Mark your calendars for an exciting event celebrating the importance of family, health, and fitness – Family Health and Fitness Day! On June 10, 2023, this annual event aims to encourage families to engage in physical activities together, promoting overall well-being and a more active lifestyle.

Family Health and Fitness Day, celebrated on the second Saturday in June each year, is an initiative organized by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This particular day emphasizes the importance of regular physical activity and highlights families’ valuable role in promoting health and wellness. By encouraging families to engage in physical activities together, this event aims to foster stronger family bonds while improving overall fitness and quality of life.

The Benefits of Family Health and Fitness Activities:

1. Stronger Family Bonds: Participating in physical activities as a family provides an opportunity to spend quality time together, fostering stronger bonds and creating lasting memories.
2. Improved Physical Fitness: Regular exercise helps improve cardiovascular health, increase strength and flexibility, and enhance overall physical fitness levels for family members of all ages.
3. Enhanced Mental Well-being: Physical activity boosts endorphin levels, reduces stress, and promotes positive mental health for adults and children.
4. Healthy Habits for Life: Encouraging children to engage in physical activities from an early age sets the foundation for lifelong healthy habits, reducing the risk of chronic diseases later in life.
5. Fun and Enjoyment: Family Health and Fitness Day allows families to explore various recreational activities, making fitness enjoyable and exciting for everyone involved.

Participating in Family Health and Fitness Day could be:

1. Outdoor Adventures: Plan a family hike, bike ride, or nature walk in a local park or reserve. Enjoy the fresh air, scenic views, and the opportunity to connect with nature.
2. Backyard Games: Organize a friendly family sports tournament with games like soccer, basketball, badminton, or even a game of catch. Include everyone, regardless of age or skill level.
3. Family Dance Party: Turn up the music and have a family dance party in the living room or backyard. Dancing is a fun and engaging way to get everyone moving and grooving.
4. Active Outings: Visit a local swimming pool, roller skating, or try indoor rock climbing. Explore local recreational facilities that offer activities suitable for the whole family.
5. Fitness Challenges: Create social fitness challenges such as a relay race, obstacle course, or family yoga session. Make it a competition or focus on teamwork and collaboration.

Family Health and Fitness Day provides an excellent opportunity to prioritize the well-being of your loved ones and make fitness a family affair. By participating in physical activities together, you improve your health and cultivate a positive and active lifestyle for future generations. So, mark your calendars, gather your loved ones, and embrace the joy of staying fit and healthy together on June 10, 2023 and beyond!

With this being Nutrition Month, it is essential to know and understand why having a healthy and balanced diet is good for the body and the mind.

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. These factors protect the body against many chronic diseases. This includes but is not limited to diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Eating foods that are lower in sodium, fewer sugars, and saturated and industrially produced trans-fats are essential for a healthy diet. Drinking plenty of water helps to keep your body hydrated and to allow your body to function better.

When maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, your weight will improve whether you wish to lose or gain because you are in control, and it becomes easier to maintain over time. Having a healthy diet will also help to improve your mental health. Getting the correct mix of nutrients in the body can help with easing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. While caring for your body is also essential to health maintenance, it is also a step in the right direction for mental health.

Who does not want to have glowing skin and healthy hair? You guessed it. A proper diet contributes to healthy skin and hair.

While adults need to maintain a healthy diet, it is also vital for kids to have a healthy diet as well. Kids are constantly growing, and they must practice healthy habits from a young age to transfer into their older years.

Healthy eating does not have to be bland. There are healthier ways to enjoy still the foods that we all love. Work on portion control or choose alternatives with fewer fats, sodium, sugars, etc. Research fun and new ways to spruce your diet and enjoy what you like while being healthy. It is also good to speak to your healthcare provider about your health risks and to find foods that will work for you.

A healthy, balanced, and nutritious diet makes one happier and healthier. Taking the necessary first steps to achieving this lifestyle is a great start.

To learn more about Nutrition Month and ways to celebrate visit: https://www.eatright.org/national-nutrition-month-2023

It’s a new year meaning it’s time once again to book appointments, including your annual physical. You might say, why should I go to the doctor if I’m not currently having any problems? However, annual physicals are in fact very important. An annual physical is required to ensure you keep healthy by having a catch-up chat with your doctor to address any questions, screen for any abnormalities and look at preventative approaches to help manage any possible conditions in the future.

In this article, we break down the reasons for an annual physical, things you can do before your appointment and what happens during your annual physical at Integra.

What to do before your annual physical

Our team here at Integra has provided some things to do below along with some other tips from Cleveland Clinic.

• Bring lots of questions!
• Note down any changes in your health since last visit
• Have a note of the medications you’re currently taking (especially if this is your first time at Integra/if the medication was prescribed by a different physician)

During your annual physical

Generally, there are several things a physician will do at your physical.

• Check weight
• Take blood pressure and pulse (might be done more than once if there is an abnormally high or low reading just to verify results)
• General questions about your body (used to flag up any potential problems with certain organs)
• General questions about your current diet and lifestyle and family history. It may be useful to note down family medical history. This can help your physician to be more aware and think of certain preventative measures to put in place for you for chronic diseases you might be more at risk of due to genetic disorders.
• Full body exam. This can include:
  • Checking pulse
  • Listening to heart and lungs
  • Examining mouth and ears
  • Looking at your skin to identify any moles or abnormal growths – which could be a sign of something more serious such as skin cancer
  • Examination of lymph nodes
  • Checking for swelling

We hope this short article offers a good overview of what you can expect at your annual physical.

However, it is important to note that this acts as a general but not concrete guide. Dr Francisco Martinez, our Family Medicine Specialist at Integra explains that “…at Integra we tailor the annual physical to the patient needs, depending on age, sex and clinical history, so we order what patient really needs to be checked.” – each annual physical will be slightly different to be suitable to your health needs.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our clinical staff on 745-7450. They can offer a more detailed breakdown of the services. Don’t delay, contact us today.