21 simple health hacks for 2021
Introducing 21 simple health hacks for the busy teacher
Tai Chi is a low-impact form of exercise which combines deep breathing and meditation with gentle flowing movements. What’s great about Tai Chi is that anyone can participate, Tai Chi is accessible for all ages / abilities, and many of the moves are easily adaptable for those with disabilities. However, as with any new exercise regime, if you have any health concerns or an existing health condition, always seek guidance from your GP before taking up Tai Chi as you may need to take certain precautions, especially if you’re pregnant, have a hernia or back problems etc.
Skipping is an excellent way to keep fit and, best of all, it can be done anytime and anywhere!
Just a few of minutes of skipping can reap a range of benefits such as strengthening your heart and, with the average person burning up to 200 calories during a 15 minute workout, can also keep your weight in check.
As with any new exercise, it’s recommended that you so start slowly at first. Start by skipping for at least one minute each day to feel the benefits. Increase this as you start to feel less out of breath each day.
To find out more, visit: BBC #MakeYourMove skipping challenge
Probably the most common misconception about yoga is that you must be super fit and able to perform ‘gravity-defying’ poses in order to take part. You will pleased to know that you don’t need to be a contortionist to enjoy the full benefits of yoga and just 5-10 minutes a day can lead to improved physical and mental well-being. Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of yoga, something particularly pertinent to teachers, is its ability to help manage stress. Research suggests that yoga can help reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol – a hormone also linked to depression.
“I get up at 5.30, short yoga warm-up, short treadmill run, short yoga stretch. Gets me psyched up for the day ahead, calmer and more positive mindset.” – @TheOther16Hours
- http://www.yoga4classrooms.com/benefits-of-yoga-in-schools
- 10 Easy Stress-Relief Yoga Poses to Prevent Teacher Burnout: https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/lifestyle/calming-yoga-poses/
Incline press ups (or tabletop push ups) are a great way to start a push up routine, particularly if you struggle doing basic push ups! Whilst still targeting the main chest (pectoral) muscles, incline press ups puts far less stress on your elbows and significantly reduces the amount of body weight you are lifting. Incline press ups can be done just about anywhere, all you need is a stable surface such as a table, desk, or wall and is perfect for beginners! To find out more, check out the links below:
Useful links
If you're looking to get in shape but are too busy to hit the gym, you may want to give YouTube fitness a try!
One popular fitness class currently doing the rounds is #PEwithJoe. Earlier this month Joe Wicks, also known as The Body Coach, launched a series of PE classes on YouTube to help children stay fit during school closures (and trust me, it's not just for kids!). You can join in the fitness classes by tuning into Wicks’s YouTube channel at 9 am. Follow this link to subscribe.
If you consider that over 60% of your body is made of water, it should come as no surprise that staying well hydrated is an integral part of being fit and healthy. Unfortunately, despite this well-known fact, drinking enough fluids is something that is often easily overlooked. Research suggests that being dehydrated can affect your mood and mental well-being as well as potentially induce fatigue and headaches. There is much dispute over how much fluid you should drink with the general consensus recommending between 6 and 8 glasses a day. Water, low fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.
Top tips:
- Water is a cheap and healthy option however, if you don’t like the taste of plain water, try flavoured water or add a slice of lemon or lime.
- Make healthy drink choices! Try to avoid drinks that are high in sugar as these are often also high in calories – Plain tea, fruit teas and coffee (without added sugar) can be healthy alternatives.
- Drink with each meal and between each meal.
- Drink before, during and after exercise.
- Drink if you're feeling hungry (thirst can often be confused with hunger).
Gamercise (or exergaming) is used to refer to video games that also promote some form of exercise.
In fact, video games aren't just for couch potatoes anymore. In recent years, exergames (games that actually require you to get out of your seat and move around) have become more popular and, thanks to platforms such as the Wii, xbox Kinect and Nintendo Switch, exergames such as Wii fit, EA Sports Active, Just Dance and Zumba Fitness offer an interesting alternative for home exercisers who find it difficult to motivate themselves.
