Dirty Secret School Administrators Don’t Want Parents to Know

Remember the days when you had recess in the morning and either at lunchtime or in the afternoon?  You ran around with your friends, sometimes played games or sometimes played on whatever equipment was on the playground.  Besides us as kids getting a break, the teachers got a break also from standing in front of the class and trying to educate while making sure nobody misbehaved.  Aside from “the bad kid” most days everyone got along and class ran smoothly.

Fast forward to today’s culture of low to no opportunities for physical activity in most schools.  Kids are in class longer, no recess or playtime even at lunch, and a lot more homework than adults ever remember in elementary and junior high.  In fact, taking away recess and PE are now punishments which end up being inflicted upon the teacher because now kids are more riled up and harder to handle.  Now add in the waivers and ease of getting out of PE for worthless reasons like “my child gets out of breath when running.”  Really?  No kidding, what an update.  Maybe your child needs to run in addition to you, Mr. & Mrs. Overweight Parent.

Where does this culture start?  At the top of the food chain, like any other company and organization.  The attitudes of principals and administrators on physical activity and education plays a direct role in how much your child gets daily and weekly.  When was the last time your school’s principal or administrator truly got out and observed PE like they do for math, science, and language arts?  PE teachers need accountability and steps for improvement like all other subjects.  Rolling the ball out and making kids stand in line doesn’t teach them physical education.  It’s recess and lack of caring by the top down.  As parents, you have the right to have PE actually teach something to your children.

What’s the dirty secret all these educational experts don’t want you to know?

Physical activity and true physical education make your kids smarter!

Don’t believe me?  Maybe Harvard Medical School can convince you.

Yep, that’s right.  Getting out of the classroom to move around reduces behavior problems and helps their brains to grow.  Inflicting endless hours of homework and more classroom time hasn’t done us the good they promised decades ago.  The result is higher obesity, higher healthcare costs, lazier society with entitlement, and more “psychological” problems.  All of this can be reduced or eliminated with some fun and movement.  But SSSHHHHHHH don’t tell school administrators this. They still think higher test scores come from Common Core.

Don’t be too hard on them though.  They just need some light shared on the benefits of physical activity and physical education.  Help them by letting companies like Movement Academy shed light on the subject.  In the end everyone truly does win by moving around more.  The conclusion, be vocal with your school leaders to ensure they are maximizing physical activity and physical education.  Let us help you, email us at info@movementacademy.net.

#thoughtfulthursday #education #teacher #school #parents

Balance: The Great Equalizer

#workoutwednesday #wellnesswednesday

As a personal trainer since 2008, I have worked with clients of all ages, sizes, and types of health goals.  The one aspect of fitness that all of them struggled on is balance.  In a recent training session with a client, another male gym member who works out religiously and is in great shape, commented on a balance movement I was teaching a female over 50 client.  When I asked him to try the simple movement of touching his toe with a slightly flexed knee standing on one foot, he fell over.  Reaching down to touch your toe standing on one foot is not complicated and does not require massive amounts of strength.  You might say, “Oh I can do that, no problem,” and you may be able too.  Can you do it equally well on either foot?

 

Dictionary.com defines balance a number of ways and parts of speech.  The best definition they have for my purpose is a state of bodily equilibrium.  Can you maintain equilibrium when placed in unsteady positions, that is the whole key to balance in a physical fitness and exercise standpoint.  How do you improve balance?  You have to work on it consistently.  If you are a gym goer, try movements like dumbbell bicep curls on one foot, use a BOSU ball for standing dumbbell shoulder presses, try a one leg RDL/toe touch.  When talking about the over 60 population, balance is where life can literally fall apart.

The CDC says falls are the number one cause of injury in senior citizens.  Fall prevention programs are usually part of senior care facilities and medical personnel training that work in those environments.  When I teach the over 60 workout class at the health club I work at, they all want to improve their balance. My individual clients in the same age group also want more balance training because they know it is a fine line between injury and full mobility.  The CDC suggests two or more days a week of muscle strengthening activities for older adults.  Get off the machines and use free weights.  Make the body stabilize and balance in a variety of positions.  More muscle used equals more calories burned anyway, so don’t be afraid of the 10 lb dumbbells.

