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4.4: Stretch It Out

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• Page ID 2390

Facilitator Notes

When doing this lesson, please remember to remind participants to start gently to avoid injury [Ergonomics, n,d.].

National Health Education Standards (NHES)

• 1.12.1 Predict how healthy behaviors, such as being physically active, can affect health status.
• 7.12.2 Demonstrate a variety of healthy practices and behaviors, such as physical fitness activity, can maintain or improve the health of self and others.

Wellness Guidelines

• Increase frequency of physical activity

• Instruction: In a group or think-pair-share format, have participants discuss the following questions. Acknowledge those who have progressed toward their goal(s) and encourage anyone who wants to change or modify their goal to get 1:1 support.
• How is it going with your current SMART goal?
• What are some ways you can improve progress towards your goal? (Grows)
• What are some ways you are doing well with progress towards your goal? (Glows)

GUIDELINE: Increase frequency of physical activity

• Share: What guideline do you think is related to today’s lesson? Who has a SMART Goal related to this guideline?
• Instruction: Select one activity.
• Guideline Popcorn: The group lists all 8 guidelines rapidly in popcorn format.
• Guideline Charades: Divide participants into groups and assign each a guideline. Each group has to silently act out the guideline for the rest to guess.
• Truth 1: Stretching decreases stress on your muscles.
• Truth 2: Regular physical activity increases self-esteem.
• Lie: Regular physical activity makes you more tired during the day.
• What are your favorite physical activities to do?
• Where do you usually do physical activity?
• What are some exercises you want to try?
• Why might it be important to do flexibility exercises?

• Why flexibility is important for your mobility and recovery.

• Slide presentation
• Dynamic & Static Stretching Handout
• Deck of yoga cards
• A bell (or something that can make a sound)
• Optional: Yoga mats

[ As defined by HHS, 2012; American College of Sports Medicine, 2016; Merriam-Webster Dictionary, n.d. ]

• Fitness: Ability to do daily tasks with energy and without getting tired.
• Flexibility : Exercises that improve the ability of a joint to move through its full range of motion.
• Static stretching: Stretching a muscle (or group of muscles) to its farthest point (such that a stretching sensation is felt) and then holding that position. 10 to 30 seconds of static stretching is recommended to improve flexibility.
• Dynamic stretching: Moving parts of your body through their full range of motion. Often, the reach, or speed of movement, or both are gradually increased.
• Mobility: The quality or state of being mobile or movable.
• Recovery: The act or process of regaining or returning to a normal or usual state.

• Flexibility & Mobility
• Dynamic & Static Stretching
• Say Yes to Yoga
• Exit Ticket

• How often do you stretch before and after you exercise and for how long?
• Lack of time
• Not sure how to stretch
• Forget to stretch
• Why might stretching be good for you?

Good to Know: Flexibility & Mobility

• Stretching helps us get ready to do all the things we like to do in our everyday lives, like playing sports, participating in extracurricular activities, or simply helping with home chores.
• Flexibility is an important part of our fitness. Fitness is the ability to do daily tasks with energy and without getting tired.
• Flexibility improves the ability of our joints to move through their full range of motion. Flexibility helps our mobility or our quality or state of being mobile or movable.
• Stretching also helps with our recovery after exercise. Recovery is the act or process of regaining or returning to a normal or usual state. When we are able to move our arms, legs, hips, and backs with ease, it helps prevent injuries, like sprains and strains.
• There are two kinds of stretching: dynamic and static.
• Dynamic stretching consists of moving parts of your body through their full range of motion. Often, the reach, or speed of movement, or both are gradually increased (American College of Sports Medicine, 2016).
• Meanwhile, static stretching involves moving a muscle (or group of muscles) to its farthest point (such that a stretching sensation is felt) and then holding that position. It is the most common type of stretching, and 10 to 30 seconds of static stretching is recommended to improve flexibility (American College of Sports Medicine, 2016).
• Today, we’ll be looking at how you can become more flexible and find some static and dynamic stretches that you can do as part of your warm up and cool downs or to just stay agile.
• Exercises that improve flexibility are ones that improve the ability of a joint to move through its full range of motion (HHS, 2008). When a person is flexible, it is easy for him or her to move, bend, and stretch.
• Try to touch your toes. Did you bend your knees? If you’re flexible, then you shouldn’t need to.
• Try it again. Does your flexibility increase the more you try? Yes!
• Pretend you are putting sunscreen on your back. Can you do it? Depending on how flexible you are, then you may or may not be able to do it.
• Reaching for/grabbing/lifting items
• Decreasing back pain
• Getting out of bed
• Sweeping floor
• Reduce muscle injuries
• Improve athletic performance
• Increase joint range and motion
• Increase blood flow to muscles

