Listen up teacherwriters. You are busy people. You’re probably busier than most people you know, hence the complaint from most teachers that they have no social life during the school year. To get your writing done, you’re squeezing every minute of every day for all it’s worth.
We all know exercise is important for staying healthy and for sustaining a good mood and high energy level. What we don’t all know is that it doesn’t have to be done perfectly or all in one block of time in order to reap the benefits.
Some people don’t work out unless they get into their gym clothes, drive to a gym, sweat for an hour, shower, and then come home. All of that takes a couple of hours. I don’t have a couple of hours, except on weekends, do you? I know I would never exercise if I had to do all that.
Compliments of ErinsWorld
Here are some ideas to squeeze in a daily exercise routine.
- Pick something you like to do. If you think it’s drudgery, chances are, you won’t keep doing it. I hate jogging, so there’s no sense in my even beginning a jogging routine.
- Do a few minutes of strength training each day. I do 15-20 minutes each morning. You can fit it in whenever you have time.
- Walk on your breaks. You can walk alone, with a partner, or with a group. Sometimes I walk with a friend, sometimes I walk with my entire class.
- Get some aerobic exercise at least three times a week. Again, you can do it for twenty minutes to get the benefits you want. Dance, jump rope, swim, play tennis, whatever makes you happy. Early evening swimming works best for me.
- Add some stretching. This you can fit in while you’re watching television, or when you feel your neck and back stiffen up after a round of grading papers. It only takes a few minutes to do some stretches.
So you see, you don’t need to do all your exercise at once. Fitting it in your day, a little here, a little there, makes it possible to stick with a routine. When you feel better, you can give more energy to your teaching and your writing. Good health to you!
If you have any tips to share for getting in your dose of exercise, let me know.
