When was the last time you went without eating any junk food for the whole day? How about the last time you exercised?
Well, being healthy, as most of us know, isn't the piece of cake that it is often made to be. In fact, on average( calculated by my pedometer) I personally walk a measly 3970 steps per day and for comparison, the recommended steps for my age group is roughly 12,000 steps. More and more teenagers and also adults feel the urge to binge-watch their favourite TV shows ad snack all day than actually finding the motivation to step outside their homes or even cook in their own homes. But how can we blame them, or maybe even you? With the fast paced society we live in today, it's all too easy to get your fix at the nearest subway and shove exercise down to your very long to-do list.
All these points may be striking some sort of deja vu for you but these struggles are known best by none other than secondary school students, especially the older ones. It's not too uncommon for me to be walking to school and catch my peers scoffing down nutrition lacking and calorific chocolate bars or doughnuts. Many do not even have the opportunity to have breakfast at all and go without it. Getting up in the morning and dressing oneself can be a struggle in itself hence some may simply not have the effort for breakfast. Some schools are tackling this by breakfast clubs and opening the dining hall before classes start to give students time to eat. However, the task of preparing healthy food can be a challenge in its self when a bag or crisps are only a minute away. For most, healthy eating has been heavily stressed in school but I ask you, how often have you actually taken any of that on board.
The school system is not wholly to blame for students health but it can play a big role. One of my classmates, who is P.E student, Anita stated that school 'makes me exercise less' and another student, Hibah, explained how 'studies restrict my time to exercise'. With the stress of exams and coursework that is ubiquitous, it can lead to a lack of care for oneself with little to no exercise. This can be an extremely unhealthy combination as, without a way to cope with the work relax, you are likely to burn out very quickly.
So how are schools helping with this? It is common knowledge that school is a huge factor in causing stress, but there are schools that are now taking the initiative to combat this. There are numerous after school and lunch time clubs running such as trampoline, dance and cross country. Whether inside or outside of school, finding ways to cope with pressure is important for everybody and it would be hugely beneficial for our mental and physical health. It can be hard to search for activities to do outside but once you do start a plethora of opportunities are opened to you. In Redbridge, there are always events within the library and park.
It doesn't to be something big or dramatic (i.e. bungee jumping although that would be great) but even just leaving your desk for some fresh air can do you and your mind some good. So, why not?
Rajeshwari Pittala
