Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame

Lesson Plan:
Healthy Lifestyles
High School Edition
Healthy Lifestyles are about the whole person, not just individual parts. This
lesson plan will help guide you in teahing about healthy lifestyles and give
you ideas and tips to repliate in your own lassroom.
Nutrition
!ur bodies ahieve pea" performane by eating a variety of foods. #s we
age, the management of our diet beomes more important to maintaining a
healthy lifestyle. $hile our bodies an utili%e many "inds of fuel, they are
a&eted over time by the type of fuel or food we ta"e in eah day. The
following food groups should be inorporated into your daily diet.
The most basi element of fuel for the body is the nutrient. There are si'
basi nutrients our bodies need:
(arbohydrates: nutrients that give us high amounts of )ui" energy
o *'amples: whole grains, wheat bread, )uinoa, beans
Fats: nutrients that gives us stored energy
o *'amples: nuts, lean meats, seeds, avoados, peanut butter
Proteins: nutrients that help build and maintain musle and bone
o *'amples: mil", heese, yogurt, seafood, lean meats, por"
+itamins: nutrients that help regulate body proesses
o *'amples: fruits, vegetables, nuts, mil", eggs, beans
,inerals: nutrients essential to growth and metabolism
o *'amples: fruits, vegetables, nuts, mil", eggs, beans
$ater: essential for digestion, respiration, arrying nutrients and
o'ygen
+ariety and balane are two "ey ideas to remember while maintaining proper
nutrition. Variety pertains to eating di&erent foods within eah food group.
Balance ensures that even distribution of the food groups is aomplished.
-o single food supplies all the needed nutrients to maintain good health.
(hoose foods from eah food group eah day to help you meet nutritional
re)uirements.
To ma"e the best hoies within eah food group, it is important to "now the
food groups and the number of servings needed within eah group.
Food Groups:
Grains: breads, ereals, rie: . / 00 servings
Fruits: 1 / 2 servings
Vegetables: 3 / 4 servings
Protein: meat, beans, eggs, nuts: 1 / 3 servings
Dairy: mil", yogurt, heese: 1 / 3 servings
Sweets Fats !ils: 5se sparingly and in moderation.
Healthy Tips:
*at 4 or more servings of fruits and vegetables eah day. *ating fruits
and vegetables by olor an help you remember whih fruits and
vegetables are better than others. *ating fruits and vegetables that are
dar", vibrantly and rihly olored li"e greens, oranges, yellows and
reds arry high nutritional value.
Typially, avoid foods that are bland in olor. Foods that are brown,
gray, and pale yellow often arry little nutritional value. *'eptions to
bland olored foods: !nions, auli6ower, hi"en, tur"ey, and grains in
original form.
Proessed foods from drive7thrus, arry out and fro%en meals do not
have fresh ingredients, arry unhealthy amounts of trans fats and are
hyper rewarding.
Proessed foods are:
High in sugar and trans fats
Lead to !veronsumption
(ontain arti8ial preservatives, olors, 6avors and te'tures.
Low in nutrients and 8ber
Drin":
#$% cups &'($)' ounces* of water a day is the ideal amount that your body
needs to properly funtion. Water is a critical nutrient for our bodies. Dehydration can
cause muscle cramping and fatigue. 9rin"ing any amount of water, espeially when
it is hot outside, will help your body maintain hydration and give your body
needed replenishment.
o 9rin" more water and replenish your eletrolytes during physial
ativity.
o !asional onsumption of a&einated beverages is reasonable, but
remember that moderation is "ey to leading a healthy lifestyle.
(a&einated beverages should be onsumed in moderation. (o&ee, o"es and teas
should not be onsumed on a daily basis. (a&eine wor"s by stimulating the entral
nervous system, heart, musles, and the enters that ontrol blood pressure. !ver
onsumption an ause long term damage and irreversible e&ets. $ater, diet and
green teas, mil" and fruit juies are the most bene8ial and healthiest for
onsumption.
#tivity :deas:
Have students "eep a food log for one wee". Have students "eep tra" of the
number of servings of eah food group they onsume. How many alories do
they onsume eah day; How many ounes of 6uid do they onsume eah
day; !f the 6uids they onsume, how many ounes were water and how
many ounes were other drin"s;
E+ercise
#dolesents and young adults should partiipate in at least .< minutes =0
hour> or more of physial ativity eah day. Strengthening and onditioning
your heart, musles and ore are important priorities for overall health. There
are three di&erent ategories of physial ativity that should be inorporated
into daily ativity routines.
?emember: 9aily e'erise may all for hanges for more protein in our diet.
