To show that all of us at the in motion office have our own struggles in limiting our screen time and trying to stay active, we used the in motion screen time tracking log and tracked our time to share our experiences.

Nicole – I was one of those people who really didn’t think I watched that much TV in a week, but it sure adds up fast when you’re keeping track of it. I did find I watched more TV than usual because the weather was cooler, which isn’t an excuse as I definitely could have replaced some of it with indoor projects!  Next time I would recommend having sedentary time as part of the challenge because even when you’re not in front of a screen there is a good chance you’re being sedentary while visiting with friends, driving in a car or even talking on the phone.

Amanda – It’s interesting what you learn about your screen time and physical activity habits when you track them for a week.  I was surprised with my amount of screen time because I felt I watched more than I actually did – but I also thought I would’ve had participated in more physical activity.  Last week I did meet the physical activity guidelines for adults, but with many things going on in the evenings,  I didn’t stay at the gym as long as usual.

If we would have tracked sedentary time, that would have added up for me.  I had a few dinners,  and went for coffee with a friend.  I find that to be more of a challenge for me than screen time.  I typically get restless when I watch TV for too long, but I am always a fan of grabbing a coffee with a friend.  After doing this challenge, I would like to try and incorporate more active ideas for my social outings, like walking around the lake or going for bike rides before going for coffee!

Chris – Throughout our tracking week, I was reminded of not only how much time I collected while watching TV which is my primary screen time addiction, but also was reminded that I should be moving more.  This is why in between viewing my favourite shows, I made a conscious effort to take “move it” breaks.  This meant that I had to get off the couch and physically do something that would make me move.  Activities typically included house cleaning such as vacuuming, sweeping, and doing the family laundry. Thanks to Josh and Bear, my two dogs, I also made time at the end of every evening for our nightly 45 to 60 minute walks

Graham – Tracking both screen time and physical activity for one week has helped me realize how I spend my time, especially during the nights after I get home from work. While I often feel as if I’m not able to be active after work because of time restraints, I now see that almost every night I‘m taking in well over an hour of screen time. Even cutting down the screen time by 30 minutes, and being active for a short burst would definitely add up during the week.

One thing I think would be beneficial to track in the future would be sedentary time in general. A majority of the nights I spent meeting up with my friends.  While this time wasn’t spent in front of a screen, I was still sedentary for around 2 hours on these nights. While social interactions like these are beneficial for mental health, a bit more time could be spent on the physical health side as well. An active outing with friends could be easily substituted on occasion instead of going out to grab a bite to eat.

Laurie – I watched a lot more TV this week than I normally do – I usually only watch a one hour show per week and rarely use the computer at home. I unfortunately didn’t meet the activity guidelines for adults, but it was largely due to a very busy week, and not from screen time.

Kim – I’ve always needed background noise and that noise was typically the TV. To set a better example for my boys, I’ve replaced the TV with music, audio books or the radio (I’m a huge CBC fan).  Tracking our time during the challenge showed me what a big difference it’s making. For me, staying off of the computer is tougher. A lot of my hobbies and interests, like writing or digital scrapbooking, involve the computer and I’m researching some kitchen updates we’re planning.  There were times I didn’t do what I most wanted to do because I felt I’d had enough screen time.

After the long winter I can hardly wait to put my winter boots away and bring out my flip flops.  And this seems to be the case for so many of us in Saskatchewan.  Did you ever notice that a +5 degree day becomes balmy, and you want to wear shorts or a t-shirt, but when it is that same temperature in the fall you are so chilly you need a sweater?  We literally jump into spring.

If we’re jumping into spring, then why not with both feet! It’s such a great season with many things to celebrate, like the longer days, warmer weather, melting snow, new plant life, Earth Day, Screen-Free week, and much more.  It’s a perfect season to turn a new leaf and make some active choices that are also eco-friendly! Why not incorporate active transportation when you can in your day.  Whether it’s walking or biking to work, during your lunch break, or taking your kids to school.  Check out this great website called Walk Score to find out how walkable your community is.

Screen-free week is also coming up, from April 30 to May 6, 2012.  It’s an annual national event that encourages families, schools, and communities to unplug from screens (TV, video games, cell phones, web-surfing, etc.) and reconnect with nature and life.  During this week as well as any other day of the year swap 30 minutes of screen time with 30 minutes of physical activity.  Take a walk with a friend, go to the gym, join a recreational sports team, visit your local park or walking trails, or even get a head start on spring cleaning.  Try out our screen-time log and track how much time you and your family spend in front of screens.  The results might just surprise you.

So what are you waiting for? Dust off your flip flops/sneakers and jump into spring.  If you’re looking for more ideas to help get you and your family moving, visit our website at www.saskatchewaninmotion.ca or follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

In the Regina Catholic School division, it’s mandatory to take Physical Education (PE) 9 and one more physical education class throughout the next three years in order to graduate.  Because of this fact, I find that PE 9 and Wellness 10 are the hardest PE classes to teach because I have students who love being active and students who take it because they are “getting it over with.”  This semester I have my second co-ed Wellness 10 class with a mixture of competitive athletes, and those who dread anything that makes them sweat. I am trying hard to keep everyone involved, but I find it difficult with so many different levels of athleticism and interests.  After much concern, I asked my class last semester to give me some constructive criticism on the class. We worked on a few things together, and now that I am teaching a second co-ed wellness class, I can implement from day one what I only started implementing halfway through last semester. Here are a few things I am learning.

First, students love variety. I try not to teach any activity for more than three days in a row, and if we are working on a certain sport, we work on different skills each day, and always end in a game-like situation. Previously, I could spend up to a week or 4 days on a sport. I found I was losing student interest in this approach. I now try to incorporate 2-4 different activities per class, and 2-4 different activities per week.

Second, I take less of a sport oriented approach. This may not work for all classes, but I find that by supplementing in such things as fitness circuits, work out plans, Zumba classes, co-operative games, tchoukball, and self defence, students seem grateful and are engaged in trying new activities.

Third, I create a competitive and non-competitive side for most of the activities we play. The initial thought of doing this made me nervous because I did not want a boys and a girls side. As it turns out, the ratio of boys and girls on each side is often even, and I have students switching sides based on their interest and skill level regarding the activity.

The changes I have listed here will not work for every class. For example, my PE 20 class would not benefit from having a non-competitive side.  I find it works best for my Wellness 10 class because I have boys and girls with mixed interests and athletic abilities. I am trying to ensure that students learn the value in staying active, and that they do not attribute all physical education to sports. Students need to realize that it’s really about being healthy, staying physically active every day, and finding something you enjoy.

Jessica Proch is a Physical Education Teacher at Miller Comprehensive High School.

http://www.rcsd.ca/miller/