How Teachers Can Find Time for Fitness & Exercise Ideas

Are you wondering how teachers can fit exercise into their busy lives? As you know, it isn’t easy. Between teaching, grading, lesson planning, and your life outside of school, there isn’t always time left over for working out.

How do other teachers stay fit? They make it a priority and you can too! Here are 5 ways to find time to exercise and fit workouts into your daily life.

• 5 Times Teachers Can Exercise
• Resistance Band Exercises for Teachers
• 5 Exercise Tips for Teachers
• More Articles for Teachers

5 Times Teachers Can Exercise

1. Before School

Get to school early and go for a walk around the building. Do a few laps in the hallways. As a bonus, take the stairs when possible. Set a goal and wear a pedometer to track your steps throughout the day.

3. During Class: With Your Students

Brain breaks are good for everyone, including teachers. Incorporating movement breaks between lessons allows everyone to refocus and get energized before doing some more learning. Join your class in doing some stretching or jumping jacks. Or use resistance bands to do some strength training exercises. TheraBand CLX bands have handholds that make it easy for little hands to hold onto and come in a variety of resistances for you and your students.

Check out some resistance band exercises you can do with your students!

Learn more about brain breaks and ways to incorporate them into your classroom routine in 6 Fun Brain Break Exercises for the Classroom.

4. After School

Invite your colleagues to exercise with you. You can offer each other encouragement and hold each other accountable. There are many ways you can work out together. You can gather in one teacher’s classroom and workout. Have one teacher lead the class or take turns. You can also watch fitness videos on different topics like yoga, resistance band workouts, and more!

Or ask if you can use the school’s fitness room or track if athletes aren’t using it after school. You could pool your resources to bring in a fitness instructor once a week after school. Or join a group fitness class and head over there together after school. Find a group of teachers who would also be interested in working out after school and decide together what option will work best for you.

5. On the Weekend

No time during the week? Exercise on the weekend instead! Carve out some “me time” to workout at home or to go to a fitness class. You don’t need a lot of equipment to get started, find out What You Need for Working Out at Home.

If you have kids and you’re still having trouble finding time to exercise on the weekends, try getting up early to work out before they wake up. Or if you’re a fan of sleeping in, have your children join you and demonstrate healthy habits for the whole family. Not sure how to begin? Check out Full Family Fitness: 3 Ways to Work Out with Your Kids.

Resistance Band Exercises for Teachers

Ready to start exercising? Grab a resistance band and start now! Whether you’re in the classroom, at home, or on-the-go, resistance bands are a portable, easy-to-use choice. Choose between a 7 minute or 20 minute workout and follow along with the video below.

7 Minute Workout

20 Minute Workout

5 Exercise Tips for Teachers

1. Create a routine and stick to it!

• Just like your lesson plans, plan what days you’re going to exercise and put it in your calendar. Protect this time and try to schedule everything else for other times.

2. But stay flexible.

• If you were going to go for a run, but now it’s raining, run on the treadmill or do some strength training instead. If your fitness instructor called out sick, watch a fitness video instead. Keep your workout even if you need to change the activity.
• Or if you absolutely need to go grocery shopping, try to carve out time later in the day to get moving, even if it’s walking the dog.

3. Think ahead.

• Get out your workout clothes the night before. That way you’re ready to go in the morning. Pack a gym bad and put it in the passenger seat of the car to prepare and keep you motivated to swing by the gym after school.

4. Prep your classroom.

• If you work out in the morning, prepare your classroom in the afternoon the day prior to your trip to the gym so you’re ready to teach as soon as you walk in.
• If you work out in the afternoon, plan on coming in early the next morning to get ready.

5. Pack a snack and a drink.

• Bring a healthy snack along in case you get hungry and remember your water bottle, so you stay hydrated.

More Articles for Teachers

In the Classroom

• 7 Fun Parachute Games for All Ages (Toddlers to Seniors)
• 11 Ideas for Free Choice Centers in Your Classroom
• 15 Fidget Tools (Not Toys) for Your Classroom
• Cleaning, Disinfecting, & Sanitizing Children’s Toys & More
• 6 Fun Brain Break Exercises for the Classroom

Fitness

• A Complete Beginner's Guide to Working Out
• What You Need for Working Out at Home
• 33 TheraBand Resistance Band Exercises to Do At Home
• 11 Exercise Games & Activities To Make Fitness Fun
• How to Take Your Workout to the Next Level with TheraBand!

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