Under the desk classroom cycling machines in class? An idea whose time has come

Fidgeting is down and focus is up with the installation of under the desk cycles in classrooms of an 8th grade math teacher in North Carolina. 

‘Before, they were drumming on their desks, they were touching other people, they don’t do that anymore. Their feet are getting the movement out,’ (teacher) Bethany (Lambeth) told WRAL.com. ‘There has been a huge increase in the quality of our student’s work and a decrease in the amount of missing work.’

“The students like them too. ‘I’m a really energetic person, so this takes all my energy out,’ said Quinn Spear, who worked out he’d already pedalled 5.5 miles before morning break at 10am.

‘The kids are not picking on each other, they are not needing to walk around, they are not needing to go explore, they are able to get their activity out and get their work done,’ added Bethany.

Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2016/09/05/teacher-installs-desk-cycles-to-help-students-focus-in-class-6109728/#ixzz4SHNTvKTR

8 reasons children should un-sit their lives

The more the sitting time, especially television watching time, the increased likelihood for children to have:

1. increased weight / Body Mass Index as active time is replaced by TV time and there is more opportunity to eat more calories and, as studies show, food of poor nutritional quality

2. decreased fitness 

3. lowered scores for self-esteem and pro-social behavior 

4. decreased academic achievement 

5. less healthy eating patterns that continue after TV watching  time as children’s eating preferences are influenced by ads for high calorie, poor nutrition foods and drinks and parents are pestered into buying them

6. poor biomarkers that in adulthood may significantly increase the risk of major chronic diseases particularly type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast and colon cancer

7. potential for foot problems for children with excessive weight

8. poor established sitting habits and TV watching/snacking habits that carry into adulthood.

Un-Sit Your Life http://tinyurl.com/un-sit-your-life