For several years, I worked as a health instructor at a high school.
I taught the kids about health, wellness, nutrition and sex education. Obesity has become a common issue in our society. As a health teacher, I hoped to encourage the students to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle. Accomplishing this proved to be more difficult than I anticipated. I found that the kids didn’t want to make changes. So I eventually provided information and hoped they learned something positive. I focused on those kids who were actually interested in improving their quality of life. I am a certified fitness expert. I encouraged the kids to visit the weight room with me. Along with teaching them about good eating habits, I wanted to teach them the proper way to take care of their joints, muscles, heart and lungs. Physical fitness is extremely important. I offered extra credit to those students who participated. I arranged for us to meet after school for an hour of training. I was surprised that I ended up with a class of about 20 kids. I taught them the right way to warm up and stretch. We went through the various machines offered at the school and learned how to use them correctly. We incorporated high intensity cardio such as jump rope, mountain climbers, burpees and jumping jacks. We went through body-weight strength training such as plank holds, push-ups and pull ups and also learned about lifting weights. The kids enjoyed it so much that they didn’t want the program to end. We kept it going throughout the entire school year. Although a few students dropped out, I picked up new kids. The program was so popular that I brought it back the following year.