Forward July 2020 | Page 23

SENIOR SCHOOL During our period of remote learning in Term 1 we came up with some helpful strategies to help our students maintain an exercise regime. • Get outside if you can – Take a walk, jog, or ride a bike outside if you can – just maintain a safe distance from others. The fresh air and sunshine will benefit your mental health as well. • Make it a social activity – Including the people you are isolating with can make exercising more fun. Play an active game like tag or hopscotch with your parents or turn on some music and make a TikTok. • Track your workouts – We encouraged students to use fitness trackers, apps, or even just keep a journal to help stay accountable and motivated. Tracking progress and ability can lead to a sense of accomplishment and provide an emotional boost to keep you going. • Exercise during commercial breaks – Many of us were watching more TV. Make the commercials and credits count by adding in some squats, jumping jacks, push-ups, or lunges. • Take advantage of pauses during the day – Take advantage of times when you are waiting for something to finish or start. You can fire off some arm exercises or practice some yoga poses while the dinner is in the oven or during those 15 minutes before a Zoom meeting. • Move around the house more – Walk around while you are making calls. Take an extra lap or two around the house if you have to put something away. If you have stairs, go up and down them a few times throughout the day. • Take advantage of technology – We used YouTube clips with personal trainers such as PE with Joe, Yoga stretching classes and Hip dance classes. These clips offered guided lessons. • Turn it into a game – use the Xbox and Wii for Just Dance games to get heart rate up while staying at home. There are also many options for “exergames” that simulate dancing, skateboarding, soccer, bowling, or tennis. These can be great alternatives if you miss the real thing. In what has been a challenging and unique term for all families, I hope that you take away from this article something that might help you, or someone in your family, to improve their wellbeing through exercise. Mr Len Fernandes Head of Health & Physical Education Faculty Miles malcolM Real estatE BenchmarK StratA “Together we achieve the extraordinary.” Miles Malcolm Real Estate and Benchmark Strata Property Sales: Residential, commercial, industrial and rural • Property Management: Residential, commercial and industrial Residential and Commercial Auctions • Strata Management and Consultancy Tel. 6296 5248 • Mob. 0419 914 096 • Or pop into our offices at 18 Waterview Grove, Ellenbrook. Photo: Siddhartha Parti CCA4.0 License 23