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Family Wellness Month – May 2024

Family Wellness Month is celebrated in May every year. The reason for the commemoration of the day is as simple as what it is named. With so many factors affecting our health, from our environment to our feeding and lifestyle habits, we need to religiously cater to our health to improve our overall well-being. What better way to embark on this journey than as a family? Family Wellness Month was created to educate and support families on their quest for wellness and not just illness treatment, as every family is encouraged to take up different wellness activities to improve the general health of the population.

History of Family Wellness Month

The health of the family has been of concern since the beginning of time. Although food wasn’t a major factor in the early times as fruits, vegetables, and hunted meat was majorly the food consumed, as the human population continued to grow, so did the choice of food available to them. Humans used different processes to develop other food and this didn’t come without negatives.

Epidemics have also been a cause of major concern to family health over the years, but humans gradually got control of them. In the 1700s, epidemic diseases such as the plague, cholera, and smallpox were a big risk to families throughout history, especially to the youth. Another contributing factor was social status as it was attributed to a family’s eating habits. As lower-class families had less access to adequate portions of tasty and healthy meals, the wealthy ones could easily afford them.

In the 1800s, the one-dish meal was born. As most families weren’t wealthy, cooking equipment was limited, families sacrificed nutritional value for foods that last because they had the most calories. They tended to consume food high in carbohydrates and fat as well. In the 1900s, most foods were gotten from the garden, cellar, or icebox. As the location of the nearest food store could vary, people mostly had to make their food for themselves. The first fast-food chain, White Castle, was then developed in 1921, and it changed the direction of the nation toward manufactured food. The growth of industries in urban areas also contributed to steering the nation towards manufactured food as families moved from rural areas to factory jobs in urban areas.

Family Wellness Month timeline

1700s
Epidemics

Epidemic diseases such as the plague, cholera, and smallpox continue to be a big risk to families.

1800s
The One-Dish Meal

The one-dish meal is birthed as families sacrifice nutritional value for the number of calories.

1900s
Food Store Locations

Most foods are gotten from the garden, cellar, or icebox as food stores are not all over the place.

1921
White Castle is Established

The first fast-food chain, White Castle, is established and it changes the direction of the nation toward manufactured food.

Family Wellness Month FAQs

What are the four main influences on health?

Social, economic, personal, and environmental factors are the major influences on the health status of an individual and are known as determinants of health.

Why is physical activity important?

Regular physical activity helps to prevent and manage some diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and several cancers, as well as preventing hypertension, maintaining healthy body weight, and improving mental health.

Why is mental health important?

It helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

How to Observe Family Wellness Month

  1. Host a family sports day

    Host a family sports day and make it a regular. It helps to get everyone in the groove of taking up sporting activities and boosts their general well-being.

  2. Go for a family health check

    Schedule a day and go for a family health check. It helps to quickly detect any health issues that might be present with any member of the family in a bid to mitigate them.

  3. Attend a family wellness event

    Celebrate the day by attending a family wellness event. It allows the family to learn new ways to improve in general its physical and mental health.

5 Important Facts About Wellness

  1. Exercise boosts brain power

    Exercise helps burn calories and boosts brain power by releasing serotonin, which leads to improved mental clarity.

  2. Exercise keeps depression at bay

    Exercise does wonders for your mental health by producing a relaxation response that serves as a positive distraction.

  3. Exercise gives you energy

    Endorphins are released into the bloodstream during exercise and help to make you feel much more energized for the rest of the day.

  4. Fitness builds relationships

    Be it a spouse, sibling, or friend, good relationships are built when people exercise together.

  5. Exercise wards off diseases

    Exercise can slow or help prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis (bone loss), and loss of muscle mass.

Why Family Wellness Month is Important

  1. It encourages physical well-being

    Family Wellness Month encourages physical well-being. With the different activities that take place, you’re bound to take part in one and in the process get better health physically.

  2. It boosts mental health

    While physical health is something that is really noticeable, bad mental health is not as easily noticeable. Family Wellness Month also offers activities that help boost mental wellness.

  3. It’s good for family finances

    As Family Wellness Month encourages good physical and mental well-being, visits to hospitals and therapy are reduced. This helps save money for the family.

