Monday, June 17, 2024

Emotions are not good or bad, right or wrong; they are just signs that tell us how we feel and what we need. Sometimes it is hard to communicate what we feel with words, which is why we need to get the body moving to regulate the emotions we can’t express. HOPE FITNESS ACADEMY has been a great help in this department, using physical activity to regulate our emotions. They have also helped minimize academic stress levels by creating a tic-tac-toe brain break game. In this game, youth who are overwhelmed can take a break from academic work, split into teams (one group is X, the other is O), and whoever completes the exercise (jumping jacks, push-ups, etc.) first can run and put an X or an O on the board. This helps them shake off feelings of frustration, stress, or being overwhelmed.

Youth who struggle with regulating their emotions can be set off by the littlest things. However, when they learn ways to regulate their emotions through physical activities, especially exercise, they start to get a handle on things not just among their peers but also in the classroom with their teachers. They learn to breathe and sometimes even walk away from what sets them off. You might wonder how this can all happen through physical activity. When youth learn to channel their feelings and energy into something else, they focus less on the issue in front of them and more on the solutions they’ve found.

Comments