You may be asking, “How do I find balance exercises and do them safely without killing myself?”  There are a number of answers to fit everyone’s budget.  You can hire a personal trainer like me at your gym/health club, join a group exercise class, find a program online, or make something up at home.  Whatever you do as an active older adult, make sure you stick too it and afford.  For the online group, my company Movement Academy has a program to help called Active Aging System.  For a limited time, it is only $10.95 per month and guaranteed to help you improve your balance.  Check it out, no contract and very affordable.

 

Balance is key to a longer, healthier life in every aspect.

Matt Peale is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer since 2008.  You can contact him at mpeale@ltmacademy.com and give the Active Aging System a try if you are comfortable with online programs.

Can Exercise Improve the Mood of Hormonal Teens?

#workoutwednesday #wellnesswednesday

I am the father of a teenager.  It’s almost like being part of a recovery group for those that have or had teens.  They are moody, stubborn, and know-it-alls.  Sometimes, we think they aren’t even human.  So besides sending them to an island or planet far away from the rest of normal humanity, what can be done to keep the rest of us from wanting to strangle them?  Could exercise help, at least a little?

Believe it or not, the teenage brain functions from the same hormones and mechanoreceptors as an adult brain.  Be it their hormones are raging at a completely different level, they are the same hormones as adults.  When humans exercise, endorphins are released to make us feel good and reduce our perception of pain.  “Runners high” is an example of this feeling.  Our attitudes are more positive and outlook on life for a little bit is much better.  Self esteem improves and our physical appearance is more pleasing to ourselves usually also.  According to WebMD, exercise can be a treatment for depression.  So maybe we should just tell our teenagers to get around the block a few times!

What exercise should hormonal teens do?  If you ask them, their answer is only something that involves texting or watching YouTube.  Obviously we are getting away from that, so the answer is something they can enjoy and sustain enjoyment. It doesn’t have to be high intensity constant motion for 60 minutes.  Going on bike rides and hikes are still fun activities for all ages.  We are all in much better moods after exercising in groups, so make socialization a part of it.  For some teens, poor body image and self esteem prevent them from being more socially active.  Exercising with them can ease their fears and a possible change in their physical appearance is the welcome side effect they are looking for.  When you do physical activity outside, a whole world of additional benefits opens up also from stimulating all of the senses too.

Before we stick them on that rocket to space and ship to the deserted island, let’s encourage our teens by being active with them.  It may not hurt us to lose a few pounds and step away from the devices either.  Consult a doctor if serious depression or suicidal thoughts occur.  For the “normal” raging teen, maybe tiring them out outside like we used to do when they were small, can still be a good strategy.

 

If you have any other strategies for dealing with teens, please share them with Matt at mpeale@ltmacademy.com, so he can help other parents not strangle their teens!

 

Physical Activity & Physical Exercise, Aren’t They The Same?

#Wellnesswednesday and #workouwednesday are perfect hashtags for figuring out if there is a difference between physical activity and physical exercise.  People say they “get their exercise” from cleaning the house, taking care of young children, gardening/mowing the lawn, etc.  While those activities do take energy and make you tired after a few hours or all day of doing them, are they truly exercise?

The medical definition of physical activity is the quality or process of exerting energy or of accomplishing an effect.  Per the definition, physical activity does result in fatigue from exerting energy for any duration.  Nothing is specific about what kind of process or the purpose of that process.  Also, nothing  is mentioned about health related benefits.  Is physical activity important to an overall healthy lifestyle?  The answer is absolutely yes.  You need to be physically active at some point during the day to engage various muscles of the body and elevate your heart rate above its resting state.  The definition applies to all age groups, there is no discrimination.  After cleaning the house or mowing the lawn, the physical activity does have a caloric use value, and possibly enough muscle contractions to have a growth or strengthening effect.

The medical definition of physical exercise is physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body. Exercise is used to improve health, maintain fitness and is important as a means of physical rehabilitation.   Exercise is a physical activity, but so much more!  Back to mowing the lawn and cleaning the house, those activities are not planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body.  To say “I got my exercise today because I cleaned the house,” is false.  Cleaning the house is NOT exercise.  