You probably don’t need to be reminded that eating a healthy, balanced diet is an integral part of staying fit & healthy but, with the ever increasing demands of the job, sustaining a healthy / balanced diet can be a challenge even for the most conscientious of healthy eaters!
According to the Eatwell Guide (A free NHS guide to eating more healthily) eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions, and consuming the right amount of food and drink all help to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. According to the guide, people should try to:
- eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day
- base meals on starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
- have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
- eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
- choose unsaturated oils and spreads, eaten in small amounts
- drink plenty of fluids
- So, rather than reaching for that sugary snack when in need of a quick energy boost, try picking up a healthy bar or piece of fruit instead!
For more advice on how to maintan a balanced / healthy diet, check out the NHS free 'Eat Well' guide: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/
Did you know? The Guinness World Record for holding a plank currently stands at 8 hours and 1 minute, set by Chinese policeman Mao Weidong!
Don't worry, we are not asking you to break any World records (not just yet!) but planking is a simple form of exercise that easily done at home and doesn't require any extra equipment. Want to find out more? Check out the links below.
Useful links:
Coachmag 30-day Plank Challenge
Self 5-minute Plank Workout
Short on time? Hate going to the gym? Too tired to exercise after work? These 10-minute workouts are just what you need!
These equipment-free fitness routines are great to do at home and short enough for you to easily fit them into your daily schedule.
Consisting of 6 workouts, 1 for every day of the week (including a rest day), each routine focuses on different areas of your fitness and includes:
- 10-minute cardio workout to exercise your heart and lungs.
- 10-minute toning workout to firm up your bum, abs, legs and arms.
- 10-minute legs, bums and tums workout to Tone up, firm up and burn fat from your tummy, hips, thighs and bottom.
- 10-minute abs workout to tone your tummy muscles and get a flat stomach.
- 10-minute firm butt workout to lose the ‘droopy booty’ and get the perfectly toned posterior.
- 10-minute upper arm blast to banish those flabby upper arms for good.
Try doing 1 of these routines daily to improve your general health and strengthen and tone different muscle groups. The workouts can also be bolted on to your regular workout sessions if you want to tone your abs, legs, triceps or even your buttocks.
Click on the link below to find out more:
NHS: 10 minute workouts
The garden is not just a place for flowers and plants, it can also be a great place for you to stay active and keep fit!
Gardening can be rewarding and relaxing pursuit, but when done regularly, can also be a way to stay fit and healthy, especially if you’re also growing and eating your own fruit and veg too!
Regular gardening can do wonders for your health, in fact, research suggests that just half an hour of trimming or raking can burn off up to 300 calories an hour whilst heavier tasks such as mowing the lawn can burn over 400 calories per hour.
You don’t have to hit the gym to get a good workout, in-fact, you don’t even need to leave your home. One simple way to ‘step-up’ your daily exercise regime is to take the stairs!
Research shows that climbing the stairs not only helps strengthen and tone your leg muscles but, with better blood flow in your legs, can also strengthen your heart! Research also suggests that taking a three-minute stroll up and down the stairs after a meal may also help you control your blood sugar.
A simple stroll up and down the stairs gives you an aerobic workout. But you can get an even greater health boost by adding in a few resistance- and balance-related moves. Try ‘stepping-up’ your daily exercise routine with these seven simple stair exercises:
7 quick stair exercises to do at home
Fitness trackers, whilst not always 100% accurate, allow you to monitor your daily physical activity, count your calories, set targets/goals and much more. This can lead to improved overall health which, in-turn, can have a positive impact on your productivity and overall well-being! What I love about my fitness tracker is that, if I’ve managed to achieve 90% of my daily goals by the end of my working day, I will put in the little extra effort to meet my daily target!