Three Types of Physial #tivity:
0. #erobi #tivity7 #erobi or endurane ativities inrease your
breathing and heart rate. They "eep your heart, lungs, and irulatory
system healthy and improve your overall 8tness. #s a result, they
delay or prevent many diseases that are ommon in older adults suh
as diabetes and heart disease.
1. ,usle Strengthening7 Strength e'erises ma"e your musles
stronger. *ven small inreases in strength an ma"e a big di&erene in
your ability to stay independent and arry out everyday ativities, suh
as limbing stairs and arrying a full ba"pa".
3. Fle'ibility7 Fle'ibility e'erises streth your musles and an help
your body stay limber. @eing 6e'ible gives you more freedom of
movement for other e'erises as well as for your everyday ativities.
:tAs important to streth before and after physial ativity to help avoid
musle ramping, soreness and injury.
Boung adults an reap health bene8ts from almost any ativity they enjoy,
from s"ateboarding, running, yoga, swimming, daning, or throwing a ball
around with friends. $eight training, under supervision of a )uali8ed adult,
an improve strength and help prevent sports injuries.
Help your students 8nd an ativity they enjoy. Teens an wor" physial
ativity into everyday routines, suh as wal"ing to shool, doing hores, or
8nding an ative part7time job. They an be amp ounselors, babysitters, or
assistant oahes for young sports teams. Help them see" jobs that ome
with a hane to be ative.
,est-Sleep
Sleep e'perts reommend %.# $ / hours of sleep for adolesents and
young adults. To ahieve a healthy lifestyle, sleep must be made a high
priority despite obstales that an get in our way li"e studying, wor"ing and
spending time with friends.
Helpful 0ips
o ,a"e sleep a priority.
o Sleep in a room with little to no light.
o 9o not fall asleep to the T+.
o :nrease your sleep time several wee"s before a ompetition, big
test or important event.
o Co to bed and wa"e up around the same times every day.
o Set alarms to help
o Ta"e daily naps if you donAt get enough sleep eah night.
Sleep is food for the brain. 9uring sleep, important body funtions and brain
ativity our. S"ipping sleep an be harmful D even deadly, partiularly if
you are behind the wheel. Bou an loo" bad, you may feel moody, and you
perform poorly. Sleepiness an ma"e it hard to get along with your family and
friends, hurt your grades and the ability to perform on the ourt or 8eld.
?emember: # brain that is hungry for sleep will get it, even when you donAt
e'pet it.
For e'ample, drowsiness and falling asleep at the wheel ause more than
0<<,<<< ar rashes every year. $hen you do not get enough sleep, you are
more li"ely to have an aident, injury andEor illness.
Cetting the proper amount of sleep an help you ma"e better eating hoies
and manage stress in a more appropriate way.
@iologial sleep patterns shift toward later times for both sleeping and wa"ing
during adolesene. :t is natural to not be able to fall asleep before 00:<< pm.
-o pills, vitamins or drin"s an replae good sleep. (onsuming a&eine lose
to bedtime an hurt your sleep, so avoid o&ee, tea, soda and hoolate late
in the day so you an get to sleep at night.
*stablish a go to sleep and wa"e7time and sti" to it, oming as lose as you
an on the wee"ends. # onsistent sleep shedule will help you feel less tired
sine it allows your body to get in syn with its natural patterns. Bou will 8nd
that itAs easier to fall asleep at bedtime with this type of routine.
#tivity :deas:
Have students "eep a sleep log for one wee". Have students reord what
time they went to sleep and what time they wo"e up. Have them alulate
the number of hours per day they were awa"e versus the number of hours
they were asleep. 9id they go to sleep and wa"e up lose to the same time
eah day; 9id they ta"e naps; :f so, what time of day were the naps and how
long did the naps last;
Have students "eep a sleep journal. 9o they feel they sleep enough; #t what
times during the day do they feel tired or bogged down; $hat an they
hange about their daily routine to get more sleep or feel more rested; Have
the students survey their diet and see if that plays a role into their sleeping
habits. :s their home or room onduive for proper sleeping; ,a"e students
aware of their sleeping habits, so they an see the outside fators that a&et
their overall health.
Hygiene
Feeping your body lean is an important part of "eeping you healthy and
helping you to feel good about yourself.
Bou should brush your teeth twie a day 7 after brea"fast and before
you go to bed. Floss one a day to redue pla)ue build7up.
$ash your fae regularly to help prevent or worsen ane.
(onsult your physiian or a dermatologist if your ane worsens.
9uring the day, drin" water and 8ll your mouth with water and swish it
around to get rid of anything sti"ing to your teeth.
$ash your hands before and after every meal and after using the
restroom to eliminate germs and bateria.
9aily bathing an help "eep your s"in and your body healthy and
strong.
