Rest on Purpose for Greater Effectiveness

Rev. Solomon Reyes said it best when he wrote, “The lazy makes rest an excuse not to work, but the diligent see rest as means to be more productive. The lazy see rest as the end of work, but the diligent see rest as a necessity to attain greater fruitfulness.” In other words, rest on purpose for greater effectiveness.

The Benefits of Rest

One of the most prominent and interesting studies on resting comes from Harvard medical professor, Dr. Herbert Benson. He saw the benefits of resting through meditation, and decided to do further research on how relaxing can help the body and mind. Through his research, he noticed several beneficial changes taking place, and said, “The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress, and is the opposite of the fight or flight response.”

When your mind rests, you can return to work with clear thoughts. With a calmed mind, you’ll be able to refocus on your tasks and create progress. Rest will also leave you in a state of peace with far less anxiety which can make you much happier and less agitated, sad, or overwhelmed.

Amazingly, Dr. Benson's team also discovered anti-inflammatory responses during rest that reduced stress and relaxed muscles. The body doesn’t have to take in as much oxygen during rest because there is no hyperventilating due to stress, blood pressure is much lower, and muscles relax.

Consequences of Not Taking a Breather

Per Dr. Benson, the immediate side effects of not resting include, “Irritability, memory loss, drowsiness, trouble concentrating, blurry vision, impaired judgement… and reduced glucose metabolism.” It becomes increasingly difficult to do jobs correctly if you try to work straight through and not take breaks.

The long-term problems associated with overworking are even worse, and include, “Raised blood pressure, suppressed immune system, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, infertility, and a sped-up aging process. Long-term stress can rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.”

6 Ways to Rest Productively 

Author Tony Schwartz recommends active or passive renewal (rest) after every 90 minutes of focused and productive work. Here are 6 ways you can rest productively.

Meditation: Taking some deep breaths while you close your eyes can be a quick and simple recovery method. You will slow your heart rate and clear your mind. Maybe count back from 10 slowly, or let your mind drift somewhere else to reach a state of calmness. For a simple, guided meditation, click here.

Naps: Naps may seem like the ultimate, lazy way to get out of working, but they’re one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself. When you take a nap, you increase your metabolism, retain more information, and get an extra boost to recharge your battery or make up for lost sleep.

Music: Several studies have shown that listening to music can be beneficial to your overall psychological health. A good tune can change your mood and take your mind away from something that is worrying you. 

Read: Excerpts from a text or poem can take you to a positive state of mind. Books and stories let your imagination flow. Non-fiction can be a great way to increase literacy, and get your mind of your daily tasks.

Journal: A journal can be a way to get troubling thoughts out of your mind, and off your chest. You can vent about anything, and clear your worries by getting your concerns out of your head onto paper.

Exercise: Any form of movement that gets your blood pumping will release endorphins and improve mental clarity. Try going for a walk or jog over your lunch break, or take a few minutes to do body-weight exercises between classes. 

Not taking breaks from the tension that our daily activities bring can lead to some major problems, both now and down the road. To avoid the consequences of stress and fatigue, you’ve got to take a break! Create a relaxation strategy and get the recovery you need to be productive, happy, and healthy.

5 Ways To Keep Kids Fit & Active This Summer!

With Increased Technology Comes Decreased Activity

Children are spending more and more time on a tablet, in front of the television, or on a video game system. Kids love the newest devices, apps, movies, and television shows. These tools of entertainment can be a great source of fun and enjoyment. But they have the potential to negatively affect a child’s health by limiting movement.

With summer around the bend, our students and youth are going to be less likely to be outside than 10 or 15 years ago because of these forms of entertainment. The National Summer Learning Association says that, “Children gain weight two or three times faster during summer vacation than during the school year.” When children are in school they are constantly supervised, and their diet and activity is monitored. In the summer, it is easy for a student to slip into the routine of electronic entertainment and snacking while their physical health gets set to the side. Here are 5 ideas for helping children stay fit and active. 

 Alternatives to Summer-Time Sluggishness 

1.    Join a club or team- Children will not only have a reason to get fit, but they will also be learning valuable life lessons and building strong relationships along the way. Swim clubs are a huge hit in the summer, and baseball is in full swing along with many other camps and training. Through practices and games, students will get plenty of needed activity.