“My Apple Watch makes me think about my steps and helps me to make smart choices about my daily exercise routine” - @BradleyDardis
Similar to Yoga, Pilates concentrates on strengthening the body with a particular emphasis on posture, balance and flexibility. However, unlike Yoga, Pilates exercises are often performed using a combination of special apparatus and mats. As with Yoga, Pilates is suitable for all ages and abilities but, as with any new exercise regime, it’s always recommended that you seek advice from your GP or a health professional before trying something new, especially if you have pre-existing health issues or in any pain. To find out more, checkout the NHS guide to Pilates: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/guide-to-pilates/
Wall sits are an exercise that involves leaning against a wall with your knees at a 90-degree angle, and feet planted on the floor. Wall sits focus mainly on quad strength, hamstring strength and glute strength. The great thing about wall sits is that you don’t need any fancy equipment because, as the name suggests, all you need is a wall!
Useful links:
How to do the Wall Sit
We all know the signs when our body is telling us that we need to slow down however, with the ever increasing pressures of being a teacher, we often ignore these signs! I often hear the word super-teacher used to describe teachers who work every hour god sends and are still able to function during the working day but, for me, there is nothing super about running yourself into the ground! At the end of the day, teachers are human too! There is no escaping the fact that, no matter what you do as a teacher, there is always going to be work pending and deadlines due but, instead of ignoring the warning signs, when your body tells you that you need a rest, close the lid on your laptop, put down your books and take a break - your mind and body will thank you for it!
Gym balls offer a great way to build core strength and burn off those unwanted calories so it’s no wonder that many office workers are ditching their office chairs in place of gym balls.
However, a word of caution! With average office hours exceeding 7 ½ hours, it is near-on impossible to keep your core muscles engaged for such a long period of time. Not only that, from a legal perspective, it is worth noting that gym balls do not meet HSE regulations for use as an office chair as they don’t have a five-star base, height adjustment or an adjustable back. With all that in mind, if you decide to ditch your office chair for a gym ball, it is recommended that you consider the following precautions:
- Only use the equipment for a maximum of 20 minutes and alternate between an ergonomic office chair.
- Make sure you buy the correct size gym ball so that you sit at the right height for your desk (if you are not sure what the right height is – check out this guide to a healthy workstation).
- Focus on pulling the tummy button in to keep the ball stable and keep feet flat on the floor.
- Make sure you purchase a ball with anti-burst technology!
- Because you're basically just balancing on a ball, it's a good idea to leave plenty of space around you just in case!
- If you have back pain or other musculoskeletal disorders, use caution when changing chairs for hours of sitting.
Bottom line:
Sitting on a gym ball doesn’t automatically improve core strength, but when used correctly and with good posture can offer subtle benefits over just using a normal office chair.
To find out more, visit: https://www.posturepeople.co.uk/sitting-gym-ball-work-facts/
One thing often overlooked, as part of a healthier lifestyle, is sleep. The average healthy adult needs between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Not having enough sleep can raise the levels of hormone called cortisol which, when elevated, is linked to abdominal weight gain. After a good night’s sleep you are well-rested and ready to face the next day.
Top tips:
- Set a bedtime for yourself and try your absolute best to stick to it!
- Ban screen time – ‘Blue light’ emitted by devices such as smart phones, tablets etc. can inhibit the production of melatonin (the hormone that tells your body that it’s time to for bed.). Switch off ‘blue light emitting’ devices at least an hour before you go to bed. If your device has a blue light filter, switch this on at night.
- Monitor the temperature / humidity levels in your home / bedroom – The optimal temperature for a good night’s sleep is between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius (60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit). The ideal humidity levels for sleeping are between 30% and 50%. Air that is too dry (less than 30% humidity) can disrupt your sleep and also make you more susceptible to catching a cold. Humidity levels too low? Invest in a humidifier!
Useful links:
https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/nov/11/good-night-teacher-guide-sleep (A teacher’s guide to sleep – and why it matters).