$ashing your hair and trimming your nails on a wee"ly basis an help
avoid ases of lie, bateria or infetion.
$earing deodorant or an antiperspirant an help you avoid body odor
and "eep you smelling fresh throughout the day.
$hen loo" good, you feel good. Ta"ing are of your appearane an
help with on8dene, self7esteem and enourage positivity.
#tivity :deas:
Have grades or individual lasses ompete against eah other to see
who an bring in the most personal hygiene items =e'. soap,
toothbrushes, toothpaste, 6oss>. Find a loal organi%ation or
neighborhood that is in need of personal are items. Have students
ma"e up a basi one page sheet to be attahed with eah individual
are item. The sheet should highlight the basi personal are hygiene
ativities that everyone an ta"e part in =e'. washing hands, brushing
teeth, 6ossing>. #fterwards, have a lass disussion about the
importane of eduating others and being a good role model of
personal hygiene.
1indfulness
Positive thin"ing is a mental attitude that pereives situations in a positive
way. :t is a moment by moment awareness of oneAs own thoughts, feelings
and moods. Pratiing mindfulness on a daily basis an help bring oneAs
fous on the present irumstane.
$hen youGre mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a
distane, without judging them good or bad. :nstead of letting your life pass
you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and opening yourself to
new e'perienes.
,indfulness #ttitude: This time should be used to step away from shool
wor", stress at home, sports pratie and part7time jobs. ,indfulness
re)uires the student to let go and allow their mind to be leared.
o 9evelop your own mindfulness pratie
o (hoose a time to pratie mindfulness
o (reate the proper environment =no phones>
o Cet your peers involved
o Share your own e'perienes =form a personal onnetion by sharing>
o Pratie every day
o ,a"e it a priority to lear your mind and re6et on the positive.
#tivity :deas:
Have students develop a ommunity servie projet that may also help
them build their self7esteem. For e'ample, students an tutor a
younger hild, help oah an elementary level sports team, or assist in
an arts and rafts program for young hildren. Through this proess
you will beome a positive in6uene and role model in your ommunity.
Have students "eep a log of the progress of the hild they are
assisting. ,a"e sure your students note how the hild they are
assisting felt about his or her abilities when they 8rst started and
whether their attitude hanged over the ourse of a ouple of months.
*nourage students to notie signs of improved ability in the subjet or
ativity, suh as more faility in reading, better performane on the
sports 8eld, or more pro8ieny in rafts.
9eep breathing e'erises an help alm stress and an'ious thoughts.
Slowing your breathing an help open your mind to fous on the tas"s
at hand. The purpose of this e'erise is to simply notie, aept and be
aware of your breath / it is not about rela'ation or stress redution,
although this may well our. @reathing is something we all do / if you
have a pulse then you breathe. Bour body "nows how to do thisH it has
done it sine birth. This is simply about breathing mindfully. @reathing
is something you arry with you everywhereH you are just not usually
aware of it.
@y mindfully listening to and observing others around you an disover
a new appreiation for things you ta"e for granted or overloo" on a
daily basis.
Stress Management
Stress is a normal physial response to events that ma"e you feel threatened
or upset your balane in some way. $hen you sense dangerDwhether itAs
real or imaginedDthe bodyGs defenses "i" into high gear in a rapid,
automati proess "nown as the I8ght7or76ight7or7free%eJ reation, or the
stress response.
The stress response is the bodyAs way of proteting you. $hen wor"ing
properly, it helps you stay foused, energeti and alert. :n emergeny
situations, stress an save your lifeDgiving you e'tra strength to defend
yourself, for e'ample, or spurring you to slam on the bra"es to avoid an
aident.
The stress response also helps you rise to meet hallenges. Stress is what
"eeps you on your toes during a presentation at shool, sharpens your
onentration when youAre attempting the game7winning free throw, or
drives you to study for an e'am when youGd rather be wathing T+.
@ut beyond a ertain point, stress stops being helpful and starts ausing
major damage to your health, your mood, your produtivity, your
relationships, and your )uality of life.
How do you respond to stress;
Helpful Tips for ,anaging Stress:
237 #void unneessary stress
Learn how to say 4no5 / Fnow your limits and sti" to them. $hether in
your personal or aademi life, ta"ing on more than you an handle is a
sure8re reipe for stress.
67oid people who stress you out / :f someone onsistently auses stress
in your life and you anAt turn the relationship around, limit the amount of
time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
0a"e control of your en7iron8ent / :f the evening news ma"es you
an'ious, turn the T+ o&. :f traKAs got you tense, ta"e a longer but less7
traveled route.
67oid sensiti7e topics / :f you get upset over religion, sports or politis,
ross them o& your onversation list. :f you repeatedly argue about the same
subjet with the same people, stop bringing it up or e'use yourself when itAs
the topi of disussion.
