Start the School Year Off Right: Healthy Habits for Students
The backpacks are packed, fall activities are underway, and another school year is officially in full swing. While the first-day excitement may have passed, September is a great time for families to settle into routines that can help kids feel their best throughout the months ahead.
Between early mornings, long school days, homework, practices, activities, and everything else squeezed into the week, healthy habits can easily take a back seat. A few simple adjustments can help students stay energized, active, and ready to learn, while also helping prevent some of the illnesses and injuries that can interrupt the school year.
From getting enough sleep to taking care of growing joints, here are a few ways families can start the school year on the right foot.
Get Back Into a Healthy Sleep Routine
Summer schedules tend to be a little more relaxed. Once school begins, however, early mornings return quickly.
Consistent, quality sleep is important for students of every age. Sleep supports concentration, learning, mood, immune function, and physical recovery. For student athletes, it also gives the body valuable time to recover between practices and games.
Establishing a consistent bedtime and wake-up time can help the body adjust to the school schedule. A calming bedtime routine can also make it easier to wind down after a busy day.
Screens can make that more difficult. Phones, tablets, televisions, and video games are often part of kids’ evening routines, but creating some screen-free time before bed can help signal that it’s time to settle in for the night.
Fuel Busy School Days
School days require plenty of energy, especially when they include sports or after-school activities.
A balanced breakfast can help students start the day fueled and ready to focus. Throughout the day, meals and snacks that include a combination of protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can provide more sustained energy.
Hydration matters, too. Kids may not always recognize when they aren’t drinking enough water, particularly once their attention is focused on school, friends, and activities. Encourage students to carry a water bottle when allowed and drink regularly throughout the day.
For student athletes, hydration becomes even more important during warm late-summer practices and games. Drinking water before, during, and after activity can help replace fluids lost through sweat and support the body’s ability to perform and recover.
Keep Germs From Taking Over the Classroom
Back to school also means back to sharing classrooms, buses, locker rooms, sports equipment, and plenty of germs.
Simple habits can go a long way toward keeping kids healthy. Encourage frequent handwashing, particularly before eating and after coughing, sneezing, or using the restroom. Remind kids to cover coughs and sneezes and avoid sharing water bottles or other personal items.
It’s also important to pay attention when a child isn’t feeling well. Rest and recovery can sometimes be more beneficial than pushing through a school day, practice, or game when the body needs a break.
Don’t Let Backpacks Become a Pain
Books, laptops, water bottles, sports equipment, and school supplies can add up quickly. By the end of the day, a student’s backpack may be carrying quite a load.
Encourage students to wear both backpack straps rather than carrying the bag over one shoulder. Adjusting the straps so the backpack sits comfortably against the back can also help distribute the weight more evenly.
Students should regularly clean out unnecessary books, papers, and supplies rather than carrying everything they own from class to class.
If a backpack consistently causes shoulder, neck, or back discomfort, it may be time to lighten the load or reconsider how it’s being carried.
Make Movement Part of the Routine
Not every student participates in organized sports, but every child benefits from regular movement.
After sitting through classes for much of the day, opportunities to walk, run, play outside, ride a bike, or participate in another favorite activity can help break up long periods of inactivity.
Movement supports physical health, but it can also provide a mental reset after a busy school day.
Even small choices count. Taking a family walk after dinner, playing outside before homework, or encouraging active weekend plans can make movement a regular part of the family’s routine.
Student Athletes: Pay Attention to Pain
For student athletes, the beginning of the school year often means the beginning of a demanding fall sports schedule.
Practices, games, strength training, and tournaments can place significant stress on growing muscles and joints. Some soreness after activity can be expected, particularly at the beginning of a season. Pain that persists, worsens, or affects an athlete’s ability to participate normally deserves more attention.
Athletes should pay particular attention to symptoms such as:
- Significant swelling or bruising
- Persistent knee, shoulder, ankle, or joint pain
- Difficulty bearing weight
- Limited range of motion
- Joint instability or a feeling that something is “giving out”
- A pop at the time of injury followed by significant pain
- Pain that continues despite rest
Trying to play through an injury isn’t always the fastest way back onto the field. In some cases, continuing to stress an injured joint can make the problem worse and extend recovery time.
When something doesn’t feel right, encourage student athletes to speak up. Coaches, athletic trainers, parents, and healthcare providers can help determine whether an athlete needs rest, rehabilitation, further evaluation, or treatment.
Give the Body Time to Recover
More isn’t always better when it comes to sports and physical activity.
Rest and recovery are important parts of athletic performance, particularly for young athletes whose bodies are still growing. Scheduling time away from intense activity allows muscles and joints to recover and can help reduce the risk of overuse injuries.
Warm-ups and cool-downs are also worth making part of the routine. Gradually preparing the body for activity and allowing it to recover afterward can help athletes transition safely in and out of intense exercise.
Athletes returning to a sport after an injury should also follow the guidance of their healthcare provider, physical therapist, or athletic trainer rather than rushing back because of an upcoming game.
Missing a little time now may help prevent an injury from turning into a much longer season on the sidelines.
Know When It’s Time to Get Help
Aches, bumps, and illnesses are an inevitable part of growing up, and many can be managed with basic care at home. The important thing is recognizing when something isn’t getting better.
Persistent pain, recurring symptoms, significant injuries, or health concerns that interfere with school, sleep, sports, or everyday activities are worth discussing with your child’s healthcare provider.
For orthopedic injuries in particular, treatment doesn’t automatically mean surgery. Many joint and sports-related conditions can be treated with rest, activity modification, physical therapy, medication, bracing, or other nonsurgical approaches. When surgery is necessary, advances in minimally invasive and outpatient procedures can help eligible patients receive the care they need and return home the same day.
A Healthy Start for the Year Ahead
The school year is a marathon, not a sprint. September is a great opportunity to establish habits that can carry students through fall sports, winter activities, spring testing, and everything in between.
Prioritizing sleep, nutrition, hydration, movement, illness prevention, and recovery can help kids stay healthy and ready for whatever the school year brings.
And when an injury or health concern does require additional care, the team at St. Cloud Surgical Center is proud to work alongside physicians and families throughout Central Minnesota to help patients get back to the classroom, the field, and the activities they love.