Yes, I’m talking about us!  Our students should be able to look up to their teachers as role models who are healthy and fit.  Being physically fit involves both how we look and how we feel. 

Students are very aware of not only what we say but what we do.  If they see our enthusiasm for our work, and we stay physically fit, they are more likely to heed our advice and view us as their role models.

 “Being healthy encompasses many elements, your brain, your body, your emotions, and yes your level of fitness.  Each element on its own does not make you healthy.  It is the balanced combination of each element that creates harmony and health in your life.” (from www.thenewwell.com )

Technology is a tool a teacher can use to motivate students to become healthy and fit.  I have been using an app in my exercise schedule that can be incorporated into your teaching lessons.  It’s called “iHeartRate” and it allows you to check your heart rate while exercising.  It also calculates your body fat % and your BMI.  You can use it on an iPhone, iTouch, or an iPad as your “journal” to chart your results.

Teachers alone cannot get our students fit.  Students must take responsibility for their own health but we can go a long way toward teaching them about healthy lifestyles by “walking the talk”.

The various new advances in technology can help our students learn about how important it is to be healthy and how it impacts our daily lives.  Crystal and Jerry have shared their thoughts about using technology in our classrooms in other blogs. 

Please share what you are doing to stay healthy and fit.  We do make a difference in the lives of our students and being a role model who exercises on a regular basis, eats healthy foods, and cares about the well being of students, can have a long lasting effect on our student’s health habits now and as they become older.