There is no better day to take care of your mental health than today. Use the following tips and ideas to find ways to destress, have fun, and integrate healthy living choices into day-to-day lives.
Mindfulness
Use Strong Minds strategies like deep breathing, stretching, or yoga. Yoga is important to Special Olympics athletes around the world! It’s a great way to relax before an important competition or focus before a practice.
Get Active
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day five times a week. Our fitness videos are a great place to start.
Healthy Eating
Our bodies are powered by the foods that we eat! Certain foods have more nutrients and are better for our bodies. By eating healthy foods, we can make sure that our brain has the power to help us focus and learn and that our muscles have the fuel to help us run and play sports.
Try a new healthy food
While shopping for groceries, have a family member pick out one new healthy food that you have never tried before, such as a fruit or vegetable. Preparing a new food for the first time can be tricky. It might be helpful to use cookbooks or the internet to search for healthy recipes. You can repeat this challenge by having different family members pick a new food during each trip to the grocery store.
Find the hidden sugar
Go to your refrigerator or pantry and pick out three beverages or snacks that your family regularly eat or drinks. Have each member of the family guess which of the beverages or snacks has the least amount of sugar and which one has the most. Next, help each other read the nutrition labels to figure out which ones have the least and most amount of sugar. Discuss and plan healthy choices. Check out this resource for information on finding sugar on your food labels;
Get Inspired
Watch or read about an inspiring Special Olympics Virginia athlete. Here are a couple great stories that will leave you feeling motivated:
