Health & Fitness
Now Take a Deeeeep Breath...

It's been the mind-calming choice of the Zen set for years, but schoolchildren are now doing yoga in class--and loving it.

So what do you do with 20 antsy second graders who want to jump and play but have no physical education class to go to and no recess in sight?

If you're NEA member Cathy Klein, you transform your classroom into a studio (of sorts) for yoga.

New-Age nuttiness? Think again.

In Klein's class at the Daniel Webster Elementary School in San Francisco--and at a growing number of schools throughout her district--yoga is fast becoming a ritual of the school day. Like for the hordes of adults who are now flocking to it, the allure is not just in its capacity to calm but also in the rigor of its physical challenge. And in Klein's district, where regular elementary teachers must play the role of P.E. teachers, too, that makes this Eastern practice a double whammy of a gift.

For one, says Klein, it's portable--you can do it anywhere, anytime. It's individualized and noncompetitive--"Every child has his or her own goal to reach." It focuses strictly on the physical--no Hindu deities or Sanskrit here. And it forces students to develop concentration and self-awareness, but in a fun way. Consider the drill: On a sunny school morning, Klein gently directs her students, bustling and anxious after writing in their journals, to "take a quiet moment" and move their desks to the sides. Then with her step-by-step guidance, they breathe deeply. They stretch. They bend. They contort their bodies into shapes named for what they mimic--"butterfly," "crescent moon," "seahorse."

Twenty minutes later, settled and relaxed, they muse about the "hard parts" and the "fun parts" and how "happy," flexible, and accomplished they feel.

It's a startling transformation, particularly for a handful of the students who started the day restive and contrary. They, like many of San Francisco's public school children, hail from families with social and economic challenges. "So to see them let go all that anxiety," says Klein, "is just amazing to me."

So soothing is just the simple act of deep breathing, Klein discovered, that she stops the class periodically throughout the day--before a test, lunch, or a math exercise--to have them do only that.

The yoga program started five years ago as the brainchild of Tony Sanchez, founder of the nonprofit U.S. Yoga Association. With his wife, Sandy Wong-Sanchez, he trained teachers at one elementary school for a pilot program, then branched out to other schools with the support of foundation grants. Now the two are seeking a federal grant that would let them reach every school in the district.

What's exciting, says Tony Sanchez, is the vast potential for yoga's application. There are the social lessons, such as teaching kids to recognize personal space. But it's the academic possibilities that really wow. Wong-Sanchez has developed 40 different lesson plans for using yoga to learn everything from geometry and physics to writing.

Phyllis Camp, an NEA member and physical education teacher at the James Lick Middle School, a few miles from Webster, says she routinely relies on yoga in her classes. But she uses it mainly to help kids strengthen muscles and stretch before and after more vigorous sports.

"It really helps kids focus on gaining inner control," says Camp, who was part of the pilot program five years ago and now teaches parents and teachers. "It's gone the next minute, of course," she laughs, "but they remember that moment, and can call on it--and that's the beauty."

Students in her class agree. Having moved fluidly through poses from the "full moon" to the "cocoon," Ebrahaim Algubcani, 13, says he loves yoga and often uses it to deal with siblings at home. "They usually get me mad," he says, "but when I do those stretches, I relax. And my mom likes that."

--Marilyn Milloy

For More:
Contact the U.S. Yoga Association 415/931-9642 or visit www.usyoga.org.

[Working Out Our Stress]

A Healthy Weight? No Problem!

We already know excess body weight can rob us of energy, longevity, and good health. What we often fail to remember is that weight management doesn't take a small miracle.

It may sound like so much hokum, but it's true: Getting yourself to a healthy weight is a feat just about anyone can achieve. And it can be done without joining a gym, giving up delicious foods, or starving until you squeeze into size 10 jeans.

"You can stop weight gain, lose 10 percent of your body weight--that's at least a clothing size--and your program can be easy, flexible, and individualized," says George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"It's like learning math or the piano," adds Blackburn. Practice, stick with it, and you'll get good results.

The first and most important step is finding out where you stand. If you're already at the perfect weight (indicated by a Body Mass Index [BMI] of 24 or below; see formula in Healthy Bites), congratulations! You just need to keep excess pounds at bay. If you're slightly overweight (a BMI of 25 to 29.9), your chances of developing certain health problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease increase. People with a BMI of 30 or above are obese and face dramatically increased odds for cardiovascular, circulatory, reproductive, (women only) and other health problems. Unfortunately, more than 60 percent of American adults fall into the latter two categories.

But take heart: No matter where you stand on the BMI scale, there's hope. First, Blackburn advises, do no harm--don't gain any more weight if you're where you need to be. Second, gradually make nutritious, fiber-packed food part of your diet. And third, pick an activity or two that you like, and get moving.

Educators who have little time or money to spend on gourmet salads or lunchtime trips to trendy eateries, for example, can jumpstart a weight loss or weight maintenance program with nutritionally sound, inexpensive meal replacements, Blackburn says. For instance, an apple and a can of SlimFast (yes, it's good for you, and studies show that people who use meal replacements keep weight off), cost about $1.50. Overall, Blackburn says, look at it this way. You eat 21 meals per week. Make at least 10 of those structured, low-calorie entrees and do your best to add fresh fruit or a serving of vegetables until you get to five servings a day. Then, get moving.

If you're on cafeteria, hall or playground duty, don't stand. Walk around, throw a ball, jump rope. And try a pedometer, Blackburn suggests. It counts your steps as you walk. Just strap it on and see how many steps you can add each day.

Stay with this plan for, say, a grading period, and "don't be an absentee or a drop out," says Blackburn. Once you gain more energy and confidence, consider one of the more structured weight loss programs, such as Weight Watchers. They're a great way to tackle the next 10 or 20 pounds, says Blackburn, if that's what you need to lose. For advice on obesity drugs or programs for significant weight loss, consult your physician.

Just remember: "You can't let junk food and inactivity take away your quality of life," says Blackburn. "Just say, 'I'm not going to take it,'" and get started."

Talk to Us
This is the second in a series of articles designed to help NEA members tackle stress and develop habits that will lead to better health. If you have a comment or question, please e-mail mmilloy@nea.org.

A Case of Nerves?

Hunger isn't the only thing that'll make you dive headfirst into a bag of chips. Stress can send you packing it in, too. Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., a psychologist and director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders in Connecticut, offers these tips to keep it under control:

• Avoid rushing around; practice a little time management.
• Decide you're going to accept the little things that go wrong each day.
• Find a pal who will let you vent, or just call someone who makes you laugh.
• Learn a relaxation or deep breathing exercise that you can do anytime or anywhere.
• Pick an activity other than eating that will calm you down--a brisk walk or a good book tucked in your desk drawer.

---

Healthy Bites

Brown Baggin' It
Want to sustain your energy beyond lunch? Make a sandwich with lean protein picks like turkey, ham, chicken breast, or tuna. For a savory treat, use an onion or "everything" bagel with honey mustard. Hold down the mayo, but don't forget the lettuce and tomato--that's one of your five-a-day fruit or vegetable servings. Good ol' peanut butter and jelly works well, too (two tablespoons of peanut butter is a serving). Even hard-boiled eggs are great. Remember: High-fat choices like hamburgers or fried chicken don't pack the protein punch because, calorie for calorie, fat crowds out the protein and may slow you down.

Women: Double up by choosing protein-rich foods with calcium: a handful of almonds, yogurt, or "string cheese."

Find your BMI
Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most reliable way to measure your fat to muscle ratio, as it relates to your height. A single BMI point is equal to about six pounds of weight. To calculate your BMI, use this formula: Your weight in pounds x 705, divided twice by your height in inches = your BMI.

Good question!
Q: I know it's good for me, but I don't like drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day. Can I replace my water with something else?

A: Absolutely. While water should be your primary source for staying hydrated, you can also drink 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, milk, and herbal or decaffeinated teas as part of your daily water requirement. However, stay clear of alcoholic beverages, coffee, regular teas, and sodas, as these drinks rob your body of fluid and essential nutrients.

What's Up at HIN?

Helping parents talk about drugs
Parents are the key to preventing illicit drug use among kids. But they find it difficult to determine how best to talk about it. What should they say? To make it easier to find out, a new @Work program gives parents access to detailed information--where they work. Encourage parents to visit www.theantidrug.com. NEA-HIN is an active partner in the @Work program, a part of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.

Fighting for healthier kids
Citing a looming health crisis among the nation's children, NEA-HIN has joined a coalition of more than 25 national organizations in sponsoring the Healthy Schools Summit, October 7 and 8. A major ongoing initiative to fight obesity and improve nutrition and physical activity among America's children will be launched. Follow the action and find out about summit follow-up activities at www.actionforhealthykids.org.

October is breast cancer awareness month
People who work in education die from breast cancer at a higher rate than women in general. Help save a life! Organize a cancer education activity for your school community. Visit HIN's Project REACH Breast and Cervical Cancer Website, www.neahin.org/reach/, for simple, creative ideas and free cancer education materials. Education is the best protection!

Advocating for better indoor air
Breathing clean air is fundamental to life and to learning. NEA-HIN is compiling examples of contract language, policy and regulations, and organizing efforts around indoor air quality. Please send examples of your good works to jyoung@nea.org or to Jennie Young, 1201 16th St. N.W., Suite 521, Washington, DC 20036. Samples will be posted on the NEA-HIN Website this fall.