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If you’re a parent, you may be wondering how to keep your child athlete healthy this year — without becoming an overbearing helicopter parent. Luckily, we’ve got you covered.

If your child has been showing a growing interest in participating in sports lately and getting healthy, they certainly won’t be alone. Over 36 million kids in the U.S. play organized sports each year, and that number keeps growing. Joining a sport as a kid can be a great way to stay healthy, but there are always some health and injury risks as well if you’re not careful. Here are a few ways you can make sure your child stays safe when participating in a sport, team or otherwise.

Try New Training Methods

One of the biggest reasons child athletes find themselves burning out or even getting injured is due to overuse of certain body parts. This happens more often in certain sports than others; this is why you see many little league pitchers suffering from elbow injuries, as they’ve overused the muscles and joints involved in repeated fast pitching.

To avoid overusing certain muscles and areas of the body, encourage your child to try new training methods that will still help them get in shape without causing further damage. For kids needing to build muscle while also working on cardiovascular fitness, HIIT can be helpful. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, workouts generally last about 30 minutes and are designed as full-body exercises, so no one part of the body gets burned out too quickly.

Get Proper Gear

The right equipment for a workout can make a huge difference in your child’s safety. With the wrong safety gear or even workout equipment, your child might be risking injury due to improper form or just simple accidents during a training session. When your child joins a new sport, help them do research on what equipment is involved so they can find the best equipment possible. If buying new equipment is too expensive, see if your child can borrow properly fitting equipment from a friend or classmate.

Allow For Recovery Time

Sometimes, injuries do happen; unfortunately, that’s just a part of many sports, as accidents can happen. If your child does get hurt while training, make sure you give them plenty of time to recover before letting them start training again. This will keep them from worsening an existing injury through overuse or poor form.

The amount of time your child will need to take off from their sport will depend on the nature of the injury. Bone fractures, for example, usually heal in two to ten weeks, while some injuries only need a few days to heal. Follow your doctor’s instructions for specific care following an injury, and wait the full amount of time recommended before allowing your kid to start practicing again.

Stick To Routine Checkups

If your child is active in sports on a regular basis, they should make frequent checkups a normal part of their healthcare routine. Visiting medical professionals regularly can help spot health issues that would develop from sports over time and make sure your child gets treatment before an injury has a chance to worsen. Don’t forget your dentist visits as well, as some sports can pose a risk to your child’s jaw and teeth. The AAPD recommends that kids and teens see a pediatric dentist every six months, but if your child is at risk of jaw or tooth damage, you may want to visit even more frequently.

As a parent, it can be difficult to know how to keep your kid safe as they start a new sport. However, these tips can let you stay confident that your kid will be happy, healthy, and safe while discovering their new hobby. Sports can be a great way for children to stay active, so encourage them to get involved whenever you get the chance.

Home remodeling can be a challenge for many families attempting to fix up their houses, but taking the time and effort to do so has the potential to greatly improve your home’s overall value. While most people think of a home remodel as a major project that involves changing their home drastically, this isn’t always the case. According to the Census Bureau, 30% of remodeling activity is major additions and alterations, 40% is minor additions and alterations, and 30% maintenance and repair. If you’re thinking about starting to remodel your home sometime soon, use these tips to handle your project as best as possible.

Remember The Market

Be careful when remodeling your home about what you choose to add, especially if you plan to sell your home sometime in the future. What might be valuable to you might actually hurt your home’s resell value. When remodeling, many people want to add elements to the home that they personally like, such as a pool in the backyard. However, personal preferences vary, and some additions to your home might actually make it harder to sell. Some types of remodeling are safer than others; a bathroom remodel is generally a fairly safe way to improve your home’s resell value. Bathroom remodeling is the job most requested in the United States, accounting for 78% of renovations.

Don’t Skip On Maintenance

Just because you’re adding on a new room to your home doesn’t mean you should neglect the other areas of your home that need updating as well. Keeping everything in your home up to date can help improve your home’s overall value, making any more expensive updates worth the investment overall. Be sure to check any appliances that would stay in the home if you were to resell the house, like water heaters or air conditioners. Air conditioners today use about 50% less energy than they did in 1990; that difference in efficiency is something a potential buyer is sure to notice, and even if you don’t sell the home, the upgrade will help you save on utility bills.

