Ways To Increase Physical Activity In Schools

February 3, 2015

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? Although making healthy choices is something that is and should be promoted year round, this month is an especially great time to focus on our daily routines and determine how they can be adjusted to improve our overall health. According to healthfinder.gov, there are several ways that people can work to improve their everyday habits, but the one thing that caught our eye was in reference to teachers and administrators making more physical activity a part of each school day. Therefore, in honor of this month’s dedication to creating awareness about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, we performed some research of our own to discover how schools can take the initiative to instill heart healthy habits in its students; see below:

1. Weather permitting, get students out of their seats by taking lessons and activities outdoors.
2. When students are required to stay indoors for recess, host it in the gym and allow them to access equipment such as jump ropes to get their heart pumping.
3. Set aside time for students to stand up, stretch and walk around the classroom in an organized fashion to prevent them from staying seated all day.
4. Organize events or contests for the entire school or individual classrooms that encourage students to be active; for example, during physical education, hold a contest to see which student can do the most jumping jacks.

In addition to making physical activity a part of the school day, it is also a good idea to spend some time teaching students about the importance of physical activity. If they are well informed about how their actions can benefit their health, you might find that they are more inclined to develop healthy routines of their own.

Here at Nickerson Corporation, we understand the importance of making schools a healthy environment for students. As part of our product line, we offer cafeteria and food court furniture as well as school gym equipment that can be used to help create such an environment in areas where health and fitness are consistently promoted. For more information on the products we supply and to determine which solutions are the best for you, please give us a call at (631) 666-0200 today.