Hands-On : Dynamic & Static Stretching

• So, when should we stretch? Before and after physical activity!
• What kind of stretches should we do before physical activity: dynamic or static?
• Traditional, or "static," stretching, before activity, may lead to decreased muscle strength and performance (Page, 2012).
• Meanwhile, dynamic stretching is a great way to increase blood flow to our tissues, warm-up our muscles, and safely increase our heart rate (Warburton, 2006).
• Consider doing dynamic stretches before and static stretching after a workout.
• Let’s practice some dynamic stretching now.
• Refer to the Dynamic & Static Stretches Handout to demonstrate the stretches.
• Side shuffle: youtu.be/rr-dch4oFRM
• Karaoke: youtu.be/xqaAjeQNAp4
• Backpedal jog: youtu.be/AxUvSfF6Ke0
• High knees: youtu.be/oDdkytliOqE
• Straight leg kick: youtu.be/22TFZuHAs6Y
• Heel to rear jog: youtu.be/-dtvAxibgYQ
• Power skips: youtu.be/OZyxLn80Aus
• Now we will practice some static stretching.
• Have participants do each stretch along with you.
• Arms/shoulders: youtu.be/cWaxxvYsgcY
• Neck: youtu.be/CaPRFm3EZWY
• Upper & mid extensors
• Lower extensors & buttocks

Real World Relevance: Say Yes to Yoga

• Do you know how long people have been doing yoga? More than 5,000 years!
• Yoga is a system of exercises to improve not only your physical health but your mental health. By practicing yoga, you can not only stretch, but release tension in your body by holding different “asanas” (Aa-Suh-Na), or poses, and in your mind with “ujjayi” (U-JjA-Yi), or deep breathing.
• This type of breathing has two steps. First, inhale quietly through your nose, fill your lungs and exhale constricting your throat like you are fogging up a mirror.
• The word yoga comes from an ancient language and means yoke or unites—to bring together your body, mind, and spirit.
• A “yogin” is a male student while a “yogini” is a female student.
• Many yoga poses are based on animals and the different postures they do in nature.
• Yoga has become very popular and is a great way to strengthen your abilities by increasing flexibility, staying power (endurance), and your ability to focus.
• While there are so many physical activities that build your muscles and strength, but many times, other parts of your body are left out.
• Because yoga is a full body workout, it can help check any imbalances in your muscles.
• Yoga strengthens, tones, and stretches your muscles, helping to increase your flexibility. And as we have learned if your body is flexible you will be less likely to get injured.
• Yoga incorporates both static and dynamic stretching too!
• And if that isn’t enough to convince you to try yoga, it also can help you concentrate better and feel less stressed out.
• When do we practice yoga? Many of the yoga poses or postures can be done anywhere at any time—even taking 10-15 minutes each day to practice yoga can help you become more flexible and less stressed (NIH, 2013).
• Now, we’ll go over some basic yoga poses.
• Find a place to sit in the room where you feel comfortable and won’t be distracted.
• Look for a space that is large enough for you to stretch upwards as well as to the sides.
• While you are doing the stretches, remember to inhale when you try upward and expanded movements, and exhale during downward or forward bending motions.
• The display on the board or projector or hand each participant a yoga card (refer to hand out) and have them practice that one (1) pose for 1-2 minutes.
• Tell them to concentrate on each position while practicing the ujjayi” (U-JjA-Yi), or deep breathing. It is important for them to move slowly making controlled movements until they feel their muscles tensing and resisting (they should feel their muscles stretching, not straining).
• Now ask each participant to turn to the person on their right or left and teach each other the poses they just learned.

