As students and teachers head back to school we want to give you a few tips to make the transition as smooth as possible! Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health, it’s just as important as eating right, exercising, and getting a good night’s sleep. Good posture coupled with balanced nutrition and rest is a recipe for starting off this school year with more energy, less stress and fatigue! 

Studies have shown a direct link with nutrition and a child’s ability to learn.

Skipping breakfast is not be an option. If you don’t give the body good nutrition, especially first thing in the morning, it will not function and be able to retain simple instructions and directions—let alone new concepts.

An easy option, is to use whole ingredients, and mix them in a blender to make a smoothie. Adding fresh berries, yogurt, frozen bananas, and a dollop of peanut butter together for a protein packed, delicious jump start to the day. Focusing on natural, whole foods, such as whole grain cereals and fresh seasonal fruits will give your body the nutrients it needs to power through the morning. Avoid ‘white’ sugar and flour at all costs. These tasty treats give a sudden spike in energy, but what goes up quickly will come down just as quickly and crash and burn. You should also avoid heavily processed items that are laden with chemical additives.

Pack water instead of soda and juice poppers. And choose raw, organic nuts over candy. Research shows that excessive sugar consumption weakens the immune system and impairs cognitive function.

To be able to thrive, we must sleep.

If you are not getting enough sleep each night, your body is not recovering and the brain cannot switch off and restore itself. Lack of sleep not only leads to poor cognitive function but also places strain on the immune system, nervous system, and increases stress levels.

We are well aware how fatigued we are after spending the whole night awake, and lacking sleep. Lack of sleep has been shown to be linked with:

• increased motor vehicle accidents

• increase in body mass index (BMI)

• greater likelihood of obesity

• increased risk of diabetes

• heart conditions

• decreases one’s ability to pay attention, react to signals or remember new information. This point is particular important to note for children.

For our children to thrive academically, they need sleep – lots of it. According the National Sleep Foundation the average school age child should have 10-11 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. Children with fragmented sleep were characterized by lower performance on (neurobehavioral functioning) measures, particularly those that were associated with more complex tasks such as a continuous performance test or symbol-digit substitution. These children have also been shown to have higher rates of behavioral problems reported by their parents.

Poor posture is linked to circulation issues, depression, and fatigue

Whether you are teacher heading back into the classroom or an office professional sitting down to your desk once more, desk posture makes a world of difference in Because good posture means your bones are properly aligned and your muscles, joints and ligaments can work as nature intended. It means your vital organs are in the right position and can function at peak efficiency. Good posture helps contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system.

Without good posture, your overall health and total efficiency can be compromised because the long-term effects of poor posture can affect bodily systems such as digestion, elimination, breathing, muscles, joints and ligaments. A person who has poor posture may often be tired or unable to work efficiently or move properly. So what does proper desk posture look like? See below!

Don’t ignore pain, if you or your child is experiencing pain associated with the back, neck, legs, knees, ankles, or hands and feet call our office for a complete evaluation. We treat far more than just back pain and rehabilitation of injuries and misalignments are far easier to correct when caught early.

And also don’t forget to bring in your child’s school backpack, so that we can check the bag and instruct on proper backpack usage.