Physical Wellness

FACTS ABOUT PHYSICAL WELLNESS:

• There are 5 components of fitness: muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition, and cardiovascular endurance. (Muscular strength refers to the amount of weight you can carry, muscular endurance is the ability to perform repetitive contractions against a force for an extended period of time, flexibility is your range of motion/how well you can balance, body composition is the amount of fat, bone, and muscle your body is made of, and cardiovascular endurance is the individual’s ability to do long term/high intensity workouts without feeling fatigue)

• Everyone has different body types, different limitations, different goals, and different preferences for improving their physical fitness. Traditional PE classes often ignore these things, making people with disabilities/people who are overweight feel hopeless, discouraged, and isolated. This peer support group can help students who have an unhealthy relationship with their bodies/with fitness, who are having trouble creating a suitable pace for themselves, who are trying to find their confidence, or just need someone to work out with 

• Mental and physical health go hand in hand; when either one is being neglected, you may lose the will to take on necessary challenges as well as experience dissociation, physical illness, anxiety, and/or chronic depression.

Remember that some people take more time than others to reach their goals, and that’s okay! As your peer support, it is my job to help you navigate through these challenges, find what works best for you, and encourage you to keep moving forward. 

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES: 

• Trash walks (go on a 20-30 minute walk with a trash bag in hand; you can bring a friend, a family member, your dog, or you can simply take some time for yourself while also doing a small act of service for the community.

• Stretch. (Take some time out of your day to stop and stretch. You can also use the 4-7-8 breathing method to help reduce any anxiety or tension you may be feeling.) 

• Workout to your favorite music! (Don’t you hate it when your PE teacher keeps playing the same Imagine Dragons song over and over again while you’re struggling to do laps? Recommend some new music for your teacher to play or make your own playlist to listen to at home/ at your local gym - this can help motivate you and increase the quality of your workout experience)

• Offer some words of encouragement for your peers (While someone may look put together, they may be feeling just as anxious as you are - just a simple compliment or an act of kindness can really make someone’s day and help them to move forward in their fitness journey. Ex: “Good job!”, “Do what you can, that’s all that matters”, “You’ve gotten this far, you can do it!”, “Can you help me with _____? You look like you know what you’re doing”, “Do you need any help? Let me know if you’ve changed your mind”, “I have an extra water bottle if you need it”, “You got this; don’t give up!”, etc)

• Find ways to make physical wellness fun for you (it doesn’t need to feel like a chore, it can be something you can look forward to! Ex: Competing in a sport and earning bragging rights/another desired prize, playing Just Dance, learning the choreography from one of your favorite movie scenes, going on a walk or a hike then stopping to see the beauty of nature, feeling a wave of relief after you finish a workout, being able to smile/laugh with your peers, etc.)

• Minimize instead of eliminating certain food groups (The reason why the majority of Americans struggle with obesity/are afraid of obesity is because of mainstream diet culture teaching us that being slim is the only way to be healthy and beautiful, and to be  that we need to completely eliminate sugar, carbs, and cholesterol and always do high intensity workouts - not only does this deprive the body of nutrients that it needs to survive, it causes people to quickly feel exhausted, discouraged, and even develop eating disorders. It is important to remember we don’t all have the same body type and that we shouldn’t place too many restrictions on ourselves due to how dangerous it can be for ourselves - as much as it is important to eat certain foods and exercise, it is also important to do things that bring us joy and comfort.

On Campus Resources: 

• Articles approved by the district

Full article: Body image in physical education: a narrative review

• Dr. Taylor (Sports Medicine/Body Conditioning teacher) 

Christine Taylor

• Crisis helpline: (800)-843-5200