Exit Ticket:

• What type of stretches (dynamic or static) do you normally do and why?
• What were some of your favorite stretches/yoga poses from today?
• What are some ways you are going to add stretches to your routine?

Bibliography

• American College of Sports Medicine. (2016). Improving Your Flexibility and Balance. Retrieved From: http://www.acsm.org/public-informati...ty-and-balance
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Yoga activity card. Retrieved From: https://www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards/yoga.html
• NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2013). Yoga: In Depth. Retrieved From: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga/introduction.htm
• The University of Virginia. (n.d.). Ergonomics. Retrieved From: http://ehs.virginia.edu/Ergonomics-Dynamic.html
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Retrieved From: https://health.gov/paguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf
• Warburton DER, Nicol CW, Bredin SSD. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal 174(6):801-809.

• Yoga with Adriene. (2013). Yoga for Complete Beginners. Retrieved From: youtu.be/v7AYKMP6rOE

• HASfit. (2012). Dynamic stretching warm-up exercises. Retrieved From: youtu.be/uW3-Ue07H0M

• HASfit. (2016).15 Min static stretching exercises for beginners. Retrieved From: youtu.be/yOxDeD4sPcE

This lesson was created in partnership with Albert Einstein College of Medicine Department of Epidemiology and Population Health with funding support by the National Institutes of Health NIDDK Grant R01DK097096.

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Breadcrumbs

Homework: How Much is Too Much?

We’ve settled into our regular school routines and I’m sure we’re all, on one level or another, dealing with our kids’ homework.  Our regular guest blogger Barbara Marques brings us her personal insight to homework struggles at home and then lends her professional experience as a teacher to give us some hints and tips in how to handle that daily workload.

  By Barbara Marques

When my oldest daughter was in first grade, we were spending more than an hour a night on math, reading and spelling homework.  By September of her second grade year, we were already up to over two hours a night!

The Daily Drama

At homework time, my daughter’s sweet personality would change before my eyes. She became frustrated and angry – and things only went downhill from there. At one point, I contacted her teacher and kindly suggested that she back off on the homework. I was faced with an interesting irony.  As a teacher, I firmly believed in the value of homework and assigned it nightly. As a parent, I was overwhelmed by the volume assigned to my child!

How Much is Too Much Homework?

Just how much homework should elementary students have? The National Education Association (NEA) endorses the following guidelines:  10-20 minutes of homework for 1 st graders, ten minutes per grade level for 2 nd through 12 th graders (for example, 20 minutes for a 2 nd grader or 50 minutes for a 5 th grader). 

The Important Functions of Homework

As a teacher, I know that elementary school homework has many important functions. For example, there is power in repeated practice (just ask any math or reading teacher). Homework also helps young children develop study skills, organization (using a daily planner) and accountability. As parents, we can view homework as an opportunity to work one-on-one with our children and communicate that education matters. It allows us to see firsthand where our children struggle.

How to Deal with Too Much Work

If your elementary child is spending more than an hour a night on homework, a parent-teacher conference is in order. In my case, my daughter’s homework struggle was an indicator of a bigger problem – dyslexia – which may have been overlooked for another couple of years if I hadn’t gone in to talk with the teacher about how long it was taking us to get through a chapter book in the 2 nd grade.  

