Health is Wealth: Wearable Tech for Teachers
DISCLAIMER: This post isn't about using tech in the classroom, but rather how tech can be used to help you not only in the classroom, but more so in life.
As the holidays are wrapping up and the new year is right around the corner, many people are trying to find ways to better themselves in the new year. Many of these resolutions will deal with attempting to get in physical shape.
As educators, we are constantly on the move. We need to be in good physical conditioning- not just for us, but also to be able to provide our students with the best educational experience possible. Good physical conditioning also helps decrease our stress level- making us happier and more effective.
THE APP
I purchased an Apple iWatch towards the end of last school year. I used the Activity app on the iWatch to track my activity. The Activity app has given me a physical representation to see my progress and it has allowed me to set goals. The illustration to the left shows three rings that represent my daily fitness goals. The small blue ring represents the number of hours that I stand throughout the day (Daily goal is 12 hours). The middle green circle represents how many minutes I exercise a day (Daily goal is 30 minutes). The big red circle represents my calories burned for the day (Daily goal is 600 calories).
*The app gives everyone individualized goals based on your personal information.
THE FACILITIES
This app proved to be very beneficial when I decided to take my fitness to the next level by actually using that gym membership that I had been paying for every month for the last two years. I couldn't reach all of my goals without putting in some extra work outside of my normal daily routine. I began going to the local Planet Fitness after school to make sure I completed my goals. I like Planet Fitness because 1) it's open 24 hours, 2) they have free fitness classes to help you get to your goals 3) my black card membership included free access to the massage chairs and hydro massage beds, and 4) it's the JUDGEMENT FREE zone so I felt free enough to do what I wanted without feeling like someone was looking at me weird.
THE RESULTS
Look for yourself at the results.
CONCLUSION
These past five months have been an extremely enjoyable journey. I have been able to shed some fat, build some muscle, and relieve stress in a healthy way. As I look to the past, it only propels me to the future. Remember, health is wealth. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your students. They deserve your best. Don't allow your physical fitness (or stress level) to hinder the experience that you're giving your students.
Create achievable fitness goals for yourself. Tools like Fitbits or iWatches are great for holding you accountable for achieving those goals.