The back-to-school season is upon us! Despite your children’s dreams of a never-ending summer break, it’s time to prepare for a successful new school year. At Total Impact, we believe that healthy habits are the building blocks of lifelong well-being for children and teens. Just like the values we teach when students learn martial arts, creating a healthy lifestyle requires discipline, guidance, and the support of those around us.
As parents and guardians, you are your child’s ultimate role model – their sensei in life. It’s your responsibility to lead them not only towards academic success, but also long-term physical, emotional, and mental well-being. To help kids be happy & healthy is not always an easy task, especially in today’s complex, fast-paced world where everyone is racing against time due to packed schedules…and constantly checking out smartphones. So how can we teach young people positive habits?
Demonstrating healthy habits (leading by example) from the start can make a world of difference. Regular exercise and a healthy diet eliminate problems such as diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity, and make kids more attentive & focused in class, thus get better grades. From making sure teenagers go to bed on time to keeping them active after-school, wellness really requires a holistic approach at home, at school, and at the dojo.
Are you ready to set your kids on a path to becoming the best versions of themselves this school year? Total Impact is here to help all of our students and families thrive!
At our dojo, we know first hand that children & teens don’t always behave the way that we would like them to, they might be stuck in old habits, unmotivated, or lack the drive to get there. That’s why Shihan Brian is here with his expert tips for getting your family back into an optimal routine for the new school year.
Let’s work together to make this school year not only a story of success in the classroom, but also of success in creating a healthy and happy life in the long-run. Let’s dive in together!
The Importance of Instilling Healthy Lifestyle Habits in Young People
Healthy habits are really the foundation for the future health and well-being of our young people. Starting regular activities, responsibilities, and routines when they’re young is proven to be vital for helping kids flourish as they become adults themselves. As parents and caregivers, we’re role models for our children and we owe it to them to guide them to flourish in all areas of life.
Why is this so important? If children grow into healthy habits they would be able to cope with difficulties and stress which are present in everyone’s life. They will be able to concentrate & excel at school, be physically strong & excited to play sports, as well as positively handle social relationships with confidence. If kids aren’t shown positive habits early on, the lack of guidance can unfortunately be detrimental to their future.
Wouldn’t you love to see less bullying, reduced screen time, and better grades? Let’s work together to set them on the right path!
The Impact of Unhealthy Habits: Screen Time, Junk Food, and More
It becomes easy for children to develop poor habits and coping mechanisms in today’s world given the fast-lifestyles. Here are some statistics that highlight the importance of guiding our youth towards healthier choices:
Excessive Screen Time: American kids between the ages of 8-12 years spend between 4-6 hours on screen and teenagers up to 9 hours. People have been obsessed with using the portable smart devices in a way that this has affected their health by the negative effects of an immobile lifestyle. Learn more about screen time and its effects.
Rising Cases of Type 2 Diabetes: This is due to little exercise, wrong feeding habits, high density of processed foods, fats, sugars and salts and Child type 2 diseases, which was rarely found in children in the past. Read about how Type 2 diabetes is impacting children.
Social Isolation and Health: Some of the short-term consequences of social rejection or social exclusion are major health issues for children including; This goes a long way into explaining why children should be encouraged to have early social relationships. Explore the impact of social isolation on children’s health.
Behavioral Issues on the Rise: For the year 2020, parents have raised a concern that cases of behavioral and conduct issues among children are 21% higher than those of the year 2019. This surge can therefore be attributed to the increasing rate of social skills, self control and emotional maturity in the current generation. Discover more about the rise in behavioral issues.
With intentional routines and encouraging positive habits, we can reduce the rate of obesity, screen time, and bullying together! Read on to invest in your children and help them get better grades…
Sensei’s Expert Tips for Creating an A+ Back-to-School Routine
It’s easy to fall off of regular routines during the summer. With so many fun events and activities going on, and longer days, we understand! But now it’s time to get back into gear for the Fall season. Here are sensei’s tips to help parents get their young ones back on track for an A+ school year.
