Got Stress? – Get Moving!

The end of the year timeline is quickly approaching.  The days are filled with assessments, reports, conferences, and checklists.  Teachers and students are over whelmed with endless to-do-lists and stress can rise inside like a raging inferno.  When these feelings hit, stress hormones circulate throughout the body.  These hormones are designed to make the body move – to fight or flee from danger.  We don’t need to flee, but we can fight stress by moving.

Exercise allows the body to remove these stress hormones and also produces endorphins that make us feel good!  Research has shown that stopping for “brain breaks” throughout the school day not only helps students and teachers deal with stress, but improves academic outcomes, increases attention, and promotes overall well-being.  Here are a few ways to ditch stress and get moving in the classroom.

Breathe – Stop what you are doing, stand up, and take deep cleansing breaths.  Inhale deeply, raising the hands overhead.  Next, exhale slowly – releasing hands behind the back – bending at the waist – taking the head down to the knees.  Round the back and slowly roll up focusing on feeling each notch of the spine.  Repeat and relax.

Move to Music –  Have students spread out and find their own personal space in the classroom.  When the music plays – dance!  When the music stops – freeze!

Break for Fitness – Take a quick fitness reboot.  Have students do as many jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, or sit-ups as possible in one minute.  Encourage kids to try to beat their personal bests over time.

Jog – Have students stand up and place their hands on their chests.  Jog in place for 2 minutes.  Stop and place their hands on their chests again and feel how their heart rates have increased.  Go again for 3 minutes.

Shoot Out – Use the body and the brain in a math shoot out.  Students pair up.  Count 1-2-3 shoot!  Each student shows a number on their fingers 1-10.  The first student to shout out the sum of the number of fingers for their team wins.

Take a Brain Break! – Check out more “brain breaks” at http://www.teachertube.com/  Search brain break videos for some great ideas.

These short bursts of energy calm the mind and reset the body, so students are ready to move to the next part of the learning day.  Students love it when teachers participate too.  Take the time to kick the stress from the classroom and move – that is what our bodies are made to do!