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CHILDHOOD
Immunise on time
Having your children vaccinated on
time is the best way to protect them,
and other members of your family and
the wider community, from diseases
such as chicken pox, whooping cough,
measles and more. These and other
vaccine preventable diseases can
have extreme consequences including
brain swelling, paralysis and even
death, for children who contract the
disease. Vaccination is safe, effective
and also free as part of the National
Immunisation Program for children.
Sleep is sacred
Children’s bodies are developing and
changing at a rapid rate and sleep
directly impacts their physical and
mental health. During sleep, blood
flow increases to muscles, cells repair
and hormones affecting growth and
development are released, making
it an essential part of any child’s
development. The Life Education
organisation recommends 12 - 14 hours
of sleep per night for two to four-yearolds
and school-age children should
have between 10 and 12 hours of sleep
per night.
Eat right
Good nutrition is essential to the
growth and development of healthy
bodies. Ensuring your kids are eating a
wide range of fruits, vegetables, protein
and whole grains each day will promote
healthy eating habits into the future and
will provide them with the vitamins
and minerals they need to boost their
immune systems, develop healthy
bones and maintain dental health.
TWENTIES
A weighty issue
Maintaining a healthy weight is
important at any age but often weight
gain creeps up on us in our twenties,
which is why it is important to know
what you weigh. Excess alcohol
consumption and poor nutrition are
some of the major factors to gaining
weight, and these poor health habits are
often present or developed during your
twenties. Experts suggest weighing
yourself every few months in order to
keep an eye on weight gain. It is a lot
easier to lose three or four kilograms
than it is to lose 10 or 20 kilograms!
Get moving
Setting up a good exercise routine in
your twenties puts you on the right path
to maintaining this habit as you age.
Exercise burns off excess kilojoules,
strengthens muscles, improves heart
condition and has positive effects
on your mental health. Just 20 to 30
minutes a day of moderate exercise
can provide huge health benefits for
you now and into the future. So say
yes to the hike on Saturday morning,
Thursday night pump class and don’t
skip leg day!
Do what you love
Do what you love and you will never
work a day in your life – this rings
true for your health too! People who
are unhappy in their work life report
higher levels of stress, depression and
sleep issues, all of which can affect
their mental health now and into middle
age and beyond. Your twenties are the
perfect time to figure out what you love
or are passionate about and set a plan
into motion for achieving those goals.
THIRTIES
Pump it
In your thirties, you begin to lose
muscle mass, which has an effect
on a number of other health factors
including weight gain and heart
health. This is why it is important to
stay active and incorporate strength
exercises into your normal exercise
routines. Just two sessions of 30-minute
strength exercises a week can slow
muscle loss and improve metabolism
and heart condition.
Know your numbers
(cholesterol, blood sugar, blood
pressure and body weight)
It may seem like a lot of numbers to
keep track of but these are some of the
most important to know in your thirties
and beyond. These numbers will
indicate your risk of developing serious
health problems such as heart disease,
stroke, diabetes and kidney failure.
Getting checked is simple and can be
done by visiting your regular GP. A
few health and lifestyle changes can
greatly affect these numbers, and your
future health.
Seeds of change
Your late twenties and early thirties are
a good time for both men and women
to start thinking about their fertility.
Age plays a factor in the fertility of
both men and women, with the chances
of miscarriage, birth complications
and future health problems increasing
with the parents’ age. Women’s
fertility starts to decline significantly
from around 32, while men’s fertility
declines at around age 40. It is a good
idea for you and your partner to make
a fertility plan in your early thirties to
reduce any chance of difficulties in the
future.
pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 13