Keep Efficiency In Mind

As you’re adding new areas to your home or updating existing ones, do what you can to increase your home’s overall energy efficiency. Adding high-tech energy-saving materials might seem excessive now, but over time, these updates will pay for themselves in the energy bill reduction. When constructing new walls, use insulation with an appropriate R-value for the weather and temperature throughout the year. R-value is the measure of resistance to heat flow which is thermal resistance; generally speaking, a higher value is better for homes in colder areas. This will ensure your heating system doesn’t have to work quite as hard during the winter.

Stick To Your Budget

Most importantly, when planning your remodeling and renovations, be sure to set and stick to a budget. It can be easy to get carried away when planning ideas for your home, but sticking to a budget is essential to avoiding financial issues later on. Always budget for a bit more than you’ll actually need; this keeps you from getting stuck if something goes wrong and you need to account for additional repairs. If you need to reduce costs to leave yourself a bit of extra room in your budget, try looking at second-hand and salvage stores. These items are usually comparable to new components but can help you save money.

Don’t forget about your future plans! If it’s just you in your spouse in your home, remodeling projects can be fairly simple. But if a baby is on the way, you’re going to need to do a whole lot more planning!

Remodeling a home can be an overwhelming process, but with enough advance planning and keeping track of budgets, it doesn’t have to be. Before you start your remodel, use these tips to help the process go as smoothly as possible.

Nowadays, most people who are concerned about the environment are at least recycling. Most areas and cities now have recycling programs that are easily accessible, making it easier than ever to take steps towards leading a greener lifestyle. However, recycling only goes so far, especially if it’s something you only do at home. Here are a few easy ways to keep moving forward on your path to a greener lifestyle.

• Go paperless: Even if you recycle papers at home, you might not keep track quite as closely at the office. If you haven’t gone paperless yet, you’d be surprised how much paper you might be wasting at the office regularly. Estimates show that the average office worker in the U.S. uses about 10,000 sheets of paper per year. Rather than printing out that next report, see if you can go paperless and email it instead.
• Watch your water use: One of the easiest forms of consumption to forget about is your water use. Most people don’t pay attention to this vital resource on a daily basis, but that can lead to significant waste. A typical family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day. Keep track of how much water you’re using for showers, laundry, washing dishes, and so on, and if you can, invest in low-flow water fixtures.
• Keep up with home maintenance: Having kids at home can keep your schedule full, meaning it’s likely been a while since you’ve taken care of routine home maintenance. However, this can have a large impact on your energy consumption, particularly when it comes to your heating and cooling bills. Consider the facts that 90% of homes have HVAC systems and as much as 25% to 40% of the energy used for heating or cooling a home is wasted. This is because contaminants build up in the HVAC system over time, forcing it to work harder. The more often you maintain this system, the more efficient it will be.
• Purchase reusable alternatives: Even when you’re recycling what you can, a good amount of your home waste probably can be avoided. Why? Many homes purchase disposable items for convenience but forget the impact it can have on your waste creation. Look for simple alternatives to common disposable items in your home: use reusable water bottles instead of plastic, use fabric towels instead of paper towels, and so on.
• Be mindful when shopping: If you’re looking to buy something new, whether it’s furniture or clothing, there are likely eco-friendly options you haven’t considered. Try shopping at a thrift or second-hand store instead of a department store. You’ll be surprised by the prices, and you’ll be keeping perfectly good items from going to a landfill. Just be sure to pay it forward by donating your gently used items when you’re done with them, rather than throwing them away.
• Share resources: If you have friends that are also making the effort to go green with their families, try working together for certain tasks. Arrange a carpool for group outings, or agree to share certain items between homes that you don’t use every day. This way, you’re cutting down on resources spent between families, with as little impact as possible on your own daily life.

These switches will have little impact on your daily life but will go far when it comes to saving the environment. Just a few small adjustments on a day to day basis can be huge when trying to go green. Which of these tips do you see yourself and your family using?

Credit cards are a useful and (dare we say it) fun way to manage money while also building good credit. As a bonus, many credit cards also come with added perks, like cash back on entertainment spending or low interest rates for certain windows of time.

However, poorly-managed credit cards can become a financial nightmare. Rats make a useful comparison–in an ideal environment, two rats can breed and become 482 million rats in just three years. If left unattended, your credit card debt of a few hundred dollars can become thousands if not paid off responsibly.

