HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

badge requirements

1. Keep a record of everything you drink for a week. Check to see if you are getting 1.5 litres or five or more glasses of water a day – the amount needed by the average person. Remember that all the liquids you drink contain water, including tea, coffee, juice, fizzy drinks and milk. Try to increase the amount of fresh water you drink and, at the same time, try to decrease the number of soft drinks or other sugary drinks you have. See how long you can stick to this.

2. Find a chart that shows good posture for someone your age. Demonstrate good posture while walking, standing, sitting and lifting. Why is good posture important? How does it relate to good health, good appearance, and feeling good about yourself? Make up a mime or game to explain the importance of good posture to your Patrol.

3. With your Patrol, visit and take part in a fitness trail or circuit exercise course, then design a course that could be used by younger children.

4. Make up a card or board game that shows the benefits of healthy eating and exercise. Play it with your Patrol.

5. Take part regularly in an aerobic activity, such as basketball, rollerblading, swimming, aerobics etc, for at least six weeks.

6. Watch several hours of children’s TV. Count the number of food commercials that teach good or poor eating habits. Which of the advertised products are nutritious and which are not? Present your findings to your Patrol.

7. Make up a TV commercial or a magazine advert which shows why it is important to look after your feet.

8. Study a variety of magazines, newspapers or TV programmes over a period of a week. What are the current issues in the news that could affect your health or what you eat? For instance, genetically modified food, organic food, CFCs, pollution, battery farming etc. Mount a display for your unit on one issue and organise a debate on it.

9. Every night for a week, spend one hour doing something that totally relaxes you, eg listening to music, arts and crafts, going swimming, reading or yoga. This is your time so you decide what it is. Record in an interesting way what you feel before and after the hour.

10. Design a series of postcards that could be used by a group of your peers to learn about health issues such as: poor hygiene, smoking, unhealthy food, alcohol, unwise dieting, drugs, too much or lack of exercise, late nights etc.