(8/2024) Maintaining your regular schedule for exercise, sleep, meals and daily activities is important during the summer months. I realize it's vacation time, the kids are out of school and outside activities are different during the summer. It is still important to stick to our regular bedtime, mealtime, wake time and as much of our daily schedule as possible.

Bedtime is very important for kids and adults. Going to bed and rising at the same time each day helps set our bodies clock and can help us to get good, restful sleep. It's fun for the kids to stay up later than normal during the summer because they can sleep in the next morning but it throws our bodies clock off and can disrupt getting a good night's sleep. Not getting our normal sleep can cause moodiness, restlessness,weight gain and cause other changes in our body. Humans like routine, even though we don't always want to admit that.

Mealtime is another important schedule to maintain during the summer. We may be outside later in the evening because it stays daylight longer. Eating later in the evening may cause our body to have difficulty digesting food at bedtime. Re flux and waking during the night may occur from eating later than we are use to. Sometimes we may even skip a meal if we are not in our regular time schedule.

Our exercise schedule is sometimes disrupted in the summer because of outside yard work, vacations and when the heat makes it uncomfortable to exercise outside. Finding time for exercise is important to keep our blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight at a healthy balance.

I know summer is a time to relax and enjoy the sunshine, warm weather and longer days. We can do all this and still keep on our regular, healthy schedule. It won't be as hard to get back to the daily activities when fall comes around and school starts. It's always an adjustment when the kids have to get back to bedtime because it's a school day. Keeping a normal daily schedule during the summer will help ease getting back to it when summer has ended.

I know we all change things a little during the summer but maybe try to make it a treat to stay up later during vacation or one weekend day. Most people don't realize how much we need a daily routine to keep our bodies healthy. Humans are creatures of habit and kids and adults alike need a consistent lifestyle. We all need structure in our lives to keep body and soul in balance.

I hope you all have a great summer! I always tell you to keep moving, you'll be glad you did.