If you’re a first-time cardholder, don’t let your rats breed. Here are five essential mistakes to avoid when managing a credit card, so that your savings, and not your debts, multiply:

1. Spending More than You Could With Your Paycheck

Young people are especially prone to overspending with credit cards, but anyone new to their credit card could fall into this trap. Rather than using the credit card to make reasonable purchases, many mistakenly use their card to buy more than they normally would. Whether you’re splurging on healthy groceries or splurging on video games matters little– you’re still living above your means, and racking up debt that’s out of your pay range.

To avoid this problem, try treating your credit card as a debit card for six months. Instead of paying at the end of the month, pay the bill online each time you use the card until you’ve grown accustomed to managing your spending.

2. Missing Payments

Everyone’s busy, and it can be easy to forget a payment. Unfortunately, late or missed payments have repercussions, including late fees. Missing repeatedly might even result in you being called by one of the nations’ 8,513 debt collection agencies, which can be embarrassing and downright frightening if you’ve never handled debt before.

To avoid forgetting or missing payments, Credit Karma recommends setting up payment reminders through your phone’s alarm system. Set repeating reminders for a few days before your bill is due, so that you have wiggle room for reviewing charges and transferring money before making your payment on time.

3. Focusing on Perks, and Forgetting Interest or Credit Utilization

We all love a good deal, but sometimes it can be hard to recognize one when we see it. Many credit cards tempt individuals to spend unnecessarily by offering misleading benefits. As creditcards.com points out, a card with too high an interest rate might be costing you more than cash rewards can compensate.

Instead of focusing on cash-back bonuses, use your first credit card to learn about the concepts of interest, personal credit, and credit utilization. Remember to follow FICO’s advice of keeping your credit utilization ratio below 30% of your original limit to build your credit score, and not your credit debt.

Managing a credit card is a huge step towards financial independence and smart fiscal management. However, credit cards are fickle friends, and credit companies love to profit off the misinformed. If you’re thinking about opening your first credit card, be sure to avoid these three critical mistakes. Rather than a rat-like pile of growing debt, you’ll instead reap the rewards of a well-managed credit card.

Any type or amount of physical activity reduces the health risks associated with sitting, new research shows. According to a new study of 8,000 middle-aged and older adults, substituting 30 minutes of sitting with physical activity of any kind can reduce the risk of early death by 35%.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that movement is important for better health regardless of the intensity or amount of time spent moving.

“Our findings underscore an important public health message that physical activity of any intensity provides health benefits,” said the lead author of the study Dr. Keith Diaz. Diaz is the assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

“If you have a job or lifestyle that involves a lot of sitting, you can lower your risk of early death by moving more often, for as long as you want and as your ability allows,” said Diaz, “whether that means taking an hour-long high-intensity spin class or choosing lower-intensity activities, like walking.”

Less than one-third of children get 25 minutes of physical activity three times a week, and one in four adults spends over eight hours a day sitting. Adults who sit for an hour or more at a time without interruption are at greater risk of early death compared to those who got up and moved during that same amount of time.

Adults who sat for less than 30 minutes at a time or less had the lowest risk of early death. This suggests that taking movement breaks every 30 minutes can lower your risk of chronic health conditions and early death.

Diaz’s study included 7,999 participants age 45 and older. The participants took part in a nationwide analysis of racial and regional disparities in strokes between 2009 and 2013.

Participants wore activity monitors for four days. During that time, their physical activity and the intensity of those activities were recorded. Diaz and researchers then analyzed the death rate of the participants after four years in 2017.

Researchers found that when adults replaced 30 minutes of sitting with low-intensity physical activity they reduced their risk of dying by 17%. Moderate physical activity could reduce their risk by 35%. Even short bursts of activity (one to two minutes) showed health benefits.

Although researchers found that increased physical activity could reduce the risk of dying from any cause, Diaz and his team didn’t look into specific health-related outcomes.

“In our next study, we plan to look at the risk of specific cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart attack, heart failure, and cardiovascular-related deaths, associated with physical activity versus sedentary behavior,” said Diaz.

Previous studies on specific health-related issues show that inactivity can be a major risk factor. For instance, the average woman in the U.S. has a one-in-eight lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. That risk increases when a woman is physically inactive.

Fortunately, a new breath test for cancer screening is currently undergoing clinical trials. The test involves measuring a patient’s breath for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. VOCs are typically found in gasoline, wood, coal, and paint (but not in powder coatings).

VOCs can also be found in human breath, but they change when a person has cancer. The new breath test aims to identify these changes to diagnose cancer. But it’s still vital to reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic health conditions by staying physically active and eating well.

It’s also essential to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can be just as damaging as little physical activity. On average, school-aged children only receive 9.5 hours of sleep and adults only receive 6.8 hours.

