the most important thing is to be happy in life (not when I'm a millionaire or when I retire but right now) then you can always make time."

Until you get into the habit of taking time for yourself, set aside space in your planner for relaxation and fun. Plan what you're going to do and make any necessary arrangements, such as childcare, to ensure you'll be able to keep your commitment. "Remember, you make time for what you want to make time for," Fortgang says. If something is important to you, don't brush it aside with a dismissive "I don't have time for that." You are in charge of your own schedule -- it's up to you to make time.

Daily Activity Health

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:49:03 +0000

Tips for being active
Give time every day for moderate aerobic physical activity like walking, swimming or biking. You should always stay within your physician's recommendations and your own comfort zone.

DO...

Wear comfortable clothes and sneakers.
Start slowly. Gradually build up to at least 150 minutes of moderately vigorous physical activity per week (or whatever your doctor recommends). That's 30 minutes of activity, five or more times per week If you can’t manage 30 minutes at a time, try two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions to meet your goal.
Exercise at the same time of day so it becomes a habit. For example, you might walk Monday through Friday before lunch or dinner.
If you aren’t on fluid restrictions, drink a cup of water before, during and after activity.
Ask family or friends to join you. You'll be more likely to keep exercising with company.
Track your activity on a printable log or online.
If you miss a day, plan a make-up day or add 10–15 minutes to your next session.
Vary your activity to keep your interest up. Walk one day, swim the next time, then go for a bike ride.
Join an exercise group, health club or community fitness facility. Many churches and senior centers offer exercise programs, too. (Get your doctor's permission first.)
Look for opportunities to be more active during the day. Park farther from your destination, walk the mall before shopping, choose a flight of stairs over an escalator, or take 10–15 minute walking breaks while watching TV or working.
Add strength and stretching moves to your routine, if your doctor allows them.
DON'T...

Get discouraged if you stop for awhile. Get started again gradually and work up to your old pace.
Perform isometric exercises that require holding your breath, bearing down or sudden bursts of energy. If you're taking part in a class or structured rehab program, ask the leader or therapist what isometric exercises are.
Get involved in competitive or contact sports such as football or soccer.
Engage in any activity that causes chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or lightheadedness. If you have any of these symptoms, stop what you're doing right away and call your healthcare provider.
Exercise right after meals, when it's very hot or humid, or when you just don't feel up to it.