Learning Project- Week #2

Week #2! Here is what happened:

• Tech of the week: Ring Fit Adventure
• Fitness goal of the week: Work out for 3 days during the work week
• Healthy Habit of the week: Pack healthier lunches!

Tech of the week: Ring Fit Adventure

Are you a gamer? Do you want to exercise while playing a video game? Keep reading!

I first purchased Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch last year when I felt a little too uneasy to go to the gym with the number of cases. It also upset me seeing so many people with their masks below their noses. Winter was also approaching so I wanted something for those cold mornings when I really didn’t want to leave my house. I had heard about this game for awhile and decided to purchase it.

Ring Fit Adventure is a video game that includes a wheel and leg strap where you attach the switch controllers so it can track your movement (and let me tell you, it’s very accurate! Maybe a little too accurate; you can’t cheat on your exercise!) The main goal of the game is an adventure where you run around different worlds fighting monsters by exercising. It brings in that video game feeling when you spend your points and make smoothies with objects you find. ( You can even die! Let me tell you how upsetting it is having to redo a level!) There are also mini games and you can also create your own work outs with plenty of exercises to choose from. Here’s a video of a professional trainer trying out and reviewing the game! Yes, he sweats!

I highly recommend this game (that retails for $99). It seems like a bit, but thinking about the cost of gym memberships, this is definitely worth the price. There’s so much content that I don’t think I’ll finish this game for a very long time. This game is for those who don’t know where to start, who would like something already set up, and for those who don’t want to leave their house on those cold days! It’s great for all difficulty levels. (I find myself sore the next day when a level makes me do too many squats!)

Fitness goal of the week: Work out 3 days during the work week

Since school has started back up a month ago, I have not made an effort to work out during the work week. I am able to get my 10,000 steps by teaching and by going for a walk at night, but that’s it. I have been jogging consistently every Saturday and Sunday, but I wanted to get back to working out on weekday mornings to begin strength training. I also know when it gets cold out, I won’t be able to go on as many walks after work.

How did it go?

I’m an early bird and I’m out the door by 7:45am since I need to be ready for the day and outside for my supervision at 8:37am. But, having to wake up at 5:45am to work out? That was tough. I like to work out before work since I tend to stay at school until 4:30pm. After that, I am exhausted and I know I would make many excuses to not work out. I like to think that when I get home, my work out is already done and I have more time for hobbies and relaxing. Here’s an article about the pros and cons of working out in the morning vs. at night.

Tuesday: The first day was a breeze! I had fallen asleep early after a very busy day so waking up was pretty easy. I only had time to work out for 30 minutes (after taking too much time drinking a coffee), but it was better than nothing! I did a level on Ring Fit Adventure and they made me do many squats and ab workouts. I felt energized and ready for the day!

Wednesday: I was much more tired and sore Wednesday morning. Wow! I guess that’s what happens when you stop strength training for a few months. I took this as a good thing and knew that Ring Fit was working, so I tried it out again today. (Thankfully, the level today had way less squats than yesterday).

Thursday: My last day of the week was much like the day before, but I was less sore.

I plan on working out like this next week, but maybe adding something other than Ring Fit. I know that Chris is also on a fitness journey, and I hope to read and find some ideas there! I would also like to wake up a bit earlier so I have more than 30 minutes to work out. I like to have a bit of coffee beforehand, but I might just need to get right into my workout so I have more time. I will test this out next week!

I haven’t stepped on the scale yet since my goal isn’t to lose weight, but to maintain where I am and build muscle. So I’m not sure how much progress I have made, but knowing I was sore means something was happening! I’m also happy to report that I felt much more energized during the day when I worked out in the morning. I feel happier, more motivated and ready to take on my middle schoolers! I also find it easier to stick to a healthy diet knowing my morning started in a healthy way. This is what I hoped to achieve! Lifestyle habits that I can maintain and that change my daily life for the better!

Healthy Habit of the Week: Packing Healthier Lunches

My goal from last week of reading 15 minutes every night has been… decent. I have been tired earlier due to waking up earlier, so I’ve only read about 3 times before bed this week. This week, I wanted to try and pack healthier lunches ( more fruits and vegetables, less sweets). Leigh had me thinking about the insane sweet tooth I have after her comment on my last learning project post, so I thought my goal should be food related.

How did it go?

When I went grocery shopping, I made sure to buy enough healthy snacks for the week. I was able to pack a healthy sandwich, celery, cucumbers, hummus, a pear, a hard boiled egg, and one unhealthy snack ( I have a sweet tooth; it’s called balance!)

But… our staff is great at keeping the staffroom table full of delicious snacks. That table is my enemy. Monday morning, a coworker asked me if I wanted a cinnamon bun from GreenSpot Cafe (you must try one if you haven’t!). I couldn’t say no. There were some healthy snacks on the table this week, but also cookies, and mini chocolate bars, and more cookies. It’s very difficult to ignore that table.

One time last year, we even had Dandy’s!

I find it easy to pack a healthy lunch for the day when I’m in the mood to eat all the good food. Since it’s the only food I have, I know I will eat it when I’m hungry at work. But I struggle ignoring the staffroom table. Now that we have recess breaks, I also find myself snacking more than usual. I think I need to keep working on this next week since I spend most of my day at school. I plan on packing the same type of snacks, as well as a healthy lunch. However, I really need to limit myself to the staffroom table and snack less during recess breaks.

To summarize, my first week working out in the mornings went well. It wasn’t as difficult to wake up at 5:45am than I thought it would be. I plan on keeping the same healthy habit goal of packing a healthy lunch and limiting my walks to the staffroom for snacks. I will also continue reading more, as well as working out 3 days during the work week, with a few changes to my exercises.

Have you made any healthy changes to your day this week? Let me know in the comments!

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