6 simple ways you can support your child’s general health
We all want to support our kids’ health. These practical lifestyle habits may help your child this sniffly season.
As the temperature dips, the chance of your kids running into germs climbs.
While you can’t shield them from every bug doing the rounds at school or childcare, adopting a few healthy lifestyle habits can support their healthy immune system function – helping them fight sickness when it comes knocking.
#1: Make sure they get enough sleep
A consistent bedtime schedule will help your child get plenty of rest, and sleep is essential for growth and a healthy immune system.1
As a guide, it is recommend that kids aged 2-5 get 10-13 hours of sleep per night, while 6-13-year-olds require 9-11 hours, and teenagers require 8-10 hours.2
#2: Get them active
Encouraging your child to be physically active every day has many benefits3 and research shows exercise can improve immune defence.4
It’s recommended kids aged 5-17 do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day.5
#3: Ensure they eat a balanced diet
Healthy eating is essential for your child’s good health, growth and development.6
Encourage them to eat from the five food groups: vegetables and legumes; fruit; grains and cereals; lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds; and milk, cheese, yoghurt or alternatives.7
#4: Teach them good hygiene
Proper handwashing techniques and hygiene habits help reduce the spread of germs.
Teach kids to rub soapy hands together for 15 to 20 seconds after using the toilet or touching animals and before eating.
Other good hygiene habits to encourage in kids is not sharing cups or cutlery, to cough or sneeze into their elbow and to use tissues rather than hankies and put them straight in the bin after using.8
#5: Encourage them to drink water
Staying well hydrated helps to support the body’s immune system9.
How much kids need to drink can vary depending on how active they’ve been or how hot it is, but as a guide, kids aged 4-8 need about five cups of water a day, 9-13-year-olds need 5-6 cups, and 14-18-year-olds should drink 6-8 cups.
Make sure kids always carry a water bottle to encourage them to hydrate.10
#6: Support their immune system
Supplements with vitamin C11 are another simple and convenient way to support your child’s healthy immune system function.
Cenovis, Australia’s No.1-selling immunity brand12, have released a new, great-tasting range of vitamin C chewables that include products suitable for kids or adults to take daily to support healthy immune system function.
The new range comes in four appealing flavours to suit every tastebud:
Cenovis Kids Chewable Vitamin C 250mg Lemonade Flavour and Strawberry Flavour; and, for adults, Cenovis Chewable Mega C 1000mg Berry Flavour and Lemon Lime Flavour.
Cenovis products designed for children are made with natural flavours.
These new chewable tablets are 99 per cent sugar free and made in Australia.
Here’s to supporting the whole family’s healthy immune system function this winter!
*This post is brought to you by Cenovis Chewables. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Does not contain real fruit.
1 Healthdirect, Sleep tips for children, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/sleep-tips-for-children
2 Sleep Health Foundation, How much sleep do you really need?, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/how-much-sleep-do-you-really-need
3 Better Health Channel, Children – keeping them active, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/children-keeping-them-active
4 Nieman et al, 2019, The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system, Journal of Sport and Health Science, 8(3): 201-217, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6523821/
5 Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, For children and young people (5 to 17 years), retrieved June 2024 from https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians/for-children-and-young-people-5-to-17-years
6 Healthdirect, Healthy eating for children, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/healthy-eating-for-children
7 Healthdirect, A balanced diet, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/balanced-diethttps://www.healthdirect.gov.au/balanced-diet
8 The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Kids Health Information, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Stopping_the_spread_of_germs/#:~:text=Good%20hygiene%20includes%3A,to%20wash%20their%20hands%20afterwards.
9 Ozkaya et al, 2021, 02(01), 040-044, retrieved June 2024 from https://magnascientiapub.com/journals/msarr/sites/default/files/MSARR-2021-0037.pdf
10 Healthdirect, Hydration tips for children, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hydration-tips-for-children
11 Better Health Channel, Vitamins and minerals, retrieved June 2024 from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Vitamins-and-minerals#vitamin-c
12 No.1 immunity brand, IQVIA Australia Total Unit Sales, RPT Vitamins & Supplements Category, data for the 52-week period ending 22/6/2024
