Category: Free Inquiry

Photo by Fred Rivett

Since this program is for upcoming elementary school teachers, I think that for this weeks post it is extremely beneficial to share some information on why as teachers we need to be promoting healthy living through physical and health education. As far as the physical aspect of the course goes, this subject allows for constructed time where students get to participate in physical activity. It is suggested the children ages 5-12 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-vigorous activity daily. Within the short amount of time given for elementary PE classes it is essential that we are having our students engage in activities that are inclusive for everyone. Presenting physical activity in a desirable way will influence our students relationship with exercise, the goal is to make it an enjoyable experience so they will translate these activities to outside of school! I know PE classes are not realistic to have everyday so implementing other activities during classroom time could be beneficial as well. Finding ways to integrate academic subjects and physical movement is something that all educators should look into and something I intend on doing. Having students sit still at a desk all day is not very interactive and I think a lot of students would benefit from having some structured time within a classroom environment to get moving! Putting on a 10 minute dance along video or going for a quick play outside to give the students a brain break will really help their attentiveness. I have done quite a bit of research in regards to the connections between academic achievement and exercise. In almost all cases it is evident that students perform better in math and literacy work when they have engaged in physical activity.

Photo by K15 Photos

I think a key part of helping your students live out a healthy lifestyle is constantly engaging in discussions surrounding it. This could be as simple as daily check-ins with your students at the beginning of the day to see how their mental health is. This can assist us as teachers so we are aware of certain individuals during the day and give them extra support if necessary. It is also a great way to get your students communicating, maybe they haven’t really thought about how they feel that day and sometimes need a reminder to reflect on their emotions. Promoting healthy choices in regards to food is something that can be spoken on lightly, we do not want students feeling ashamed of what they may have brought in their own lunch kit. Understanding the healthy choice between veggies and potato chips is something we want our students to recognize and take into account when making their own decisions. Emphasizing on nutritional value and what your body needs to work efficiently is a great way to discuss healthy food options and the Canada Food Guide. I really love physical and health education and I am so excited to eventually teach this subject!

After sharing for weeks different ways I have been trying to incorporate healthy choices into my daily life I thought I would include a workout video this week. I use to be an active, competitive softball and volleyball player with good upper body strength. Recently I have stemmed far from those days and have significantly lost a good portion of muscle in my arms and shoulders. I am sharing a video below that is a compilation of my go to upper body strengthening exercises that I have discovered through various Instagram fitness accounts, YouTube videos and other online resources! Recording yourself is also a great thing to do because it gives you the chance to critique yourself and notice if there are any exercises that you are performing incorrectly. Also this was a fun way to play around with some more video editing!

I thought for my post this week it would be suitable to share different ways that technology can be used to promote healthy lifestyles. There is an app that I found on the Google play store called “MyFitnessPal,” it was highly rated so I decided to download it and start exploring the different features. When initially setting up my account it asked for typical personal information as well as my weight, height, age and gender. It then prompted me to fill out my goal weight and a timeline for it and also determine how physically active I could commit to being each day. Depending on what I answered, I was supplied with how many calories I should eat in a day to reach my goal. To test out different outcomes I said I wanted to lose 35lbs in 2 months (not what my goal actually is) and do it with hardly any activity per day. The app informed me that in order for this to take place I would need to consume only 1100 calories a day. I found that extremely shocking especially when a calorie calculator suggested I should be eating 2200 calories a day. I think it is very unrealistic to lose weight in a healthy manner without doing any physical exercise and this app makes it seem like it is possible. This app creates an organized space where you can record everything you eat in a day and totals the calories you are consuming. You can find almost every food imaginable on this app and you can scan food bar codes for even more accuracy. For example, instead of recording a granola bar and getting the most common nutritional facts/calories, I can scan a cliff bar and record the  specific peanut butter and chocolate chip variety. Drinks are also included in your calorie intake and there is a separate chart for recording cups of water drank. This app also provides different low-cal recipes to try out, workout plans to follow and articles with tips on staying healthy, but to access some of those features a premium membership is required. You can also record when you have been active so then the app knows to allow a larger calorie intake because you burned calories. I honestly think this app is great, it is not the perfect thing to rely on but it can definitely help someone be more conscious of what they are putting in their body and help keep a calorie deficit.

