Jan. 3 is International Mind-Body Wellness Day, a great occasion to consider what you can do to help your kids stay physically and mentally healthy. One option is to let yourself be inspired by some of the many wellness podcasts available. The thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them whenever you have a spare moment, including when you’re doing other things. Here are some of the best ones.
“Healthy Kids Zone”
(Available at: Apple, Listen Notes, Podchaser)
Created and hosted by Dr. Cindy Gellner, a well-known pediatrician and mom of two sons, Healthy Kids Zone is a long-running podcast that explores all aspects of kids’ health, from infancy through the teen years. On this podcast, you’ll find great advice on anything from treating your kids’ bug bites to dealing with sleep issues and managing their social media use. It’s a great one-stop resource for health and wellness information.
“The Kids Health Network”
(Available at: Apple, Listen Notes, Spotify)
Like Healthy Kids Zone, The Kids Health Network is also produced by a physician: Dr. Andrew Leech, the father of two daughters. This podcast is also aimed at parents of kids of all ages, and much of the content focuses on kids’ emotional health. Through conversations with other experts, Dr. Leech explores important topics, such as how to best parent neurodiverse kids, how to help kids cope with grief and loss and what to do when your kids are being cyberbullied.
“Natural Super Kids”
(Available at: Apple, Listen Notes, Spotify)
Natural Super Kids offers a different approach to kids’ health. The brainchild of Jessica Donovan, a naturopath and author of many books on alternative medicine, this podcast focuses on how parents can use natural remedies to help their kids stay healthy and strong. Recent episodes discuss how parents can manage allergies, asthma, ear infections, sleep issues, stomach pain and many other ailments in a holistic way.
“Peace Out”
(Available at: Apple, Listen Notes, Spotify)
Peace Out also promotes a holistic approach to kids’ health but in a very different way than Natural Super Kids. Instead of offering straightforward advice, it includes stories, breathing and visualization exercises and meditation techniques to help kids to better center themselves and become less anxious and stressed. It’s produced by Chanel Tsang, a well-known Montessori educator who’s also a certified meditation, mindfulness and yoga teacher.
“The Youth Fitness Podcast”
(Available at: Apple, Audible, Spotify)
Unlike the prior podcasts, The Youth Fitness Podcast is almost exclusively focused on how parents can help their kids stay physically fit. Created and hosted by Jeff and Mikki Martin, the developers of a widely-used strength-and-conditioning program for kids called the “Brand X Method,” this podcast explores issues such as how parents can encourage their kids to become more physically active and how to help them develop their stamina and resilience.