Post submitted by MISD Staffer Lauren Shields
Over the past three decades, childhood obesity has tripled and in the year 2010, it is predicted that one in five children will be obese. I don’t know about you, but that breaks my heart. We are in the education field to help children so we need to lead by example. It is so easy to be lazy, but what does that accomplish besides giving you a poor cardiovascular system and a short road to depression?! I love kids, but I love fitness as well. I am a also a fitness coach for a company called Beachbody on the side of teaching.
Here is a link to a simple total body workout I like: http://exercise.about.com/cs/exerciseworkouts/l/bltotalworkout.htm
Also, adding cardio to your daily routine is a great idea! Here’s some ways I add it to my school routine:
Try walking the longest way possible to get where you’re going. If you’re in a hurry, pick up the pace!
On your conference period, take 10 minutes to walk at a brisk pace around the school or outside. With your students, do jumping jacks for math answers, squats while spelling words, or push-ups before a language lesson. Remember, we are to set the example, so participate with them!
If you have to lecture for a while, take frequent breaks that involve movement. Squats and lunges target the largest group of muscles in your body so you will burn more calories that way.
Lauren Shields is an ESL teacher at Boren Elementary and also works as a fitness coach in her spare time. We love our guest posts, but our lawyer would want us to tell you that the opinions and advice above are the author's and not officially those of Mansfield ISD.