The Procrastination Factor

Sometimes teachers genuinely overdo it with homework – sometimes our kids just make it seem that way.  A distracted child (mine included) can take a 20 minute assignment and stretch it out over an hour or longer. (Try to sitting in the same, quiet room with them to keep them on task.)  Add a little procrastination to the mix – like they’ve had two weeks to read a chapter book and create a shoebox diorama, but didn’t start until 8:00 tonight – and a valid homework can suddenly seem excessive. 

There are Guidelines

Most school districts have implemented guidelines on how much homework should be assigned. When I taught middle school, we were asked to keep homework time down to 15 minutes per core subject.  As a general rule, the educational benefit of any work your child’s teacher sends home should equal the time spent on it – if not, they’re just doing busy work. If your district has no guidelines in place, consider speaking up at the next school board meeting.

Barbara Marques is a former Texas math and social studies teacher and the mother of two elementary school-aged daughters.

Leave us a comment if you have found good solutions in your home for getting through homework or if you just want to vent?

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Not Just Cute

Whole Child Development

Stretching Words – Playful Ways to Practice Phonemic Awareness

June 10, 2011 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers 13 Comments

Do you remember as an early reader, struggling with a word and being told to “sound it out”?  Well, the act of breaking a written word into its various parts requires several skills, but none of them do the reader any good unless that child has a strong sense of phonemic awareness.

Phonemic awareness is one of the number one predictors of reading success.   And yet it’s a skill many people have never heard of.    Here’s the quick explanation: Phonemes are the individual sounds in words.  Before children can read the sounds in words, they need to be able to hear, isolate, and manipulate the sounds in words.  (For a more in-depth explanation of the terms and and components of phonemic and phonological awareness, check out an earlier post, Do You Hear That? )

One activity that helps children hear, segment, and blend phonemes is stretching words .  Using a rubber band or a slinky, I show the children how I can stretch the item and snap it back together.  I have the children illustrate using their own hands as well, starting with their palms together, stretching the hands apart and then snapping them back together into a clap.  (Sound and motion — the kids are sucked right in!)

Now that they have the visual and physical concept of slowly stretching and snapping back together, we start stretching some words.  With each sound in the word, stretch your hands, slinkies, or rubber bands slightly farther.  So, to segment the word cat, you have three phonemes: /c/ /a/ /t/.  For turn: /t/ /ur/ /n/.

Once they’re familiar with this activity, you can use it as a mystery word game .  Slowly stretch out a word and have the children “snap” the word back together to solve the mystery!  Take turns giving the clues so that children get practice both with segmenting and blending (blending may be easier than segmenting at first).  Use it in transitions, stretching out the children’s names, group names, areas of the room they need to move to, or the locomotor pattern they should use.  You can also use this technique in games like I Spy and Simon Says.

Hap Palmer has a wonderful song that utilizes this skill called Secret Word on the album, One Little Sound .  (Check it out on iTunes to hear a sample and pick it up for yourself.)  In the song, different actions (clap, tip-toe, march, etc.) are stretched out and the children are given a few beats to put the sounds back together and then follow the action.  It’s a fun, active song the kid’s love.  Plus, the album also includes an instrumental track so that you can create your own new versions of the song to keep the kiddies on their toes.

When a child has built a foundation of stretching and snapping words, it’s a very natural step to combine that ability with a growing knowledge of the alphabetic principle and phonics to actually begin “sounding out” words.  Just another way that our kids begin to read before ever studying a word on a page.

Top photo by Megan Brock .

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June 10, 2011 at 8:03 am

Such a great post! As a reading specialist, I use this all of the time! So important! Thank you!

June 10, 2011 at 2:13 pm

Thanks, Angie. I always love to hear from the reading specialists. Thanks for what you do!

