NEWS

Health has been at the forefront of our thoughts over the last few weeks in these very challenging times. As a predominantly practical subject area we are very aware of the many physical, mental and social benefits that regular participation in sport and physical activity brings. The recent social distancing and isolation changes in society have meant many sports have been curtailed and it is at these times when we recognise what a key role sport plays in many of our lives. As a Faculty we have continued to promote the importance of doing some form of exercise every day and it has been great to see the nation following the morning workouts led by The Body Coach, Joe Wicks on national TV. Through our PE Faculty twitter @BMSPEandHealth we have tried to give daily guidance and recommendations to our students on physical activity challenges and workouts that can be done at home and with limited equipment. These have included the following :

Nike training club app for home workouts

5 Free workouts from the BBC sport website

Youth Sport Trust 60 second activity challenges

PE4Learning Stay in workouts

Sport England StayinWorkOut Challenges

NHS Guides to mental health

All students should aim to continue with the recommended 1 hour of physical activity per day whilst keeping to the government guidelines. This can include going for a run or bike ride although we do recommend exercising with a family member if leaving the house.

In addition to the exercise challenges KS3 students have been consolidating their knowledge of the rules and regulations for the key winter sports and also developing their understanding of the human body through a series of SAM Learning tasks. It has been great to see so many students engaged by the tasks and it would be fantastic to hear how our students are keeping up their physical activity levels at home.

Some general guidance of how students can look after themselves and stay healthy during self isolation are :

1. Stay in regular touch with friends through Skype, FaceTime or google hangout. Staying connected can help reduce stress and anxiety. If you have concerns about school work contact your teachers via school email.
2. Make sure you engage in regular exercise. It helps to break up your day and clear your head. You can make this fun and do it online at the same time with friends or family
3. Don’t be afraid to check in with your family or friends. Ask them how they are doing and see if you can help them in any way
4. Limit screen time – Reduce the time you spend on social media and checking the news. Regular checking can increase worry and stress.
5. Get enough sleep – Maintain a good sleep routine even though you are not going to school. 
6. Try and make sure you follow a healthy diet with some fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Sleep, a healthy diet and regular exercise will all help to maintain a good level of physical health.
7. Stay calm. Mindfulness, meditation or yoga may help you to feel calm. Slow down what you are doing and breathe. Deep breathing is a great way to calm your mind and body
8. Make yourself a daily routine. It’s good to have some structure to your day, even if it’s just a regular breakfast and lunch.
9. Keep work in one place – try to have one place where you work so youre work doesn’t spread all over the house
10. If you are struggling do not be afraid to reach out for help. Speak to your friends, family and teachers and ask for support. Have a mind to be kind both to yourself and others.

Health Week 9th-13th March

It’s a great time to reflect on our recent Health Week where we again managed to raise lots of money for the Sport Relief charities. During the week all students in KS3 and KS4 took part in their annual fitness tests with students working really hard to improve their scores from previous years. This was supported by HIIT training sessions in the gym and inductions for all students in the new BMS Fitness suite. It was also great to see so many staff and 6th formers taking the opportunity to complete their inductions and the new facility promises to play a very important role in maintaining and developing the fitness of the whole school community in the years ahead.

The annual Healthy Masterchef competition was again very keenly contested with the judging panel extremely impressed by the quality of the dishes created. After much consultation the top 3 places were :

1. Q Kazmi and A Chaudhry Shamas
2. D Marks and H Weitzman
3. L Wheaton and R Leaves

Well done to all the students who took part and made it such a fantastic evening.

Due to the wet weather we were forced to change our annual charity event from a fun run to a multisport activity. All KS3 and KS4 Boys took part in a run challenge and a fun invasion game session. All girls took part in an indoor workout, fitness suite session and introduction to volleyball. It was a fantastic day with all students getting into the spirit of the event and raising lots of money for charity.

A new challenge we are recommending are the Stay Active with SSP Sports Challenges which include a whole series of sports challenges that can be done at home – this will be shared with all students shortly via the google classrooms set up for all PE classes. We look forward to getting back on the sports fields soon but in the meantime if students need any guidance about exercise ideas please get in touch with your PE teacher who will be happy to help.

Stay safe and stay healthy.

@BMSPEandHealth