Sleep deprivation can increase your risk for chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular problems, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

That said, to reduce your risk of early death, experts recommend moving more frequently, getting the recommended amount of sleep, and eating a healthier diet.

“Getting up and exercising 10 minutes a day will help you mentally,” said Jimmy McCurry, owner of Progressive Performance gym. “Will it help your muscle mass grow or density? We need a longer duration for that.”

Although Illinois isn’t known for dealing with hurricanes and major storms, they can certainly still happen. To date, there have been at least six major storms that have touched down in Illinois, including Texas Tropical Storm (1960), Hurricane Debra (1959), Tropical Storm Debra (1978), Hurricane Lester (1992), Hurricane Sandy (2012), and, most recently, Tropical Storm Alberto (2018).

Tropical Storm Alberto was a costly and deadly pre-season typical cyclone. The Atlantic Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30 each year, and Alberto developed and struck the Gulf of Mexico in late May. On May 28, Alberto reached its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and a minimum pressure of 990 Mbar.

Alberto caused flooding and damage in many parts of the U.S., including Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and farther inland, Illinois. As many hurricanes and tropic storms do, Alberto spawned two tornadoes that touched down in both Ohio and Illinois. Additionally, the storm damaged an outbuilding and caused extremely heavy rainfall, setting rain records for the month of May in several Illinois cities, including Chicago.

Florida, on the other hand, experiences much more frequent storm-related damages. The average cost of a home water damage insurance claim is approximately $6,965, but can be much more costly after a major storm. Homeowners are already likely to repair roofs and other aspects of their property following weather damage, as 65% of property owners said it was their main motivation in a consumer survey. According to NBC -2, Florida fire departments are pushing for ordinances that would require homeowners to reevaluate their windows, doors, and shutters following both hurricane season and immediately after a storm strikes. Illinois residents could benefit from replacing and updating their windows, doors, and shutters after major storms, as well.

Greater Naples Fire Chief Kingman Schuldt is pushing for regulations that would require Florida homeowners to take down their storm shutters 30 days after a hurricane and an additional 30 days after hurricane season ends.

Section 2-1-44 of the ordinance reads:

“No person shall allow unpermitted storm shutters to remain on a residential or commercial structure longer than 30 days after the end of hurricane season, which is November 30 of any given year. Shutters which are exempted from this requirement will include permitted storm shutters and plywood window and door coverings secured in a manner which meets International Property Maintenance Code standards located in Appendix A: Boarding Standard or Florida Building Code.”

Additionally, if a structure is located within one mile of the coast where the wind speed is 110 mph or greater, the Florida Building Code requires windows to be impact-resistant.

In other areas that don’t regularly experience wind speeds in the triple digits, in order to protect their homes and windows, many property owners often secure their window openings with wooden boards and plywood. However, in some areas of the country, there are specific ordinances against the boarding up of windows. The new Florida regulations (section 6-115) would allow homeowners to board their window openings for hurricane protection, as long as they are removed within 30 days after the hurricane passes.

Whether you’re living in Illinois, Florida, or simply visiting a part of the country that could experience severe weather, make sure you’re aware of the importance of window safety.

It might seem shocking at first, but a surprising number of British Columbians hope to rid the province of clothing donation bins. Luckily, it isn’t the act of giving that’s spurred this decision; it’s the safety of the bins themselves.

Nearly 70% of the province’s populace thinks that clothing donation bins should be banned following the bin-related deaths of two people within the last month.

The Delta school district is among the first to enact the ban citing that the bins pose “a significant risk to health and safety,” according to the North Delta Reporter.

Now, property managers have until Jan. 29 to remove clothing donation bins from their premises. In the meantime, bins have been sealed shut and donors have had to find new ways to donate their gently-used goods.

Government officials and community members are suggesting would-be donors deliver their goods directly to the charities while others highlight garment services throughout the country that can pick up these used materials.

Though bins have been a primary way for many citizens to donate unwanted goods, opponents claim that these contraptions are causing more harm than good.

Since 2015, Kamloops Matters reported that six people have died as a result of getting caught in these donation bins. On top of the mounting death count, the news site also states that individuals will often donate goods they don’t want to the bins, whether they’re appropriate for donation or not. As such, both charity groups and municipal waste branches have suffered.

The Surrey school district has already removed 42 bins so far after the Jan. 14 ruling.