Photo by Andres Urena

Another thing I wanted to bring up in the post is Fitbits! I just got one a couple months ago and I absolutely love it. I have the corresponding app on my phone and there are a lot of similarities to “MyFitnessPal.” Fitbit really targets physical exercise and keeps track of steps, calories burn, heartrate and water intake. I find that when I wear my Fitbit I feel more motivated to exercise and get active, I also really enjoy getting to see how many calories I burned or steps I walked in a day. Technology is becoming such a huge part of the world and it has integrated it’s way successfully into health and fitness! I think both of these resources can be extremely useful and enhance one’s experience with regaining control of making healthier choices.

I wanted to discuss on this blog post the importance of sleep.

Photo by David Clode

Throughout all the different things I am learning in regard to taking care of my body and healthy choices this is definitely a factor that a lot of individuals including myself don’t take seriously enough. When you are asleep you are allowing your body time to rejuvenate, recover and rest in preparation for another day. This week I have really tried to focus on making sure I am getting consistent amounts of sleep each night and that I am roughly falling asleep and waking up at the same time. With work and some early classes being a factor I woke up at varying times but for the most part I was asleep by 11:00pm every night. This sleep schedule I created for myself allowed for at least 8 hours of snooze time each night. I have done prior research on this subject in a psychology class and I remember discussing some ways that can help make falling asleep easier, to list a few:

• Avoid any type of artificial light (phone screens/TV) at least an hour before you plan to be asleep.
• Get fresh air and exercise during the day, this helps your brain to release built up endorphins that will help your body to relax.
• Have your sleeping space be peaceful, not too warm and dark.
• Avoid eating/drinking at least a few hours before bed, especially items that are high in sugar content.

I found an article on the American Psychology Association website that breaks down what effects sleep, what could result in not having enough sleep and also more tips for getting a good nights rest. If this interests you, I would definitely  suggest looking further into it. The semester is coming to an end and a lot of final projects are coming up to date. No matter how busy you think you are, always make time to get a good sleep it will benefit your mind and productiveness in the long run.  Check out this video below for a better idea of why sleep is so imperative!

This week in particularly has been one where I’m finding myself to be less motivated in regards to healthy choices. With Halloween coming up I find myself having access to lots of candy stashes everywhere I go! With it being around the midterm time in the semester I also feel like I have had a lot of different assignments on my to do list. This is making it harder for me to set some time aside to exercise because honestly I feel exhausted after doing a bunch of homework and I just want to unwind with some mindless Netflix binging.

Photo by Inside Weather

The weather is also turning around so I am not as tempted to leave my cozy home to go outside for a walk in the brisk October air. I am definitely noticing a change in body this week especially in my energy levels, I am spending less time being active and making poor eating choices. Putting healthy foods into my body makes such a huge difference and I have a more ambitious and motivated mindset when I do so. I did do some meditation a few times this week to help calm my anxious mind from looking at the upcoming deadlines that are approaching at the end of the semester. At this point I think it is really important to tackle weeks one at a time or else everything becomes very overwhelming way too fast. Since I have hit a bit of a lull this week my plan is to start gearing back into action starting on the first of the month which is also the beginning of a new week. I noticed I had more of a lazy week and I am not ashamed of it, sometimes your body and mind needs a rest, it is important to acknowledge that. I found this short animated video about making healthy choices, and its not to say that if you make any of the choices them deem as “unhealthy” you are doing the wrong thing, everything is good in moderation! I just find this to be an interested visual representation of the effects healthier choices can make on your overall well being.

Since graduating from high school and not playing competitive sports anymore I have found myself being a lot less active without that additional encouragement. What I’ve noticed the most in the loss of muscle in my legs and arms and I have been trying very hard to regain that back over the past few months. I have found great resources on Instagram from many fitness influencers who have been posting tons of home workout videos throughout this pandemic. With social media being so easily accessible I would highly suggest finding influencers to follow on various platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram or Facebook.

