A few weekends ago, Charlie and I headed to the city with cousins, David & Jonathan, for a fun Chicago Cubs trolley ride and a meet-and-greet with Chicago Blackhawk Dave Bolland. The event was put together by Athletico in an effort to offer families real advice on keeping kids healthy throughout the upcoming school year. We visited the facility off of Pulaski in Chicago which had a variety of equipment and plenty of space for therapy & treatment. Although my boys are not yet in sports regularly, my nephews are constantly on the go. Physical health is important to personal well-being and overall health – especially in the classroom.
Whether it’s day-to-day maintenance or ensuring that your child is safe during sports seasons, here are a few of their great pieces of advice:
Backpacks –
- Wearing both straps (using one strap causes the body to bear the weight of the backpack, causing back strain)
- Carry only what you need. Students should only carry up to 15% of their body weight
- Load the backpack correctly. Heavier items should be closest to the back and arrange items so they do not slide.
Concussions –
- There is no such thing as a minor head injury. No matter the severity of the injury, all should be checked by a medical professional. Athletico’s athletic trainers are specialists when it comes to concussions, trained on the latest concussion evaluation tests and return-to-play guidelines.
- Symptoms are not always as they seem. They can be as subtle as a headache and feeling sluggish, not just the telltale signs of dizziness or loss of consciousness.
- Timing is everything. Symptoms may not surface until 48 to 72 hours after an injury. Any athlete who sustains a head injury should not return to play until cleared by a licensed healthcare provider.
Activity –
- Students should stay active, even if they aren’t on the varsity team. Whether it’s taking part in the school play, walking to school instead of taking the bus or just playing on the playground, keeping active is critical to good health.
- Other key tips include keeping backs straight while sitting in class and taking breaks during long study sessions by getting up and walking around.
Stretching –
- Stretching is critical for safe training in sports, but it also helps maintain general flexibility for daily activities.
- Students should warm up before activity and stretch after the big game or study session. Stretches should be in a pain-free range and slow and controlled.
Charlie chatting with North Park Facility Manager, Gran Intarakumhang, PT, MPT, OCS
Giveaway Time!!
At the event, the boys received these FANTASTIC, high-quality backpacks in addition to the poster from Dave Bolland. This Adidas Climacool Speed Pack backpack comes with a full lifetime warranty, load spring, climacool shoulder straps, and a fresh pan ventilated pocket. With a pocket for a 15.4″ laptop, media safe pockets, and a padded arm mesh back panel, this backpack is perfect for the increasing book loads in your life! (This is a great bag to take on the go as well!) This bag retails for around $60. Enter below!
Just leave a comment below for your chance to win!
Ends Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.
thanks for the great giveaway !
my son needs a better backpack–his is way too big for his skinny little frame!
My son needs a new one already for school. Just need to find one thats good for his back.