fbpx

Can You Still Make Time for Recess?

Can You Still Make Time for Recess - Janet Omstead

Can You Still Make Time for Recess?

By Published On: October 25th, 2019

One thing I love most about being a health coach is helping people – it’s why I got into the health & wellness industry in the first place!

I believe in keeping things simple and sometimes my clients make things complicated – they want to change so many things right away that they feel will make the process of optimal health happen faster.  I hate to break it to you but the opposite is true.

Focusing on one thing consistently that is super easy (like on a scale of one to ten – 1 being easy) makes changing behaviours easier.

Take “working out” as an example.  Globally approximately 3.2 million deaths each year are attributable to insufficient physical activity. I don’t believe this has to be the case. How can you

“play”
rather than feel you need to “work out” and fight this trend?

What about making the time for “recess”?  A 10-to 15-minute break or “recess” is a powerful way to get the body moving and the brain cells firing.

A great article came out recently to support this idea.

Recess affects more than just our physical body. There is a fundamental shift in social, emotional, and cognitive development when people take a necessary break during the day.  A 2012 Harvard Business Review article points out that when there is a new task at work that needs your attention, one strategy toward dealing with it is to take a purposeful break. “Go for a walk, climb stairs, do some deep breathing or stretches. Even if you aren’t aware of it, when you are doing this your brain continues working on your past tasks. Sometimes new ideas emerge during such physical breaks.”[1]

Could you add two “recess” or movement breaks into your day—one in the morning and one in the afternoon? Or even one break? Start with one day a week then add another day next week and build from there?

When someone realizes that play can be rewarding, enriching, and purposeful, exercise can become an important part of the way they live. And the inactivity epidemic could be a thing of the past.

[1]-https://hbr.org/2012/01/train-your-brain-to-focus

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

About the Author: Janet Omstead

To re-ignite people’s passion for play (movement) to fight chronic disease while improving their quality of life as they age.

Recent Posts

The Play Book

Learn How To Build Healthy Habits In Seven Days

Join the FREE online course…workouts, food and fun you’ll actually enjoy…chocolate included!

Go to Top