Family Wellness Month dates

YearDateDay
2024May 1Wednesday
2025May 1Thursday
2026May 1Friday
2027May 1Saturday
2028May 1Monday
Hurricane Preparedness Week
National Physical Education and Sport Week
Aces Day
Agriculture and Labor Day
Beltane
Blessing Day
Calan Mai
Couple Appreciation Day
CSS Reboot Day
Executive Coaching Day
Frequent Flyer Day
Global Love Day
Great American Grump Out
International Doodle Dog Day
International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 Day
Labor Day Philippines
Learn to Ride a Bike Day
Lei Day
Marshall Islands Constitution Day
May Day
Mother Goose Day
National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day
National Black Barber Shop Appreciation Day
National Chocolate Parfait Day
National Infertility Survival Day
National Interpreter Appreciation Day
National Loyalty Day
National Mantra Day
National Purebred Dog Day
National Rotate Your Beer Day
National Skilled Trades Day
National Skilled Trades Day
New Homeowners Day
Phone in Sick Day
Save The Rhino Day
School Principals' Day
Silver Star Banner Day
Therapeutic Massage Awareness Day
Worthy Wage Day
ALS Awareness Month
American Cheese Month
American Wetlands Month
Anxiety Awareness Month
Arthritis Awareness Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Awareness of Medical Orphans Month
Be Kind to Animals Month
Bealtaine Festival
Better Sleep Month
Better Speech and Hearing Month
Bladder Cancer Awareness Month
Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
Brain Cancer Awareness Month
Building Safety Month
Celiac Awareness Month
Chip Your Pet Month
Chronic Fatigue Awareness Month
Clean Air Month
Community Action Month
Correct Posture Month
Creative Beginnings Month
Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month
Date Your Mate Month
Deck Safety Month
EDS Awareness Month
Electromagnetic Radiation Awareness Month
Family Wellness Month
Fibromyalgia Education and Awareness Month
Food Allergy Action Month
Fungal Infection Awareness Month
Gardening for Wildlife Month
Get Caught Reading Month
Gifts From The Garden Month
Global Employee Health and Fitness Month
Global Youth Traffic Safety Month
Haitian Heritage Month
Heal the Children Month
Healthy Vision Month
Hepatitis Awareness Month
Homeschool Awareness Month
Huntington's Disease Awareness Month
Indian Heritage Month
Internal Audit Awareness Month
International Business Image Improvement Month
International Civility Awareness Month
International Drum Month
International Respect for Chickens Month
International Victorious Woman Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Labor History Month
Latino Books Month
Leaders of Tomorrow Month
Lettuce Month
Local and Community History Month
Lung Health Awareness Month
Lupus Awareness Month
Make May Purple /Action On Stroke Month
Maternal Mental Health Month
May Measurement Month
MCS Awareness Month
Meditation Month
Mediterranean Diet Month
Melanoma / Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
Military Appreciation Month
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
National Asparagus Month
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
National Barbecue Month
National Bicycle Safety Month
National Blood Pressure Month
National Chocolate Custard Month
National Comfort Month
National Digestive Disease Awareness Month
National Duckling Month
fried egg on national egg month
National Egg Month
National Foster Care Month
National Hamburger Month
National Heritage Month
National Inventors Month
a nurse on National Lyme Disease Awareness Month
National Lyme Disease Awareness Month
National Moving Month
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
National Pet Month
National Photography Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Physiotherapy Month
National Preservation Month
National Prom Graduation Safety Month
National Recommitment Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National San Architect Month
National Service Dog Eye Examination Month
National Share a Story Month
National Show Your Smile Month
National Sight-Saving Month
National Strawberry Month
National Teen Self-Esteem Month
National Tennis Month
National Toxic Encephalopathy and Chemical Injury Awareness Month
National Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness Month
National Vinegar Month
National Walking Month
National Youth Traffic Safety Month
Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Month
Neurofibromatosis Month
Older Americans Month
Personal History Awareness Month
Pet Sitter Safety Month
REACT Month
Responsible Animal Guardian Month
Revise Your Work Schedule Month
Small Business Month
Speech and Hearing Awareness Month
Steelmark Month
Strike Out Strokes Month
Stroke Awareness Month
Syringomyelia Awareness Month
Teen CEO Month
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness Month
Ultraviolet Awareness Month
Women's Health Month
Zombie Awareness Month

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