Healthy Heart Fortnight’
Starting from 5th March, St Edmund Arrowsmith’s PE Department started a brand new program called ‘Healthy Heart’ which runs to the 20th March. The program consists of three main one-hour long sessions, Everyday First Aid, taught by the British Red Cross, Zumba with our very own Miss Taylor and circuit training with Mr Bradley.
The British Red Cross came in to discuss the issue of the bystander effect and how to perform CPR effectively and safely. A problem that was raised in the session was The Bystander Effect which is when people stand around each thinking that others will help. Over 1500 people in the past 10 years have died in Britain due to less than 30% of the public knowing basic first aid. When we asked Kristen why it was important to teach people first aid so young she replied, “Teaching short, simple steps to first aid can stay with a person for life.”
In this session, year 9 learnt what to do if somebody has collapsed but is still breathin; what to do if somebody has collapsed and isn’t breathing; how to use a defibrillator; what to do if anyone has a stroke; and how to stay calm in situations like these. Having looked on multiple NHS websites, the best way for me to remember what to do is using ‘DR ABC’ The class learnt how to help if you come across an unconscious person. In case you hadn’t guessed, DR ABC isn’t a real doctor. It’s an acronym which we tell people to remember on our first aid courses. Here’s what it stands for:
Danger
Response
Airway
Breathing
Circulation (or compressions)
The chest compressions were particular hard to do as the class practiced on dummies that were modified to be the same hardness a body would be. The class were told to do this for ten minutes which was tiring! I presume in a real life the adrenaline would kick in and you would be able to help them. The British Red Cross did a wonderful job!
In the session with Miss Taylor the year 9 girls were doing Zumba. Zumba is basically movement to music which helps to strengthen your spinal cords and increase cardio. Zumba is a fun, carefree way to shed calories and to keep in shape. Moving and jumping during a Zumba session feels more like a dance party than a workout, which is exactly what makes Zumba so popular. The dance moves were designed to enhance flexibility. Aerobic? Most definitely! The high-and low-intensity intervals make Zumba an excellent cardio workout. ... Traditional Zumba workouts emphasise strengthening the core, while Zumba Toning and Zumba Step workouts incorporate weights to build muscles in the arms and legs. The Latin-inspired dance workout is one of the most popular group exercise classes in the world. You don't need to be a great dancer to feel welcome in a Zumba class. The year 9 class being taught by Miss Taylor had a lot of praise about the subject, “Zumba is such a fun topic to do, and we’re keeping fit and having fun doing it!”
The upbeat songs meant that the class couldn’t keep the smiles off their faces. Two things I found out about Zumba is that it combines two things that are scientifically proven to help relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. Those things are exercise and music. Zumba has helped over 3,000 people in 2016 overcome depression or anxiety. Miss Taylor did the workout with them and by the end everyone was aching, though I’m sure they’ll see the goodness of Zumba in the end!
The third session was with Mr Bradley, who had the boys doing intense circuit training. This improves fitness and is used to show pupils that this is the daily exercise they should do in school and outside of school! Some of the activities involved were press-ups, squats, stretches, exercising the muscles and teaching their peers different activities that they would benefit from. Mr Bradley had them doing a moderate to median work out and it was quite clear that some had never done such a thing in school, never mind outside school!
During this session, Mr Bradley explained to us that he teaches them about the correct way to diet and how the ‘eat well plate’ plays such a big part in athletes everyday lives. He concluded that healthy eating is one of the most important things he discusses with the boys. He told me “Many young people think that PE is about the practical side of things when in fact one of the most important aspects of it is learning about healthy eating and how the body reacts to exercise.”
By Niamh
St Edmund Arrowsmith
