5 Easy Ways For Teachers to Sneak Exercise into Their Routine (That Will Actually Work)!

Today we’re sharing 5 easy ways for teachers to sneak exercise into their routine (that actually work)! We all want to be healthy and fit, but the teaching lifestyle can make regular exercise just so darn hard! Finding time to exercise means either squeezing it in before school or after school – which ends up making your day longer…ugh. And besides, who has the energy to work out after dealing with students, administrators and parents for 7+ straight hours?

Despite these obstacles to our fitness, we do still need the benefits regular exercise brings.

The benefits of regular exercise include:

• Improved Mood
• Better Sleep
• Increased Energy
• Improved Brain Function
• Weight Management
• Reduced Stress

Exercise has been a wonderful outlet for both Max and I. It has provided us with a way to stay healthy, relieve stress and experience the other above listed benefits. As I said, finding time to exercise can be a challenge! But with the following list of easy ways for teachers to sneak exercise into their routine, we hope to help you kickstart your path to fitness!

5 Easy Ways For Teachers to Sneak Exercise into Their Routine (That Will Actually Work)!

1. Routine (be flexible!)
   • Success always starts with a plan. Determine exactly when you will exercise and for how long. Be realistic! It is definitely better to start for a short amount of time and then work up to something longer.
     Try your best to stick with it, while at the same time being flexible. What helps me stick to my routine is exercising at the same time of day. This will make it easier to become a habit.
2. Healthy Eating
   • This can definitely be a struggle for teachers. During the school day we are so busy it’s hard to find time to sit down and eat lunch, even during lunch break. It’s so easy to just grab a quick unhealthy snack and keep moving. Having a teachers lounge full of goodies doesn’t help either. Resist the teachers lounge!
     What helps me is packing a lunch at home…and not only lunch, but snacks (healthy ones!) too. Grapes and cheese sticks are my favorites. Max is a big fan of a lot of gluten-free crackers that are available in stores now. To help with lunch-packing, I have begun to cook more dinner than my family needs the night before so that I can bring the leftovers to work.
3. Coworkers
   • Can’t go it alone? Then grab a coworker with similar goals! I’ve seen coworkers, grade level teams and even entire schools join together to work toward a healthier lifestyle. Here are a few ways I’ve seen this executed:
     a. Many teachers find time to walk laps in the hallway before or after school. In one school I worked in there was teacher who led a workout class in her room once a week after school.
     b. At my first teaching job, some teachers did a quick workout during their lunch break in their rooms by following along with a video on their Smart board.
     c. That same district also had a fitness room available for staff use before and after school. If you’re fortunate enough to be in a similar situation, take advantage!
     d. At my most recent school we were all given pedometers and tried to have a contest to see who could get the most steps. Unfortunately, none of our pedometers worked correctly 🥴 . But you get the idea. There are many opportunities to work our with others – you just have to think outside the box!
4. Think Ahead/Prep
   • If you know you are going to work out at a specific time, do whatever you need to do to make working out easier for you. For example, if you’re working out in the morning you might want to wear your workout clothes to bed. Or, have your workout clothes and shoes set out so you don’t have to search for them when you wake up. You can also have a water bottle waiting for you when you return.
5. Apps
   • If you like workouts prepared for you there are many options to choose from, such as exercise videos on social media. There are also many fitness apps available for download right to our phone. Two of my favorite apps to use are the Nike Training Club app and the Nike Run Club app. I’ve been using these apps for over 10 years. I’ve tried many other apps but these are the two that I always come back too. The Nike Training Club has various workout plans and exercise videos. The Nike Run Club app tracks my runs and keeps all of my running data in one place.

We hope that you find these ideas helpful! What other exercise tips would you add? Comment below and let us know! It’s never too late to start working for your fitness goals. There’s no time like the present, so what are you waiting for?

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