Family wellness made easy: stay active and healthy in any weather

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When the weather keeps you indoors, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be a challenge. That’s why we’ve come up with some ideas to help the whole family get active, eat well and stay healthy — no matter the season.

Indoor exercises and activities for unpredictable weather days

Is the weather not cooperating with your workout plans? You can get your heart rate up and build muscle from the comfort of home. Here are some indoor exercises and activities all ages can participate in:

• Have a dance party.
• Create an obstacle course.
• Do some bodyweight exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups or squats.
• Jump rope.
• Unwind with yoga.
• Stretch between episodes, games, movies or commercials.

Staying active even when you’re stuck inside will help you build healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Prepare snacks that support your health

If bad weather has you craving comfort food, try these snack hacks to make it a little bit healthier and even more delicious.

1. Add a protein source to your favorite carb-heavy meals by blending cottage cheese into sauces, swapping mayonnaise or sour cream for Greek yogurt, using chickpea pasta or adding your favorite lean meat option.
2. Sneak fruits and vegetables into meals with rich sauces, layered casseroles or sweet treats like banana bread, muffins and smoothies.
3. Reach for citrus fruits when grocery shopping. Not only are citrus fruits affordable and in-season year-round, but full of vitamin C and antioxidants.
4. Start the day with a fiber-packed breakfast of whole grain toast, chia seed pudding or overnight oats.

Practice regular handwashing

With everyone inside, it’s easy for germs and illness to spread. Practicing good handwashing technique is a major way you can protect your household from illness.

How to properly wash your hands

1. Get your hands wet. Use clean, running water of any temperature.
2. Apply soap and rub your hands together to create a lather. Make sure to get the back of your hands, under your nails, and in-between each finger.
3. Scrub your hands together for at least 20 seconds. This is the same amount of time it would take you to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
4. Rinse your hands with clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands with a clean towel.

Visual reminders next to the sink or on the back of the bathroom door can be especially helpful for young children or other family members who may forget.

Schedule important check-ups and vaccines

When’s the last time you had your teeth cleaned or an eye exam? Are you up to date on all of your vaccinations? Take advantage of your time spent inside by getting those important items scheduled.

Not only will this mean you have the right prescription for your eyeglasses and the dental care you need; your dentist and eye doctor can also identify symptoms of serious conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes or even cancer. Wellmark members with dental and vision benefits can find in-network dentists and eye clinics in myWellmark^®.

Staying current with recommended vaccinations helps keep you and those around you healthy. Stop by your local pharmacy to get caught up, or better yet — schedule an appointment with your primary care provider (PCP). Not only will your PCP help you decide which immunizations are right for you, they’ll make sure you’re up to date on all of your preventive screenings.

See your primary care provider for preventive care

No matter what time of year it is or age you are, it’s important to see your PCP for important screenings, immunizations and chronic condition management.

Modeling regular preventive care to children not only ensures they get the care they need for their age but helps them build the habit of seeing their PCP each year — a habit they should bring with them into adulthood. In fact, adults who receive regular preventive care from a PCP have 33 percent lower health care costs and 19 percent lower risk of dying prematurely.

Use the wellness tools included in your Wellmark plan

Your Wellmark plan includes several no-cost wellness tools to help your whole family stay healthy all year long.

1. myWellmark: Use our member portal to search for in-network providers and facilities, track your health care spending and view your benefits.
2. BeWell 24/7^® Nurse Advice Line: Get your health questions answered by a medical professional, anytime — day or night.
3. Virtual care: See a provider from anywhere with just a phone, tablet or computer.
4. Wellmark Connect powered by WebMD^®: This free digital platform delivers personalized health and wellness content, podcasts, videos, recipes and habit-tracking tools to help you take control of your health. Log in to myWellmark to access.