10 Healthy Tips from Adventure Aquarium’s Animals
Whoa! That was quite the year. We are swimming into 2021 with a few healthy, fun and achievable New Year’s Resolutions.
1.) Find Your Zen
You may be surprised by how much simple breathing and meditation exercises can help calm your mind. Relax and close your eyes taking 10 slow deep breaths. Caribbean Currents offers some of Adventure Aquarium’s most serene exhibits. Repeat often.
2.) Keep Your Mind Active
With all your extra time, you might have found yourself reading more than usual in 2020. Keep up the good work, and also check out our family field trip worksheets and brain stimulating virtual activities. Offered weekly, you are sure to learn something new even if you’re an adult. Even Theo, our crested porcupine, keeps his brain stimulated with leash and target exercises.
3.) Get Moving
Our animals receive routine enrichment programming that includes exercise. Regular exercise can elevate your mood and is proven to be one of the best ways to help manage stress. Achieve your daily step goal by walking the five aquarium zones!
4.) Eat Healthy
Highly nutritious foods can also help increase resilience to stress and anxiety. Our animals eat a well-balanced diet and are fed the best restaurant-grade fish and produce freshly prepared on-site every day by our husbandry team to exact specifications. Now that’s service!
5). Zzzzzzzz
Some of our most popular animals like the Nile Hippopotamuses and Honey, our Linnaeus’s Two-Toed Sloth, are nocturnal. When you visit you might often see them taking a snooze. Take their advice and get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep whether it’s at night or during the day like Genny and Button.
6.) Get Some Vitamin D
Sunny days can be hard to come by during the dark winter months, but when the sun peeks through the clouds be sure to grab a couple rays. Vitamin D, or the “sunshine vitamin” keeps you healthy by promoting calcium absorption which is necessary for bone growth. Don’t forget the sunscreen though! Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF.
7.) Share Chores & Responsibility
We know what it’s like to share responsibility. A dedicated team of 40 biologists, a certified veterinary technician and a board-certified veterinarian provide exceptional care, daily training and enrichment for more than 15,000 aquatic species. We couldn’t do it without teamwork. Divvy up your household chores. It will leave more time for you to enjoy time together, and visit Adventure Aquarium!
8.) Laugh More
It is true laughter is sometimes the best medicine. In fact, laughter can actually strengthen your immune system! Plenty of laughs are included with every admission ticket to the aquarium. We get a lot of belly laughs from our hippos and African Penguin colony.
9.) Become a Local Tourist
These days your travel bug is probably itching for a change of scenery. The Philadelphia region offers plenty of destinations to visit while staying close to home. Pro tip: Always check websites to familiarize yourself about any new restrictions or procedures.
10.) Accept Change
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. Chameleons are great examples of accepting change and going with the flow. They change color to regulate their temperatures and also use this tool to react to their environment. Stress can creep up on humans, but sometimes it’s not noticeable at first. Be mindful of changes in your appetite, mood and sleeping patterns.