For children and adults over 65 there are various guidelines from the CDC on how much physical activity and physical exercise each group needs per day and week.  Be sure you know what is appropriate for your current fitness level and seek professional help when appropriate.  Let us be honest with ourselves when we look in the mirror and see the results of physical exercise in our lives.  Similar discussion to being busy vs productive, know the difference and make the changes in your life.  The internet has allowed everyone of all income levels to have resources and information about physical exercise, take advantage of it.  Living longer, healthier, and happier are pretty good reasons to exercise for a healthy and active lifestyle.

 

If you agree or disagree with Matt Peale, comment below or send him an email to mpeale@ltmacademy.com.  Movement Academy may be right for you or someone you love, check it out and see.  If not, find something that does work for you.

Mixing Recreation & Exercise for Seniors and Baby Boomers

Today I started a new journey of hosting a streaming internet show called The Second Half: Health & Fitness Show broadcast live on Facebook.  I have never hosted anything live on any kind of media so it was a pretty amazing experience!  The first Thursday of every month I will be interviewing people in the health and fitness field who’s market are Baby Boomers and senior citizens.  The guest today was C Hope Health Services and its owner Wesley Cornelius.  I met Wesley at a networking meeting earlier this year and we hit it off as our businesses relate and overlap.

Wesley is a recreational therapist and went to the same college I did, the University of Southern Mississippi, but he is a bit younger than me.  Our interview involved combining exercise and recreation to create an optimal enjoyment for physical activity.  One of the commonalities of recreational therapy and physical exercise is the positive effects they have on cognitive response.  Physical exercise helps to improve neuroplasticity which then enables a person to have more intellectual stimulation from games and social interaction.  Creating the new neural pathways that complex movements and aerobic training allows for more and longer enjoyment of games that require thought and strategy.  Combined with doing recreational therapy in a social setting with new and old friends, a person experiences a deeper pleasure and satisfaction with themselves.

At the end of the day, if exercise and activity are not fun, a person will not stick with it.  They know the physical, mental, and social benefits, but it does not matter without any enjoyment.  When looking or directing an older family member/friend to be more active, remember it can be a combination of activities that they enjoy doing.  It is easier said than done at times when a loved one refuses to be active, but don’t give up on them.  Find out what they consider fun, then gear exercise and games toward it.  Your success rate will be much higher and the smile on their face a lot broader when they truly love being active and healthy.

Matt Peale does his best to make exercise fun for his personal training clients, although sometimes in the process they don’t like him.  But you can create your own fun with Movement Academy’s Active Aging System for Boomers and seniors. Contact Matt at mpeale@ltmacademy with any questions. #thoughtfulthursday #babyboomers #exercise #workout

 

 

 

 

 

Socializing & Working Out for Seniors & Baby Boomers

Every Monday and Friday morning I teach an exercise class that has become predominantly people over 55 with the oldest being 86.  Besides the physical health benefits, they also enjoy talking to each other and the socialization that occurs.  I could be a drill sergeant type and make them workout harder with no time to talk, but that will only drive them away and reduce their enjoyment of showing up.  Not everyone likes to workout in a group.  I also see a number of seniors on machines in the fitness area of my health club staying to themselves.  Either way is fine, overall point being to be active and healthy.

Why do I allow the class participants to roam around some and skip a few movements here and there?  Because if exercise is not fun to an extent, my class will be empty.  Livestrong talks about socialization also improving memory through companionship and interaction.  In previous blogs I have discussed the benefits of physical exercise on neuroplasticity, and adding a social outlet can stimulate the brain further to push off signs of dementia.  As the seniors sing to songs of their adolescent and young adult years, they don’t consciously realize all of the benefits their brains are receiving from the multitude of stimuli.  Complex resistance movements, cardiovascular, and forced cognitive functioning through conversation is the best of all worlds.

 

From a personal trainer standpoint, it is important to vary the movements for continued physical and mental progress.  One of the downfalls to attending the same class regularly is the lack of development when the body does the same thing for 4 weeks or more.  The FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) must change regularly for the body to adapt and improve.  This is a biological fact regardless of a person’s age and also important to reduce injuries from over training the same body parts in the same directions.  Vary everything, including working out alone and with groups.  Change is beneficial to improved physical and mental fitness over time.  For an example of a program that can be done anywhere, anytime, in a group, or alone, check out Movement Academy for only $10.95 a month.

