Categories
Parenting Tips Parenting Tips

Exercise to strengthen the brain function. Three moves to make children love sports

Parenting Tips

August 2022

Written by: Play Therapist, Mr. Wong Tsz Hei

I participated in a professional development exchange program for teachers in Taiwan earlier, and I was inspired by the emphasis on sports in Taiwan education, which I would like to share with parents. One of the schools on the exchange was the “Tiger Forest Elementary School”, a version of the Sports Institute Elementary School. As soon as we entered the school, the students welcomed us with a gymnastic exercise promoted by the government. They moved their hands and feet together to the beat and made all kinds of warm-up movements, which made people feel that they were as lively as the old tigers, and I was like entering a forest full of old tigers.

Sports can strengthen children’s learning ability

Principal Lau of Tiger Forest Primary School said the school is a government priority school, focusing on the physical development of students and believes that sports can strengthen their learning ability. Based on the research of John J. Ratey, MD, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, they promote a zero-hour exercise program. The program encourages students to be physically active at all times, i.e., Anytime. During recess, students run to the playground to play sports. They play dodgeball, climbing frames, or badminton, and all students enjoy every moment of exercise.

Benefits of Exercise to Strengthen Brain Function

Exercise is known to be physically stimulating, but in Ratey’s research, he points out more benefits of exercise for the brain. He describes the brain as a message processing center that transmits messages through different transmitters (chemicals) in different pathways. When exercising, the brain can effectively produce more transmitters and strengthen the pathways, allowing messages to travel faster and more accurately.

Applying the theory to learning, students use exercise to strengthen their brain function, which in turn improves their learning performance. Studies have shown that exercise improves students’ concentration and memory, both of which are necessary for successful learning. In addition, exercise enables the brain to produce Dopamine (a chemical that makes students feel happy), which makes learning more enjoyable and leads to better grades.

How can I get my child to love sports?

In order for children to enjoy the time and benefits of sports, parents need to get their children to love sports. Here are three suggestions:

 

1. Sporadic exercise

Give your child more opportunities to play sports, such as providing the right time, tools, and place, and make sure the environment is safe for parents.

 

2. Healthy exercise

Teach your child to do exercise for the love of health and mention the health benefits of exercise. 

 

3. Exercise together

Enjoy the moment of exercise with your child and enjoy the good time of parent-child relationship.

Categories
Parenting Tips

Only want to stay in the air-conditioned condition during hot weather?
Beware of get air conditioning disease?

Parenting Tips

August 2022

Written by : Yeung Ming Ha, Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners

This summer is really “hot and heavy”! In the face of the alarmingly high temperatures, families always want to stay in air-conditioned rooms. In addition to the increase in cases of heat stroke, many patients have “cold” symptoms, suffering from air-conditioning disease. Because the hotter the weather, the more likely to covet air conditioning, when out of the air-conditioned room, equivalent to a seasonal temperature difference, in this “hot and cold” situation, it is prone to catch a cold.

The most suitable temperature for the human body is 24.5 degrees to 25.5 degrees, but many office central air conditioning is often set at between 15 ℃ and 20 ℃. When working staff have to sit in the office for 8 hours a day, students stay in the classroom for a long time, they will suffer from “air-conditioning sickness” when they are exposed to low temperature for a long time. The symptoms include headache, dizziness, easy fatigue, nasal allergy and runny nose.

Moreover, prolonged exposure of the respiratory tract to dry and cold air causes continuous loss of mucosal moisture, and cold air causes microvascular constriction of the mucosa and reduced glandular secretion, resulting in a drier respiratory mucosa. Not only does it produce a dry and itchy throat, but it also aggravates nasal allergy. The following are some of the my tips for effective prevention of cold weather illness.

1. Keep warm to avoid pain

If the air conditioning vent is facing the head, it will stimulate the head. The head is the meeting of all the yang, cold condensation will make the flow of qi and blood blocked, “blocked then pain”, resulting in headache. Even worse is the direct blowing of air conditioning, causing many chronic pains, such as arthritis, knee pain and lumbago, etc., which are then aggravated. The easiest way to keep warm is to avoid being blown directly by the air conditioning and to wear more warm clothes. Before entering an air-conditioned place, you can rub your hands together to warm them up and then cover your nose to avoid the cold air from entering the nasal cavity directly, which will stimulate the nasal mucosa and induce nasal allergy. In addition, you should wear a shawl or a thin jacket to avoid head and neck pains caused by air conditioning.

