There are many ways to keep a household healthy, but it can still be a struggle for many families. At times there can be certain barriers that make building a healthy household tough. These days a lot of families have both parents working full time, or have a single parent having to run the show. This can make meal planning difficult, and cause parents to resort to fast food for convenience. Some parents have to work extra just to make ends meet with our struggling economy, which can make it hard to build a healthy household. With the obesity epidemic in full swing we must work even harder to make sure our families are maintaining healthy habits. Considering these issues, maintaining a healthy household must be a team effort. Working together can bring multiple new and innovative ways to stay healthy. Some very important healthy family staples are proper diet, exercise/physical activity, and sleep. These staples are common areas of health and wellness discussion. Hopefully this article can give some new perspective of healthy habits.

Having a well-balanced diet is a key element to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If your family can work together to plan dinners a week ahead and create a corresponding grocery list; this can cut out on last minute fast food choices. Another tip can be to pack parents and children's lunches. Packing lunch can be cheaper and control food choice and portion.

Exercise/physical activity is also an important component in a healthy household. There are many ways a family can be physically active together. Family bike rides or family basketball games at the park can be inexpensive and quiet enjoyable. For children that do not enjoy traditional sports there are still many ways they can be active. Exercise doesn't have to be built around traditional sports. For example: dance classes, Zumba, yoga, personal training ( with a certified and educated trainer that knows how to work with youth), dodge ball leagues, swimming, running clubs, group exercise and many more. Parents that have babies or toddlers can try to find a gym that has a day care. Even taking family walks at night can improve cardiovascular health and create a family bonding time.

Sleep deprivation has been a major topic in the health and wellness world recently. According to the Institution of Medicine of the National Academies, "The cumulative long-term effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders have been associated with a wide range of deleterious health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke." A few issues that interrupt our sleep can come from one device that most of the family has- even the children; that is the cell phone. The cell phone tends to be at the center of Americans lives. This device is a great tool, but can also be a cause of sleep interruption. Most people keep their phones by them constantly. This can lead to disruption in sleep if an individual receives a message or call. A simple solution for this problem can be a cell phone basket; have a basket that stays in the kitchen and at a certain time everyone in the family puts their phone up for the night. This will keep children and teens from playing on Facebook or texting all night.

These are just a few ways to build a healthy household. Always stay tuned to University of Kentucky Health & Wellness programs to learn more.  

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