Published in the Lynn Haven Ledger, August 2011
Healthy Teachers = Healthy Classrooms Article by: Clark Stream, PA-C
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ew studies have been published on teachers’ health but most state that teaching can be a very stressful career choice. It takes a special person with passion and a commitment to serve to choose this career in the first place. According to the paper, “Healthy Teachers”, written by Robert Barwa, Ed.D. healthy teachers make for healthy classrooms. Back to school can be just as perilous for a teacher’s health as it is for students. The active summer with outdoor activities, regular diet and exercise and relaxing time with the family are all about to come to an end. Now that you are back into the classroom for hours with your students, keeping up your energy and maintaining your health is important. Here are a few tips to help all teachers stay healthy during the coming school year:
Eat nutritionally. Act like a kindergarten kid and have snack time. Planning on a high protein and high
fiber snack will not only give you more energy but also increase your mental clarity. Carrots, grapes, apples and nuts are all good choices.
Sanitize and immunize. Hand sanitizer and hand washing are both great ways to prevent the spread of germs. Having a box of tissue nearby is another way to keep germs at bay. Lysol type sprays are your best friend. At the end of the day, spraying the door handles and other frequently touched objects can help everyone stay healthy. Getting a yearly flu shot has been shown to keep teachers healthy and in the classroom.
Exercise your body. Regular exercise helps reduce stress and improve you immune system. If you
cannot make it to the gym, try parking your car away from the school entrance. The extra distance of walking will help keep you fit and trim. One teachers website stated if you’re a high school teacher and your students like you, park in the student lot. At most schools that lot is at least a mile from the front door!
Take care of your feet and legs. Teachers consistently put stress on their feet and legs with prolonged standing. Wearing shoes with good arch support is important. With over 40 million Americans having varicose veins, a high percentage of patients are teachers, hairstylists and nurses. Heavy, achy, tired, cramping and swollen legs are often caused by prolonged standing. Wearing graduated compression stockings, knee high, are the first step to making your legs feel great.
Sleep at least 7-8 hours per night. It is just as important for teachers to get enough sleep as it is
for students. Being well rested will help you combat illness and stress. If restless legs keep you up at night, short walks, elevation and compression hose use during the day will help reduce symptoms. If you cannot get to sleep, let me know…I have a 20th Century Russian History book that if read, even just a few pages… will put the hardest insomniac to sleep. Article continued on the back
Laugh often. Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough,
sniffle, or sneeze. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, increases endorphins, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.