2.    Summer camp- Summer camps, like the ones offered through your local YMCA, provide supervision and criteria to keep children eating healthier and staying fit. They’ll build friendships, learn new skills, and build a stronger body to keep them healthy. A summer camp can be a great way to build memories and a strong foundation of physical health in a fun way.

3.    Teach healthy eating- As well as minimizing the amounts of unhealthy snacks in the household, teach young children about healthy food alternatives. If your children know about the risks of eating unhealthy foods to excess, they will be more likely to make better snack choices. Make this a fun activity while shopping in the grocery store or through an educational program.

4.    Limit time in front of the TV and other devices- Limiting the time children spend in front of electronic devices is key to keeping them entertained in healthier ways during the summer. Making time spent with electronics equal to the time they spend doing something active can be helpful. Show them that there are adventures waiting to be discovered outside a screen, and connect with them through conversation and play. 

5.    Get active with children- If you lead with a positive example, children are more likely to follow in your footsteps. Show them that being active can be fun in various ways. Go for a hike, play follow the leader, do chores together, play outdoor games like hide and seek, garden together, or go to the park and play. There are plenty of online sources that offer creative games that include no equipment and will get kids moving.

Make this a summer to remember for both you, and for the children in your care. With childrens' metabolisms potentially slowing over the summer, making physical activity fun again can be a major solution to the problem. Get students and children moving this summer so that they can return to a new school year feeling healthier and more confident than ever!

Should Kids Run Marathons?

In 2016, Charlie Westrip set the 6-year-old male record with his half marathon time of 2:06:51. In 2014, Heather Welsch set the 11-year-old female half marathon record with a time of 1:31:23.

These outlier feats of speed and endurance are impressive, unusual, and extreme. We do not want to dissuade children from running far and fast if that brings them joy. But we do want to emphasize the importance of moderation and personal enjoyment in the activity.

Moderation

Many children love to climb trees. Climbing trees is not a dangerous activity in and of itself, but it has the potential to be harmful if children climb high beyond the bounds of common sense.

The same is true for children running great distances. If a child loves to run that is wonderful! However, miles accrued must be sensible as they can affect growing bodies.

Running marathons at 6 will not necessarily prepare a child to compete in an Olympic Marathon at 20. In most cases, Fitness Finders® recommends accruing marathon distances over multiple running sessions, thereby achieving the accomplishment without the same physical toll.

Greg Meyer, a sub-four-minute miler who went on to win the Detroit, Boston, and Chicago Marathons in the 1980’s, says “Success does not have to be some big success that takes weeks to accomplish, but little successes every day; those that will give children a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and confidence.”

Personal Enjoyment

Douglas Finley, Editor, for the Center for Children’s Running, wrote, “Success will be different for each child. For some, it will be simply finishing a run. For others, it may be running farther or faster than last time or mastering some new skill like passing off a relay baton. For yet others, it is as simple as being recognized for their effort, for showing great determination, for just doing their best. If the child sets too lofty a goal, it is the responsibility of the parent/coach to suggest taking little steps to reach that goal, each step offering the child an opportunity to experience a level of personal accomplishment.”

Running should facilitate a love of physical activity in children, a love of movement. By encouraging youth to run for enjoyment and health, you set the stage for their life-long approach to exercise. And by setting attainable, individual, and appropriate goals, you can enable each young runner to shine.

So, should kids run marathons? Some will. Set attainable, sensible goals that all your students can work for and celebrate. Create those everyday successes that build accomplishment, satisfaction, and confidence.

Zooper Safari™ Skills Are Lifelong Skills

Have you heard about Zooper Safari™? It’s Fitness Finders® new classroom management program that uses 7 cute Featured Creatures to teach students positive classroom behaviors. Zooper Safari™ emphasizes foundational behavioral skills, (Zooper Behaviors) that benefit children now and as they grow into teenagers and adults. These Zooper Behaviors include:

1.     Have a Positive Attitude

2.     Stay on Track

3.     Listen and Follow Instructions

4.     Take Initiative

5.     Put Things in Order

6.     Think of Others

7.     Work with Others

Lifelong Learners

If you look at the Zooper Behaviors out of context, you might conclude that they are for a job description. That is exactly the point! These skills are directly applicable to students now and as they mature and enter adulthood. The same Zooper Behaviors that create a positive classroom atmosphere are directly transferable to work, family, and leisure activities. And Zooper Safari™ makes it fun to learn these skills!