Incorporating regular exercise
Physical activity is very important to children’s development. This one is good for the heart, supports bone quality, and enhances the body’s immune system. Hence, exercise has a major effect on brain plasticity or the brain’s capacity for learning and memory improvement. Parents can encourage physical activity by:
- Allocating specific time each day for active play
- Engaging in family fitness activities like martial arts
- Walking or cycling to school instead of driving
Total Impact Martial Arts is a perfect choice for an extracurricular program! Our youth martial arts classes give young people a safe place to learn, grow, and practice their skills. Our Kids Karate and Teen Kickboxing programs teach the importance of resilience, dedication, focus, accountability, responsibility, and respect. All values needed in the classroom and at home!
Ensuring adequate sleep
As much as sleep is important in general, children need enough sleep especially for growth, brain development and regulation of moods or emotions. To the reader’s dismay, from 30% to 50% of children in the US fail to get enough sleep. To improve sleep habits:
- Establish a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine
- Keep bedrooms dark, cool, and quiet
- Remove electronic devices from the bedroom
Promoting mindfulness and relaxation techniques
There is enough evidence that, adopted by children, regular mindfulness exercises would bring positive outcomes to their psychological state. They are effective in minimizing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, as well as enhancing attention and social competence. Simple mindfulness activities for kids include:
- Mindful posing
- Spidey-senses exercise
- Body scan
- Guided meditation
Incorporating such, into a child’s schedule activities parents can ensure that the child is given a chance at a healthy and sound body, mind, and soul.
Time management skills
Time management is very useful in school and other aspects of life. This is a skill that parents need to foster in their children by urging them to make routines and use things like calendars or checklists. Instructing students how to analyze tasks that need to be done, set objectives and divide large assignments into subtasks is a very big boost in time management in children.
Encouraging self-motivation
Autonomy is therefore one of the few characteristics that can have a profound effect on a child’s performance at school or any other institution. While intrinsic motivation comes from within, parents can nurture it by:
- Instilling optimism and focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on setbacks
- Encouraging patience and persistence by rewarding effort rather than just success
- Boosting confidence and self-worth through love and positive attention
- Supporting risk-taking and praising initiative, regardless of the outcome
- Stimulating curiosity and guiding their energy in positive directions
In so doing, parents can assist the child in acquiring crucial life skills which are beneficial to the child in his or her lifetime.
Adapting routines for different age groups
Routines should be tailored to suit different age groups:
Elementary students: Vary between intense exercises, and thinking exercises. Use friendly competition in their lessons, and use role playing as the means of engaging the students.
Teenagers: Ensure that you relate certain routine activities to the things that they like. Access the four tools of popular media and advocate the use of English in routine activities.
Young children: Incorporation of the easily anticipated and therefore controllable daily routines like the bedtime routine, dinner time routine among others. These anchor points assist the children to have a structured day and also the chance to have full participation.
If these strategies are put in place, parents will be in a position to give their children good habits which will enable them to do well at home as well as in school.
Total Impact Martial Arts: Supporting Your Family’s Success this Fall
The time for better grades is now! Creating a healthy school routine for kids is very important for guiding them and helping them flourish in all areas of life. Structured routines and being part of a regular program like Children’s Martial Arts is essential for their growth and development. Parents, we’d love to team up with you to help your family thrive this Fall season through the benefits of Martial Arts! Our after-school and weekend programs are the perfect way to stay active, make new friends, and accomplish personal goals. Cheers to a healthy, happy school year together!
Sign up today to start enjoying the many benefits of Total Impact! We are confident we offer the BEST martial arts programs in Buffalo Grove and Arlington Heights.
Contact us at 224.248.8692 or email us today. Total Impact Martial Arts & Fitness proudly serves families and individuals at our Arlington Heights, IL dojo. Join us on a journey of growth, empowerment, and excellence together through Kid’s Karate & Teen Kickboxing!
FAQs
What are the long-term benefits of martial arts for kids?
Martial art increases discipline, respect and perseverance that can be of great importance to children as they grow up. They also enhance the physical health and level of self-efficiency.
How can I encourage my child to stick to a healthy routine?
Consistency is key. Get into a rhythm, make rewards available and use positive feedback and modeling.
What should I look for in an after-school program?
Avoid those activities that focus only on physical activity, skills and do not allow the child to socialize. Such programs like the martial arts are beneficial in providing for all these qualities.
How does screen time impact my child’s health?
Excessive screen time can lead to obesity, sleep problems, and poor social skills. Limiting screen time encourages more active and healthy behaviors.
Can healthy habits help with academic performance?
Yes, healthy habits like proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep improve focus, energy levels, and overall academic performance.