June 10, 2011 at 9:42 am

This is so true. Our grandson who is seven is home schooled and he is reading at 4th-5th grade level because of sounding out words and ‘digesting the meaning of them’. He will pick up a ‘normal’ adult reader and read it perfectly. It really is the only way to teach children my husband who was raised in Idaho learned to read by sight and memorizing ‘parts’ of words and to this day he still has trouble spelling. Simple sounding out and breaking down makes the words so easy. bless you as you pass on the good word.

June 10, 2011 at 2:17 pm

Thanks, Sharon. Unfortunately there is sometimes an unecessary debate between phonics and whole-language instruction. It really isn’t an either/or situation, there’s a need for both. Readers need a full arsenal of reading and decoding tools. Children need to know how to “sound out” words, but they also need to know parts of words, or else words like “night” and “through” will never make any sense. Children also need exposure to words in a meaningful, whole-language context. The danger isn’t in one approach or the other, it is in only using one approach or the other. Thanks for reading and taking the time to contribute!

June 14, 2011 at 1:45 pm

I like your idea of the slinky- it’s great way of visualizing a concept that’s often difficult for kids. Great tool for visual learners! For older kids who can read but still have trouble with blending or segmentation, I like to “make words” using letter cards for simple words.

I start out by placing the letter cards at a distance from each other, and the child sounds out each letter. With each reading I urge the kids to say it faster, moving the letter cards closer to each other while they read. We also practice saying words that are a little bit different than the first word (mat/sat), and the child has to remove the letter and replace it with the correct one.

June 14, 2011 at 2:26 pm

Thanks Rachel! I have to give credit, I first saw the slinky idea in a workshop with the district reading specialist back in my first grade teaching days years ago. I enjoy making words as well. It’s fun to manipulate words by having the children change mat to sat to hat to fat. It makes the task more concrete and tactile. It’s something I think is worthwhile for prereaders to build phonemic awareness as well – with or without the letters – just to hear the sounds changing and to talk about what sounds have been taken away and added. Thanks for sharing your ideas, Rachel!

April 19, 2014 at 11:29 am

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[…] Stretching Words – Playful Ways to Practice Phonemic Awareness : Not Just Cute […]

[…] to busily put letters down on the paper.  I could hardly contain my excitement as I watched him stretch out the words to his story and scratch out his inventive spelling (an important concept Mariah […]

[…] the print we will be working with).  Next, I brought out the printed words for each picture.  We stretched out the words and matched them to their pictures.  Then we placed the words and pictures together in a pocket […]

[…] is his ability to sound out the phonetics of a word, it is almost as strong as his ability to stretch out the words.  As I read I would pause and ask one of the six essential questions of the night.  I made a […]

[…] is his ability to sound out the phonetics of a word, it is almost as strong as his ability to stretch out the words.  As I read I would pause and ask one of the six essential questions of the night.  I made a […]

[…] Speaking of meaning, there are plenty of words in this book that actually don’t mean anything.  Nonsense words that won’t be found in any dictionary or on any vocabulary tests.  These silly words not only get kids giggling, but they help beginning readers recognize that words are a combination of sounds and that sometimes even adults need to stretch out the words. […]

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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• Teaching & Schools
• Coaching & Practice

04.03.13 TLaC 2.0: Adding Stretch It to No Opt Out (video)

I’m especially excited because I always learn a ton from the smart and reflective folks at Aspire.   They take the tools we’ve developed and adapt and improve on them.  The fact that many of the top schools and networks and districts do this has resulted in our development, in the last year or two, of 2.0 techniques.  These are basically adaptations and additions to make the original Teach Like a Champion techniques stronger.  One of the 2.0 ideas we’ve recently added is the idea of combining Stretch It to No Opt Out to make it more rigorous and positive.  The idea is that after you go back to a student to make sure the sequence ends with his getting it right, it’s even better if you can ask him another question to let him apply the idea, show how much he can do, maybe even shine a little.

Just the other day we cut a really great example of a teacher combining Stretch It and No Opt Out, and fittingly, it comes from our colleagues at Aspire Public Schools.

