Improve Your Children’s Immunity With These Six Tips

Parenting is hard, isn’t it? In addition to all the issues with your children’s behaviour, there is also the issue of their health. It is normal for your little kids to get fever, cough, or cold once in a while. In fact, when they go to childcare, it is pretty certain that they will get them. Boost your kids’ immune system by doing these smart habits:

One: Breastfeeding

This is more relevant to those whose children are very young. Research has shown comprehensively that breast milk provides the best and most complete nutrition for babies from birth. Shortly after labour, mums produce colostrum in their breast milk, and this contains antibodies that can protect babies from certain illnesses. That’s why a lot of mums swear by the motto “breast is best”.

Two: Ensure Sufficient Sleep

Isn’t it a bit of a drag trying to get children to sleep? They seem to work on their own timetable. The fact of the matter is that lack of sleep can lead to the decline of body’s immunity – and this applies as much to children as it does adults. Taking a nap every day is a good way to make your children have enough sleep, especially since they need more sleep than adults need. If you have trouble with this, it calls for an earlier bedtime.

Three: Refraining From Smoking

You know you are in big trouble if your small children start smoking. Thankfully, this is a rarity, with exceptions like the three year old big-sized Indonesian boy being an exception. This point is more about adults not smoking at home. Not only will smoking set a precedent for your children, their exposure to passive smoke is not the best for their health either.

Four: Fruits And Vegetables

Yes – as a health and fitness blog, you totally saw this coming. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as other nutrients to boost your kids’ health. So do ensure they are part of your household’s daily menu. Make sure the adults eat them as well. We have written a guide about this, although it’s more geared towards adults. Check out the Strategic Nutrition Guide.

Five: Exercise

Ditto with this point from the previous one. Exercising, or other outdoor activities are great as they will increase your kids’ immunity. They are probably full of energy anyway, and rightly so. Ball sports, hiking, and swimming are examples of exciting activities you can do with them. Get the blood flowing so that immunity is improved. Have a look at the Granite Fitness Online Store for stuff.

Six: Good Hygiene

An often-overlooked point, good hygiene can help boost immunity. Washing hands with soap is a very good start. Always do it before having meals, after using bathroom, after playing, and after handling their pets. That being said, don’t overdo it either. Read up on the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ to understand what we’re talking about.

Don’t these habits sound simple? While it is, most people don’t realise how important they are. One more point – a lot of these can be applied to adults as well. That’s why we always drum on about good eating habits and exercise – because they are effective. Hope this article has been useful for you.

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Also published on Medium.