Prioriti9e your to$do list / #naly%e your shedule, responsibilities, and
daily tas"s. :f youAve got too muh on your plate, distinguish between the
IshouldsJ and the Imusts.J 9rop tas"s that arenAt truly neessary to the
bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.
2: / (hange your situation
E+press your feelings instead of bottling the8 up. :f something or
someone is bothering you, ommuniate your onerns in an open and
respetful way. :f you donAt voie your feelings, resentment will build and the
situation will li"ely remain the same.
Be willing to co8pro8ise. $hen you as" someone to hange their
behavior, be willing to do the same. :f you both are willing to bend at least a
little, youAll have a good hane of 8nding a happy middle ground.
Be 8ore asserti7e. 9onAt ta"e a ba"seat in your own life. 9eal with
problems head on, doing your best to antiipate and prevent them. :f youAve
got an e'am to study for and your hatty roommate just got home, say up
front that you only have 8ve minutes to tal".
1anage your ti8e better. Poor time management an ause a lot of stress.
$hen youAre strethed too thin and running behind, itAs hard to stay alm and
foused. @ut if you plan ahead and ma"e sure you donAt overe'tend yourself,
you an alter the amount of stress youAre under.
2;7 #dapt to the Stressor
,efra8e proble8s. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive
perspetive. ?ather than fuming about a traK jam, loo" at it as an
opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or
enjoy some alone time.
Loo" at the big picture. Ta"e perspetive of the stressful situation. #s"
yourself how important it will be in the long run. $ill it matter in a day;
month; year; :s it really worth getting upset over; :f the answer is no, fous
your time and energy elsewhere.
6d<ust your standards. Perfetionism is a major soure of avoidable stress.
Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfetion. Set reasonable
standards for yourself and others, and learn to be o"ay with Igood enough.J
Focus on the positi7e. $hen stress is getting you down, ta"e a moment to
re6et on all the things you appreiate in your life, inluding your own
positive )ualities and gifts. This simple strategy an help you "eep things in
perspetive.
2'7 #ept the things you anAt hange
Don=t try to control the uncontrollable. ,any things in life are beyond
our ontrolD partiularly the behavior of other people. ?ather than stressing
out over them, fous on the things you an ontrol suh as the way you
hoose to reat to problems.
Loo" for the upside. #s the saying goes, I$hat doesnAt "ill us ma"es us
stronger.J $hen faing major hallenges, try to loo" at them as opportunities
for personal growth. :f your own poor hoies ontributed to a stressful
situation, re6et on them and learn from your mista"es.
Share your feelings. Tal" to a trusted friend fae to fae or ma"e an
appointment with a therapist. The simple at of e'pressing what youAre going
through an be very atharti, even if thereAs nothing you an do to alter the
stressful situation. !pening up is not a sign of wea"ness and it wonAt ma"e
you a burden to others. :n fat, most friends will be 6attered that you trust
them enough to on8de in them, and it will only strengthen your bond.
Learn to forgi7e. #ept the fat that we live in an imperfet world and that
people ma"e mista"es. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from
negative energy by forgiving and moving on.
2#7 ,a"e time for fun and rela'ation
Set aside rela+ation ti8e. :nlude rest and rela'ation in your daily
shedule. 9onAt allow other obligations to enroah. This is your time to ta"e
a brea" from all responsibilities and reharge your batteries.
>onnect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhane your
life. # strong support system will bu&er you from the negative e&ets of
stress.
Do so8ething you en<oy e7ery day. ,a"e time for leisure ativities that
bring you joy, whether it be starga%ing, playing the piano, or wor"ing on your
bi"e.
?eep your sense of hu8or. This inludes the ability to laugh at yourself.
The at of laughing helps your body 8ght stress in a number of ways.
2)7 #dopt a healthy lifestyle
E+ercise regularly. Physial ativity plays a "ey role in reduing and
preventing the e&ets of stress. ,a"e time for at least .< minutes of daily
e'erise. -othing beats aerobi e'erise for releasing bottled7up stress and
tension.
Eat a healthy diet. $ell7nourished bodies are better prepared to ope with
stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with brea"fast, and
"eep your energy up and your mind lear with balaned, nutritious meals
throughout the day.
,educe ca@eine and sugar. The temporary LhighsL a&eine and sugar
provide often end in with a rash in mood and energy. @y reduing the
amount of o&ee, soft drin"s, hoolate, and sugar sna"s in your diet, youAll
feel more rela'ed and youAll sleep better.
Get enough sleep. #de)uate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body.
Feeling tired will inrease your stress beause it may ause you to thin"
irrationally.