Photo by Jonathan Borba

Bodyweight exercises can be highly effective for regaining muscle mass and I have already noticed more definition in my shoulders and back from doing them! I purchased some very basic equipment like bands and dumbbells, that enhance my workout so I can use a larger variety of exercises that target more specific muscles. As mentioned in another blog, I have been participating in yoga through online classes. I have seen huge improvements in my flexibility which has helped a lot with the way my body moves. I’ve had sports related injuries in the past that still cause my joints to ache and yoga has been a great warmup for me before getting into strength training. I have attached some of the Instagram influencers whose videos I watch for workouts, you should definitely take a look at their feeds!

Photo by NeONBRAND

@roseytimestwo

@dmirgonfit21

@alexa.pleikoizik

With classes being in full motion now, I find myself feeling more overwhelmed than usual. As previously talked about on my last blog post surrounding Yoga, I have access to a site called Gaia that offers a variety of resources. This week I started exploring the website more and indulged myself in some meditation sessions. As cliché as it may sound, my mental and physical well-being felt completely uplifted and relaxed after each routine. These experiences urged me to research the benefits of this practice and how my overall health was being influenced. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health there is undeniable evidence that the use of meditation has been able to improve and ease the symptoms for individuals who are dealing with high blood pressure, depression, insomnia and more. They  distinguish meditation as a relationship between the mind and body that overall enhances one’s health and quality of life. The key components to enduring a successful meditation is having access to a secluded, quiet environment, setting your body up in a comfortable position, choosing a focus of attention and allowing your mind to naturally process positive or negative thoughts.

A study done in 2012 of 100 adults (half who meditated and half who didn’t) concluded those who were practicing meditation developed more folds in the outer layer of their brain which enhances the  brain’s ability to process information. It is important to note this study took place over a few years and that consistent meditation was key in these developments. For more information on this study and others, I urge you to visit this site.  According to a lot of different pages I explored while writing this post, it appears that meditation has an endless amount of benefits to offer. I find myself to be a very high stress individual and I am intrigued to see if I notice a difference once I start incorporating more meditation into my daily routine.

Recently I have started doing yoga, I have meant to for a while now and finally with a little extra down time I have decided to get it going! Now I really didn’t want to have to leave my house for this, because with the current world conditions I didn’t want to lose out on any classes or a membership. I signed up with a website called Gaia, it has a very cheap monthly fee and I have access to a variety of things! I have heard from a lot of friends that yoga is very beneficial and it can put your mind and body into a very calming space. I am also hoping to build more strength and increase my flexibility as well. I have only done about 5 different sessions so far and I have enjoyed them all. The lengths vary, so sometimes I can do a 30 minute class or 15 minutes if I’m trying to squeeze it into my day. Mediation is another option on Gaia that I am still meaning to try out. In my first few classes I felt a bit weird just because my body was moving in ways I wasn’t use too, it is also very hard to watch the screen but also keep yourself in the recommended poses. They divide their site into different levels of experience, so right now I am able to start with the more basic content. Once I get more comfortable and start building new skills I will be able to branch into higher level classes that will challenge me even more. Although it has not been very long yoga is something I highly recommend to everyone, it’s something I never see myself stopping!

Photo by Rawan Yasser

Photo by Laura Lauch

Through this free inquiry assignment I intend to start my journey of living a healthier lifestyle. The hardest thing about doing something is getting up and doing it. Eating better, exercising more often and taking care of your body is beneficial for your mental and physical health. There are so many recipes and types of activities I am excited to try out and share my feedback! Healthy living is about the choices you make, like should I wake up and scrummage through the cupboards to find a bag of chips because I’m starving? Or should I take the 6 minutes to grab a pan and fry up an egg with some multigrain toast? I am very guilty of this, often when I am taking the time to make a healthier choice I find snack foods laying around to munch on while I’m cooking! It can be a slow process to initially get the ball rolling, but I am certain that once I get into the swing of things exercising and making smart dietary decisions will be something I look forward to doing. I am excited for this challenge and to share it all with you, stay tuned for updates!