How Do You Stay Fit in the Winter?

Staying Fit All Winter Long--A similar piece was published in the February 2008 issue of Atlanta Parent. To read more Atlanta Parent articles, please visit www.atlantaparent.com

Although the weather outside may be frightful, you don’t need to stay by the delightful fire all the day long to be warm. All you need to do is get active! Children should get at least 60 minutes of exercise daily, no matter what the weather looks like. Here are some easy ways to keep your family warm—and fit—during the winter!

Get outside. Bundle up the whole family and take a walk around the neighborhood, go ice-skating at a rink, or head to the mountains for a fun day of skiing and snowboarding.

Take it inside. It doesn’t matter if it’s icy, rainy or windy outside if you encourage indoor sports such as basketball, gymnastics, swimming and soccer.

Housebound hints. Can’t leave the house? No excuse! You don’t have to leave home if you break out the jump ropes, hula hoops and sidewalk chalk to turn your home, yard, or driveway into a playground.

Game on! If your child likes games, try active ones such as Twister Moves High School Edition, a bean bag toss, Dance Dance Revolution, or Wii Sports, which includes video game versions of tennis, baseball and more.

Remember to stay wet. On the inside, at least. When the air is dry (especially with indoor heat) and during exercise, remember to keep your child hydrated even though he may not feel hot or sweaty. Avoid sweetened drinks such as hot chocolate or cider, and offer water regularly. By the time your child actually feels thirsty, she could already be a little dehydrated.

Please share your tips for staying active in colder weather!

Come See Dr. Shu at the Atlanta Whole Foods on Briarcliff at LaVista!

Mom's Afternoon Out

Sunday, February 24th
2:00 p.m. Free

Dr. Jennifer Shu has teamed up with Whole Foods Market Briarcliff and local rep. from Under the Nile and Mother's Love for a special treat just for moms. New to parenthood? Have questions about what products are best for your babies? Join us for an afternoon of questions and answers, free product samples, door prizes, and lots of information about some of our most popular children's organic clothing and whole body products. Dr. Jennifer Shu is a pediatrician and mom. Her passion is helping families build healthy habits...one baby step at a time. Dr. Shu's experiences range from being in private practice to working in an academic medical center, where she was director of the normal newborn nursery. In addition to practicing pediatrics, she is an author, consultant and frequent media guest. Space is limited. Sign up today at customer service.

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What to Do About the Flu

How to Prevent or Deal with the Flu (Influenza)
It’s winter, and the cold and flu season has definitely hit! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 20% of people get the flu each season and 36,000 people will die from it. The best way to deal with the flu is to prevent it. Once you have it though, there are several ways you can try to get over it more comfortably.

Is it a cold or is it the flu?
With both the common cold and influenza, you may get a runny nose, cough and fever. With flu, however, the symptoms typically last longer than a week and the fever may run higher (above 102 F, for instance). People also often get body aches with the flu and may be bedridden. Sometimes, having the flu can lead to a more serious illness such as pneumonia.

What to do about the flu?
Talk to your doctor to see if you (or your child) need to get tested for the flu. Knowing whether you have the flu can help you decide how long you might need to stay out of school or work. Over-the-counter pain relievers/fever reducers such as Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil may help with fever, chills and aches. Cold medicines may be helpful in older children and adults; however, they are not recommended for kids under 2 and should be used with caution in kids under 12. Tried-and-true remedies include drinking lots of fluids, eating chicken soup, running a vaporizer or humidifier, and getting plenty of rest. If you’ve been diagnosed with the flu but don’t seem to be getting any better (or are getting worse), be sure contact your doctor right away in case there’s something else going on such as pneumonia.

CDC Says “Take 3” this Flu Season!
According to the CDC’s web site http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm, here are the 3 best things you can do during flu season:

1. Get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is recommended for children ages 6 months to 5 years, adults over 65 years, health care workers, people with certain medical conditions (including asthma, heart disease, diabetes and pregnancy), and anyone in contact with young children or the elderly or who would just like some protection against the flu. If you or your child are needle-shy, ask your doctor if you may be able to get the nasal spray instead of a shot. Flu season lasts till May, so it’s not too late to get the vaccine if you haven’t yet.

2. Keep clean. Wash your hands well and cover your cough. Avoid sick people when possible, and stay home if you’re sick so you don’t infect others.

3. Consider an antiviral medicine. If you have the flu or know that you have been exposed to the influenza virus, your doctor may recommend a prescription medicine. Keep in mind that these drugs may have serious side effects in kids, so children who are otherwise healthy may be better off riding out the flu illness.

What are you doing about the flu? Do you have any home remedies that really work for cold symptoms? How does your family stay healthy in the winter?