Exercise doesn’t have to be a solitary affair! Exercising as a family can have many benefits because not only can it support your physical and mental well-being but it can also strengthen family relationships and create lasting memories too. There are lots of ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life and best of all it doesn't have to involve going to the gym or spending lots of money. Family activities can include simple things such as kicking a ball in the garden, taking the dog for a walk, or taking part in a YouTube fitness class as a family.
There's nothing more annoying than doing an online workout or DVD and realising that you don't have the equipment you need! The next time this happens, why not try raiding the pantry to find items you can use instead! Research suggests that using unevenly distributed weights (such as liquids and dry goods like rice) activates tiny muscles and challenges your stability. Thinking of giving it a try? Check out this guide from Cosmopolitan: 17 Household items that work just as well as weights.
Can't tear yourself away from the TV? Why not turn your couch into a workbench with this 30-minute full-body muscle-strengthening workout.
Other activities you could try
Just 10-15 minutes outside in the fresh air is all you need to re-compose your thoughts and reset yourself – even better if you combine this with a bit of exercise! Where possible, try to take time out in your busy schedule for a short leisurely walk. Whether it’s a quick trip to the shops or a leisurely walk with the dog, every step counts! Have a dog and fancy a slightly more strenuous workout? Try running with your dog instead of walking.
“Ran with the dogs rather than walk tonight and beat a personal not stopping at all 2.6miles!” - Laura Holdsworth @MrsHoldsworth
With many teachers having to travel great distances for their dream job, it’s not always possible to ditch the car in favour of a more healthier / physically demanding forms of transportation. However, if you’re one of the lucky ones who’s job is literally on your doorstep, you could consider cycling or running to work. If you don’t drive and instead use public transport, as long as it is safe to do so, you could consider getting off your train / bus a stop earlier and walking the extra mile or so to work.
Top tip: If you do plan to cycle / run to work, remember to take your work clothes in your back pack or leave a spare set at work!
“Cycle to school. All those 30km add up #twoWheelsGood Plenty of thinking time on the commute too!” - @mikeeustace
They say sharing is caring, so why not share your new found love for fitness with your class. With a wide range of initiatives such as BBC super movers (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/supermovers) all designed to help you and your students learn how to stay fit and healthy together, you can now combine your exercise regime with your job.
Why pay costly gym membership fees if you have a perfectly good gym at your school? Speak to a member of the PE staff or someone in the office to see if the gym is available for use by staff early in the morning or after school.
Whether it's something you dreamed of doing as a child or something that has always took your fancy, it's never too late to try a new sport!
Set yourself the challenge of trying a new sport - not only will you improve your overall fitness, you could also learn new skills, meet new friends and may even discover a new passion / hobby!
If you’re one of those early risers who likes to dive straight into work first thing, you may want to consider diving into a pool instead! Enjoying an early morning swim is a great way to give yourself a full body workout and burn off those un-necessary calories. Just 30 mins in the pool is all you need to reap the benefits and start your day feeling relaxed and energised!
“Been to the gym for a lovely long swim. It's only when I get back in it that I remember how much I adore water #relaxed” - Becky Wood @shadylady222
One thing I really miss is our staff 5-a-side football every Friday after-school. As well as improving my fitness, it was a great way to let my hair down and also hangout with members of staff from other departments who I would not normally see other than in staff meetings. It doesn’t even have to be 5-aside! I know many teachers who take part in a variety of after-school staff sporting activities including circuit training, net ball and even dodge-ball. Don’t know of any staff sporting opportunities happening at your school – why not ask around or even start your own after-school session!?
Walking is a great form of exercise which has many benefits such as strengthening your heart and keeping your weight in check. So, instead of sending an email or sitting at your desk for a meeting. try walking and talking instead!
“I walk to see members of my team and others I need to speak to rather than send emails so I can check in with them too.” – Jessica Austin @artteachjess
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It’s always recommended that you seek advice from your GP or a health professional before trying something new, especially if you have pre-existing health issues, pregnant, over 70 or in any pain.
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