It’s estimated that 14.3 million tons of American clothing alone helps clothe people throughout the world, proving that clothing donations are becoming increasingly necessary. But without safe avenues for donation, countless people could suffer as a result. It’s estimated that 69% of British Columbians have donated clothing to a drop box within the last year, despite 71% of survey respondents claiming the bins need to go.

Alternative ideas have been tossed around, from at-home service to community facilities serving as drop-off centers.

Getting into an accident can be incredibly stressful, but it’s unfortunately not uncommon. There are approximately 6 million car accidents in the U.S. each year. Some states fare better than others. South Carolina has a staggering 62% more fatal car accidents than the national average, making it the ninth-most car accident ridden state. Illinois, on the other hand, is ranked 40th. Being able to respond to the situation quickly and correctly, if you ever do get in an accident, can be key to making sure nobody gets hurt. To help you prepare for an auto accident, here’s a quick step-by-step guide to what you should do after a car accident.

1. Remain calm: The most important thing to remember in a car crash is to remain as calm as possible. Panicking can make the situation more difficult for everyone; even if the situation is scary, do your best to take a deep breath and gather yourself before going ahead.
2. Get to safety: Get everyone to safety as soon as possible. This will be different for every situation, because no two accidents are the same. In some cases, staying in the car will be safer than getting out, like on a busy highway where other cars are close by. In other situations, you’ll want to get out of the vehicle, especially if the car is damaged. Assess your situation and figure out where is safest for everyone involved.
3. Call 911: As soon as you’re able to safely do so, call 911. In minor accidents, calling for the police is still important, as you’ll need to file a report. In major accidents, calling emergency services quickly can be key to saving lives, since emergency medical services will have access to crucial care that you likely won’t have in a first aid kit. Neurologically intact survival was 93% for patients treated with an onsite AED compared to 9% without an AED.
4. Assess the damage: If you’re sure that everyone involved in the crash is safe, take some time to assess the damage your car may have sustained in the accident. Check for both immediately visible damages as well as harder to spot damage; don’t forget to look under the hood and check your engine if you suspect it may have been damaged.
5. Document everything: If it’s safe to move around the accident and you’re able to do so, document everything you can about the accident. This will be helpful in filing a police report. Take pictures of damage, get the insurance information of any other drivers involved, and anything else you can think of. The more information you have, the easier it will be to file a report once you get away from the crash site.

According to IHS Markit research, more than 20 million vehicles on the road in 2021 will be over 25 years old. As more cars age, it’s likely there will be an increase in motor vehicle accidents on the road. Knowing how to handle a potentially dangerous car accident can help keep you and the other passengers safe, so make sure to keep these tips in mind next time you’re out on the road.

We’re in the midst of flu season and according to the Centers for Disease Control, flu cases around the country are continuing to rise. Fortunately, we’re not yet at epidemic levels, but we’re still early in flu season.

The U.S. Health and Human Services have divided the country into 10 regions, nine of which have reported flu-like symptoms and cases above the region-specific baseline. The national baseline is 2.2% for outpatient visits for flu-like illnesses and the CDC has reported 3.3% of visits being for flu-like illnesses.

At the beginning of December, only Georgia and Colorado had reported high numbers of flu cases. At the end of the month, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, South Carolina, and New York City all joined that list. Seven other states, along with Puerto Rico, are reporting moderate flu activity.

According to the CDC, about 79,000 people died from flu-like symptoms last year, 185 being children under the age of 18. This year, only 11 flu-related deaths of children have been reported so far.

Since the beginning of October, influenza A viruses have been seen throughout the United States, but influenza B viruses are going around too.

Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to get accurate accounts of flu-related illnesses and deaths. This is because it’s also the time of year when people come down with other illnesses and flu complications, like pneumonia. But there are people who are a higher risk of coming down with the flu and seeing complications, including pregnant women, children under five, people older than 65 (20% of the population by 2030), and those with certain medical conditions, like the 1.5 billion people who have chronic pain conditions.

Flu symptoms can vary but often include a fever, chills, a sore throat, runny nose, and a cough. The flu is typically accompanied by extreme fatigue, body aches, and headaches.

So how can you best protect yourself against the flu? Doctors still recommend that everyone six months and older get the flu vaccine. Because the flu virus can stay on hard surfaces for up to 48 hours, good hygiene is crucial this time of the year. You should always wash your hands before eating and after being around someone who is sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth when possible and keep your home clean. And if you do happen to get sick, make sure to keep your germs to yourself and stay home from school or work when possible.