By emphasizing these Zooper Behaviors early in children’s schooling, you can put students on a fast track to successful, satisfied lives. Plus, by improving classroom environment in the present, students have the greatest opportunity to learn academically.

Why Zooper Safari™ Works for Children

We have specifically designed Zooper Safari™ to appeal to the minds of elementary school students. The lessons are engaging, participation is encouraged, and fun visuals are included – like video clips of the Featured Creature showcasing their Zooper Behavior in their natural habitat.

“Zooper Safari™ takes something that most kids already love – cute animals – and associates positive classroom behaviors with those animals,” said Lissa Strodtbeck, Curriculum Editor. “This helps the kids remember the Zooper Behavior, and encourages them to adopt/emulate the positive behavior themselves.”

Ready to improve your classroom learning environment while priming students with lifelong skills? Zooper Safari™ is available for purchase this Fall 2017, so start planning your safari now!

To learn more about Zooper Safari™ and read customer testimonials, check out our blog, Discover How Fitness Finders Can Help Tame Your Classroom!

Why Does Fitness Finders® Use Incentive Awards?

Did you know that Fitness Finders® incentive based system is known as a token economy? Token economies feature cards, “tokens”, or money to encourage or deter behavior.

But why does a token economy work? Why do tokens encourage positive behavior and how has this model become so successful?

Tokens Are Earned

At the foundation of token economies is the understanding that an incentive must be earned, that not everyone gets it and therefore it has value. If every child received a Toe Token® for running, regardless of distance, the Toe Token® would lose some of its motivational power. For example, Fitness Finders® doesn’t sell Toe Tokens® to parents to be used as gifts because this dilutes the value of earning the award. 

Tokens Are Scarce

Tokens hold a lot of value when the student has accomplished something, and when everyone else knows what action they took to receive the token. Challenges and goals add to the incentive, but account for the development and ability of the students. It is important to set achievable but ambitious goals.

Tokens Are Fun

Our tokens work with children because they are fun. We offer over 600 unique awards in 180 different bright, eye-catching colors.

With so many variations, colors, and styles, token selection could easily get overwhelming. But don’t worry! We will happily help you find the perfect award for your situation, or let your students vote on tokens that they want to earn!

Charles Kuntzleman, Founder of Fitness Finders, said, “Select incentives that are visible, countable, attractive, and perceived as highly valuable by the recipients.”

Tokens Set the Stage for Lifelong Lessons

Not only are token encouraging in the present, but they can also motivate students into the future. To facilitate this lifelong impact, Kuntzleman suggests periodically reminding students of the importance of the activity behind the token. This means communicating why the desired behavior is beneficial in life and how it can impact students in a positive way.

Even if the students remain focused on tokens in the moment, they will look back one day and remember the lessons emphasized.

At the end of the day, the desired behavior is the ultimate goal. Tokens just happen to be a fun, motivational, and inexpensive way to increase participation and effort. So get some tokens and tackle those goals!

Recommendations for Mileage Club® Frequency and Scheduling

It’s never too early to start planning your Mileage Club® season! That’s why we are using this blog to talk about recommended running frequency and Mileage Club® scheduling tips.

Keep the Climate in Mind

Weather is an important factor in Mileage Club® planning. If you live in a state where it rains relentlessly, consider scheduling Mileage Club® more frequently. If you’re scheduled to run every day, and it rains three out of five days, then at least you get two days a week to run the program. Even if it doesn’t rain, it’s okay to for the kids to run every day, according to Debbie Drake, Fitness Finders’ Mileage Club® Coordinator.

“It is okay to run every day as long as it is fun and the students aren’t pressured,” said Drake.

Also, consider the season. Is it super-hot in August? Is it snowy in December? Is it just right in September? The better you know your state and your climate, the better you can plan!

School Schedule

Be sure to consider holidays, recess time, and your school year schedule in your planning. Every school does things a little bit differently, so there’s no rigid format that works best for all. Try to pick a time of the year when you can stick to the same weekly schedule for most of the program. Finding a consistent pattern will help Mileage Club® gain traction and popularity among the students.

Available Volunteers

Is there a time of year when teachers or parents seem to have more time? (What a pleasant fiction!) If enthusiastic volunteers are crucial to program success, there is value in factoring them into your planning. Keep in mind that the better the weather the more plentiful the volunteers, so plan your season strategically!

Above all remember that no matter the weather and no matter who shows up, Mileage Club® is about the students, and helping them have fun and reach their goals. Plan for greatness.