This clip is from the 10 th and 11 th grade math classroom of Sarah Salazar .  She’s just gone over a complex model problem and is about to send her kids off to do more problems like it for homework.  Wisely, she Checks For Understanding , using Cold Call to direct specific questions to a variety of students.  When one of them struggles, she goes to No Opt Out but then follows up by asking him a series of similar questions that let him practice the key skill and show others (and himself) that he can master the skill in question .

Great stuff, Sarah!

And looking forward to seeing all you great Aspire folks tomorrow!

One Response to “TLaC 2.0: Adding Stretch It to No Opt Out (video)”

I had this in mind as I was designing a No Opt Out example for ExitTicket users: http://exitticket.org/instructional-strategy-no-opt-out/

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5 Study Break Stretches to Help You Reboot

After hours of sitting scrunched up in front of your laptop, it’s likely that you’ll start to feel an ache here or there. Sitting for long periods of time could negatively impact your health, including straining the lower back. These five simple—and totally library appropriate—static stretches can help you relax, reboot, and ready yourself for another hour of hard work.

The Butterfly Stretch

• Seat yourself facing the back of your chair, keeping your back straight.
• Interlock your fingers behind your head so that your elbows are on either side of your ears.
• Pull your shoulder blades together, putting pressure on your upper back and chest area.
• Hold for three to five seconds and relax. Repeat three times.

The Rear Region Stretch

• Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight.
• Place your left foot on your right knee.
• Lean forwards and grab your right ankle, or far enough that you feel your quads and buttocks stretch on your left leg.
• Switch sides and repeat.

The Wrist and Forearm Stretch

• Reach one arm forward with your palm faced away from you.
• With your other hand reach for your fingertips and pull them towards your body.
• With the same arm reaching forwards, move your hand so that your palm is now facing you.
• Pull your fingers with the other hand.
• Switch to the other arm and repeat.

The Classic Neck Stretch

• Hold the bottom of your chair with your right hand.
• Reach for your right ear with your left hand.
• Slowly and gently, tug your head towards your left shoulder for 10 seconds.  
• Repeat on the other side.

The Back Twist

• Sit towards the back of your chair, with your back straight and your feet securely planted on the ground.
• Place your right hand on the top right corner of your chair.
• Place your left hand below your right hand on the side of the chair.
• Twist your body to the right, keeping the lower half of your body in place.
• Hold for three to five seconds and repeat on the other side.

by Jane Lee

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• 12 Ways to Exercise While You Study. You Can Do #7 on the Go.
• Blog & News

Exercise not only makes your body healthy – it makes your brain healthy too. Studies have shown that exercising can improve your thinking skills . Plus, it’ll help you retain information better. So here are eight – wait, 12 ways to exercise? Oh boy. Get ready to feel the burn.

• Run on an elliptical or treadmill

This one’s easy. Just pop into AUA’s on-campus gym , put your study materials in front of you, and run. Let studying distract you from the fact that you’re running. When you’re on the machines, make sure to gradually increase your incline level. To end your work out, return the incline to your starting level and cool down. Also fun: imagine you’re running away from a bear or towards your goals – hey, whatever motivates you.

• Chair squats

Studying requires a lot of sitting, which can make you antsy, but getting up too often can invite procrastination. Well, this exercise splits the difference. All you have to do is stand up from your chair and squat halfway – hovering over your chair. Hold this for ten seconds and then repeat about twenty times. Here’s a visual to get an idea of how to do it right.

• Wall sitting

This is kind of like #2 but you get some back support and it’s easier to hold for longer. You can also change it up a little by lifting one leg at a time, which will make you feel extra cool. If you’re a klutz like me, you may  prefer this option rather than risk fumbling backwards into a chair. Happens every time.

