Simple Tips for a Heart Healthy Family

    Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence greatly increases the future risk of heart disease. Nutrition and physical activity are a family matter. Encourage your family to give the gift of health to their loved ones, making a lifetime difference in the way children grow into healthy adults. Help them enjoy an active and balanced lifestyle that will last for many years. New Bern Family Practice encourages the following ideasfor giving loved ones a heart healthy lifestyle:

Create personal gift certificates offering healthy activities.

Give a friend a certificate for a walk-aweek together; give a gift of babysitting so a family member or friend can enjoy an exercise class. These gifts cost nothing but time, promote healthy activity, and strengthen family and friend connections.

Turn on music after dinner and dance as a family; play musical chairs; have children make up routines and teach the adults the "new moves."

Have parents teach the children dance moves to music from when they were younger.

While kids are home from school, design a family obstacle course with 6-7 stations that will get each member moving.

Set a timer and have the family move around to each station and perform the activity for 1 minute, increase the time by 30 seconds as the family begins to master each station.

Offer entry fees to a fun run/walk to a friend or family member and plan to train together.

Find an event a few months away to help stay motivated. Wrap an empty frame for the finish line photo.

Sign up the family or a group of friends for a healthy cooking night at a local cooking school or create your own version at home. You'll enjoy the party atmosphere while learning healthy new recipes. 

For over 30 years, New Bern Family Practice has provided quality health care to the people of our community. With a team of nine physicians and four mid-level providers as well as a brand new state-of-the-art facility, NBFP is ready to meet the growing needs of your family. New Bern Family Practice hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm. For more information, or to schedule your next appointment, call 633.1678 or visit us online at www.cchealthcare.com.