IDEA: Inspiring health in schools

So... I remember when I was in school. I didn't know the first, second, third thing about healthy food or exercise. I'm sure it varies by district, but I feel like schools don't always give the most specific advice to keep kids and their families healthy. Not all families have time/resources to invest in exercise programs, or teach their children about these topics.

I've thought about it and compiled some suggestions, because I believe that everyone should have at least the basic knowledge of self-care. This is especially true now with COVID: we must try to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.

My vision is to have these policies implemented within schools, throughout the day. At the very least, this kind of info could be placed in a packet and sent home to families.

Just so you know, I am NOT trying to be overly critical towards the school system. I just want to put my ideas out there so we can help people stay healthy :)

Hopefully someone working for a school district will see this, please let me know if you have any comments. Thanks for reading :)

IDEAS - INSPIRING HEALTH IN SCHOOLS

• General Activity - I remember there was a lot of sitting, I would lose focus and my back/hips would become super tight. Also standing and stretching helps the cardiovascular system.

  • 1-3 minute breaks in the middle of class
    
    • Jumping jacks, march in place, wave arms around, any light physical movement to get blood circulating
  • Introduce stretches students can do after sitting all day
  • Educate families - send home a paper with cardio/weight bearing/strength/stretching exercises, and why they are important. Could also suggest YouTube exercise channels.

• Update Gym Classes- This is so important, it could be the only way that most people are introduced to fitness/exercise. I feel like we got away with messing around the whole time, and we didn't get our exercise because nobody was telling us to.

  • Group students into levels of physical activity: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
    
    • Use neutral labels like Group 1, 2, 3… Do not label as Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced, as that may cause social stigma
    • Inclusivity: Adapt special programs for students experiencing physical problems or disabilities.
  • Connect with nearby college students/aspiring physical therapists/personal trainers; have students volunteer in schools to lead gym class sessions -> good for resume!
  • Multiple gym teachers would help make sure all students in the class are active
  • Physicals from the school nurse to determine eligibility and health limitations for workouts

• Food and Water: Proper nutrition helps with health, and gives us energy to work hard and succeed.

  • Free reusable water bottles: possibly have a company sponsor them (include their logo as advertisement) (Maybe have students personalize the bottles so they know which one is theirs)
  • Add posters near water fountains about the health benefits of water. I really didn't believe it would help me, but drinking more water made me feel like a new person honestly.
  • School gardens for students, staff, families
    
    • Possibly have local farmers lead workshops on sustainable agriculture
  • Educate families about benefits of water and affordable, healthy food - send home packets or lists
    
    • Maybe- take families on tour of a grocery store - smart and affordable choices (for example canned foods like spinach, chicken, beans are pretty good if living on a tight budget).
  • Include specific examples of healthy meals including food groups (lean protein, fiber, healthy fats, complex carbs). I remember plenty of talk about the food pyramid in health class, but not a lot of examples how to put together meals.
  • Advocate for funding for salad bars, and healthier school lunches.
  • Try to make healthy food “fun” for everyone! Kids could make cute animals and bugs out of vegetables and other food (plenty of examples online)
  • Free PB and celery/carrot packages for snacks
    
    • Keep allergies in mind, find out first before offering PB or other foods
  • Review what is being sold in vending machines.
    
    • Make fruit and/or vegetable cups available
    • Less products with high fructose corn syrup

• Sleep - essential for physical and mental health, but difficult to get when you're not managing time properly... (ahem that was me)

  • How to get better sleep (stop using a screen 1 hr before bedtime OR put it on night mode)
  • Teach time management/ anti-procrastination techniques/ efficient study tips so students get homework done mostly at school, and are less busy afterwards so they can go to bed on time.

Well I understand this was a longer list so thank you for taking the time to read this! Please let me know if you have any questions, I will be happy to discuss. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Submitted September 06, 2020 at 02:44PM by waterpik007 https://ift.tt/3i81uoJ