skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

An Alabama man who spent more than 40 years behind bars speaks out, Florida natural habitats are disappearing, and spring allergies hit hard in Connecticut.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

After another campus shooting, President Trump says people, not guns, are the issue. Alaska Sen. Murkowski says Republicans fear Trump's retaliation, and voting rights groups sound the alarm over an executive order on elections.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Money meant for schools in timber country is uncertain as Congress fails to reauthorize a rural program, farmers and others will see federal dollars for energy projects unlocked, and DOGE cuts threaten plant species needed for U.S. food security.

Simplify Family Schedule to Decrease Stress, Boost Heart Health

play audio
Play

Wednesday, September 13, 2023   

As fall classes and after-school activities are in full swing, Missouri families can feel pressure to do it all, but the American Heart Association warned parents a nonstop lifestyle is not sustainable or healthy.

Dr. Peter Panagos, professor of emergency medicine and neurology at Washington University board chair of the American Heart Association-St. Louis, said packing too much into a week can be stressful, and week after week, chronic stress can lead to negative medical consequences, both for children and adults.

"Poor sleep hygiene, not sleeping as much as required, has impacts on your health, your wellness and your ability to concentrate and learn, which is really important for our kids," Panagos outlined. "Stress can lead to us making poor health decisions, as far as the type of foods we ingest. We want to get the most easily accessible food and often, that is food highest in calories."

The Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of daily physical activity, enough to increase your heart rate, to maintain a healthy heart. And there are five pillars to building healthy habits as a family: Panagos noted they are family "active time," meal prep and meal planning, prioritizing activities, bedtime routines and the proper amount of rest.

Most people know decisions and habits they develop as children and young adults carry over into adulthood. So, Panagos advised it is time to help children build the healthiest possible habits.

"If we can develop healthy lifestyle practices for our kids as they grow into young adults, teenagers, they can see how we live by example, they will really mimic our healthy behaviors," Panagos emphasized. "It doesn't mean we have to change everything at once. We can set goals, take baby steps. Teach your kids about heart health, healthy diet. Ultimately, it's going to help them live longer, healthier lives for their own future."

The American Heart Association said it's also important to take time for yourself, to decompress.

Disclosure: The American Heart Association of Missouri contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Congressional researchers said more than 25 million American households report forgoing food and medicine to pay their energy bills. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress is joining advocates for energy assistance across the country to warn a dangerous situation is brewing for…


Environment

play sound

Teams of researchers and volunteers will fan out at dawn Friday with their smartphones and binoculars on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus for …

Environment

play sound

Environmental groups across Michigan are pushing back after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed it will fast-track Enbridge's Line 5 tunnel …


The elimination of judgeships in 11 Indiana counties followed a weighted caseload study, which found some counties have more judges than needed to manage their current dockets. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers approved a bill Tuesday to eliminate judgeships in eleven mostly rural counties as part of a statewide judicial reallocation…

play sound

For Minnesota households planning future college enrollment, there is a good chance tuition will cost more, as public campuses facing tighter budgets …

When cows eat plant cover faster than it can regrow, it erodes and degrades the soil beneath, making it more susceptible to runoff and other undesirable consequences. (Saed/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient Climate.Broadcast version by Isobel Charle for Washington News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service C…

Environment

play sound

Communities in southern and eastern Montana were connected to passenger rail lines running from Chicago to Seattle until 1979. An effort to fund the …

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient Climate.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Keystone State News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public Ne…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021