2. health tea treatment for air-conditioning diseases

People often eat snacks in the afternoon to refresh themselves. It’s suggested eating more foods such as red dates, brown sugar, peel and ginger water, these foods not only do not cause fat, but also promote blood circulation. If you are not suffering from allergic rhinitis and want to relieve dryness in the respiratory tract, you should drink more plain water or honey water on weekdays. You can also drink a tablespoon of brown sugar and three slices of ginger in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. You can also eat fruits that are more nourishing, such as pears, because they nourish the lungs and stomach, quench thirst and nourish the skin.

For those who suffer from allergic rhinitis, this tea can be used to relieve air conditioning.

Ingredients: 3 grams of Chinese ears, 12 grams of catkins, 6 grams of peppermint and 9 grams of almonds for tea therapy.

Directions

Step 1: Put the ingredients into a tea bag, add warm water at 90 degrees, and bake for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Diffuse the nose with steam for about 1 minute, because the essence in it contains the volatile oil of peppermint, which has the effect of clearing nasal congestion. After the drink is warmed up, it can be consumed.

Efficacy: Peppermint, Cang Er Zi and Catkins are all in the lung meridian and have the effect of dispelling wind and clearing the nasal orifices. Almond has the function of keeping the lungs smooth and moistening them. The combination of these herbs can effectively reduce the symptoms of nasal allergy.

3. often patting the acupuncture points to stimulate blood circulation

On weekdays, you can use your fingers to press or pat the Yongquan point on the bottom of your feet, which is also known as the “longevity point” and can stimulate blood circulation throughout the body, making your body warm and relaxing to sleep. In addition, the navel and three inches below the location are some points to strengthen the body and Qi, such as Qihai and Guan Yuan. In addition, warm water bags to warm the abdomen, also has the effect of cold to prevent disease. And often to sit in the air-conditioned room, try not to maintain the same sitting posture for a long time, usually may wish to do some simple stretching movements, so that blood circulation, so that the body naturally warmed up.

Categories
Parenting Tips

Wear sandals to chase away the summer heat.
How to choose the right sandals for children?

Parenting Tips

August 2022

Written by: Registered Physiotherapist, Fong Wai Kwan

 

In summer, many people wear sandals because they can keep their feet cool and keep the sweltering heat away. Although sandals have become a popular summer gift for mothers and children, parents should be aware of what they need to consider when choosing sandals. Just remember the following tips for choosing sandals, and you’ll be able to wear them comfortably and healthily!

 

Full joint sandals Evenly distribute the pressure under the foot

Since the feet of young children are still in the development stage, special care is needed when choosing sandals. For children under 4 years old, their heels are not yet developed, so it is recommended to wear sandals suitable for toddlers with a special mid-calf design and a harder heel cup, which can stabilize the hind feet and effectively protect the heels.

 

In addition, parents can choose a pair of “full joint sandals” for their children because it adopts “pressure dispersion technology”, which can evenly disperse the pressure on the bottom of the foot, making it extra comfortable for children to wear. The special “toe groove” design enables children to walk with a stable forefoot, and the mild “arch support” can effectively support the arch and prevent fatigue caused by excessive pressure on the arch. The “heel nest design” can increase the heel contact surface, so that the heel position of the shoe is close to the feet, evenly dispersing the pressure on the bottom of the foot, effectively alleviating the sequelae of flat feet, so that children can naturally wear comfortable and healthy!

The “toe groove” design reduces the formation of calluses

In addition to children, parents should also pay more attention when choosing sandals. As women wear sandals, their feet tend to rush forward, and as a result, calluses tend to form on the forefoot as a result of prolonged friction and pressure. Women’s “full jointed sandals” are specially designed with “toe grooves” to stabilize the forefoot when walking and reduce the chance of the foot charging forward.

 

In addition, the metatarsal pad supports the horizontal arch, which increases the forefoot contact surface, prevents excessive pressure on the forefoot and reduces the formation of calluses. It is also equipped with “mild arch support” to reduce excessive stretching of the plantar fascia during walking and reduce foot fatigue. Combined with the “heel nest” and “comfortable cushion design”, it helps to evenly distribute the pressure on the bottom of the foot, not only can absorb shock and unload force, but also effectively relieve plantar fatigue, forefoot pain and heel pain and other problems.

Categories
Parenting Tips

Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme- Good Class

Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme- Good Class