 

If you have any questions, email me (Matt Peale) at mpeale@ltmacademy.com.  I am certified by NASM as a personal trainer and have been so since 2009.  Thanks for reading!

Healthy Habit Setting

We all have heard the classic it takes 21 days to set or change a habit.  How many of you have documented proof that on day 21 you have completely learned or unlearned a bad habit?  Not very many of you have this proof.  One of the reasons is science now tells us after 21 days you barely 1/3 of the way to making that change permanent.  In a study found in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it states that changing habits takes 66 days!  No wonder it is so difficult to make changes that last.

In today’s “give it to me now” society, 66 days seems like 66 months.  What is a person to do about this?  Well the range of days is actually 18-254, depending on the person.  The point is learning new healthier habits takes work and is not easy. Stick to a challenging yet realistic plan that sets you up for success.  If for some reason you do not accomplish the goal for the day, no worries, everything is fine, start again the next day.  Continuing to build momentum toward making a permanent change is the main focus and having a bad day or two is just human. With weight loss for example, two to three pounds a week is what you will average out when your weight goal is done.  It starts with making better choices on a daily basis and learning from the failures and successes.

The motivation comes from your Why.  If your Why is not big enough, your habit will not change.  Think about your Why everyday and let it guide you to make those healthier choices of walking, eating less sugar, or lifting more weight than usual.  Adding up the small daily wins gives you the huge victory in 66 short days later!  Get some support and accountability, then change your mindset to a longer view than tomorrow.  A healthier you is loved and appreciated by everyone you have a relationship with: business, family, friends, and personal.

Matt Peale is not immune to bad habits.  He hates getting up early to exercise like anyone else, even though he is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer.  Contact him at mpeale@ltmacademy.com any time.  Also Like his Facebook page and check out how Learn To Move Academy can help your school, sports team, and Active Aging process.

 

Balancing Act for Seniors

Slips, trips, falls.  Broken hips, wrists, and twisted ankles.  Taking a wobbly step and recovering as a 30 or 40 year old something becomes more difficult as a 60 and 70 year old something.  One of the first physical attributes to go as a senior citizen is balance.  Often times we take balance for granted that it will always be there when we need it.  The unfortunate true story is that balance is a use it or lose it skill.

According to the CDC, one-third of adults over 65 fall each year.  Some of the reasons may be medical such as positional vertigo, Labrynthitis, and vestibular neuronitis.  In these cases a doctor can diagnose and treat with medication the symptoms and or causes of the disease.  When no medical condition exists, it is often due to atrophy and lack of use due to sedentary lifestyle.  The good news for non medical issues is that balance can be relearned and to an extent restored.  In teaching senior exercise classes, one common area they all want to work on are movements to regain the balance they lost over time.  Quality of life for otherwise healthy seniors is typically top of the list for why they exercise.  So the question becomes, what can someone do to stabilize and improve their balance.

A simple yet can feel complex move is to stand on one leg and bend at the waist to touch your knee, ankle, or toes.  Sounds easy enough, and you would be very surprised to see how many people regardless of age fall over from this basic task.  Another balance move even more basic is to stand on one leg for 5 to 10 seconds.  Try doing it on each leg not just your dominate side.  Once these movements are mastered, do them with eyes closed.  Not having any visual cues is a game changer and can be more challenging then when you first started eyes open.  There are many pieces of equipment to use like BOSU balls, physio balls, and balance plates, but if standing on one leg is difficult, no use investing in equipment to clutter the house.

 

How do you know if your balance is really off, try doing an everyday task on one leg.  At first it will be difficult, but if you can master it in a few attempts that is normal and remember to use both legs individually.  If the task still cannot be mastered after multiple attempts, it may be time to invest into a program that can stabilize, strengthen, and improve coordination of your muscles.  According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non fatal injuries for older Americans.  Look into a program like Learn To Move Academy, and don’t be part of these statistics, get up and move around everyday.  Just being active may save your life!

 

Matt Peale is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer since 2008 and a partner in New Orleans area based Learn To Move Academy.  You can Like Learn To Move Academy on Facebook and email Matt at mpeale@ltmacademy.com.