• Abdominal lifts

You can even sneak in some upper-body workouts while you memorize all the organs in your torso (medical school, right?). This only works if your chair has handles and isn’t a swivel . First – crisscross your legs on the seat. Then, only using your arms for support, lift up your body from the chair. You can also use this to fool people into believing you can levitate – as long as they don’t see your arms.

Swivel chairs – they’re the most fun chairs around. Seriously, how many times have you used one to just roll around? Now they can be put to good use with the oblique swivel ! First, hold onto your desk. Then use your arms to push yourself back and forth about 15-times. So, the next time someone judges you for choosing a swivel chair, show off your killer abs.

Too absorbed by your lecture notes to stand up? Understandable. That’s why lifting up your legs and holding them at a 90-degree angle for about 10-seconds at a time is the best thing ever for a lazy person like myself. After all, I do my entire exercise regimen from my desk – even when I’m not working.

• Water bottle curls

When you’re on the go, you probably have a water bottle with you to stay hydrated. If you don’t, you should, by the way. Well, now you can multitask. Just like lifting weights, curl that water bottle up to your shoulder about 15-times to get a quick and easy workout. This will help build strength in your wrists , which will you’ll probably need to take tests and whatnot. Or operate – wherever you’re at academically or professionally.

• Stretch to the sky

This one is also relatively simple. Sit up straight and raise your arms to the sky . You’ll never get there but, after holding that position for 10-seconds or so, you’ll feel refreshed. This is especially nice after a legit workout. Note: please don’t do this in class, lest you want to confuse your professor.

• Hold onto the edge of your seat

You may find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat during a good thriller, but have you tried holding that position? That’s slightly cooler. Sitting at the very edge of your seat with your hands firmly gripping the chair will keep your body weight down . Also, make sure this is not a swivel chair. That’s more of a #5 thing. Pro-tip: playing “The Touch” by Stan Bush will make this exercise go ten times faster.

10. Resistance bands

Remember Stretch Armstrong? That was cool. He was apparently ripped because he could stretch. Now you can be ripped too with resistance bands! These bands are usually cheap and you can take them anywhere. Put the band in both hands and stretch it as far as you can .

11. Replace your chair with a fitness ball

Chairs are so 2010. You’ll be doing a lot of sitting while you pour over your textbooks and notes. Why not have a chair that doubles as exercise equipment? A fitness ball will tone your core muscles and improve your balance . Plus, it’s bouncy, which is slightly more fun than a swivel chair.

None of this working for you? Shrug it off. Literally, shrug. Move your shoulders as close as you can to your ears for about five seconds and repeat. It’ll strengthen your trapezius muscles and relieve any stress building up in your shoulders. Bonus: doing it while you study will make it easier to retain whatever you’re studying.

Got any quick fitness tips? Tell us in the comments!

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Why I Chose AUA:

“I was confident going into AUA because of their leadership. It was clear to me from the beginning that the staff and administration from top to bottom were pioneers and leaders in medical education. They showed a great deal of commitment by investing in constructing a brand new state of the art campus while I was there. Although the new campus opened shortly after I left the island, it was encouraging to watch its construction. It let us know that AUA was committed to investing back into its students, and are here to stay for years to come.”

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5 tips to stretch out footwear

N ew shoes often require some stretch out, especially due to the materials that can initially feel snug around the feet, resulting in an uncomfortable fit. Whether it's a stylish chunky sneaker or a well-fitted pair of boots, closed footwear can sometimes lead to discomfort. Wearing shoes that are too tight not only risks blisters but also affects the wearer's confidence.

To mitigate this issue, one strategy is to purchase shoes that are half an inch wider than the actual foot size, allowing for a more comfortable fit. However, there are various effective methods available to address this problem. Techniques such as using a shoe stretcher, applying stretching sprays, wearing thick socks while breaking in the shoes, or seeking professional help from a cobbler can all aid in achieving a comfortable fit for new shoes.

Explore five ways to stretch out footwear

1) begin the homework.

An effortless method to stretch out footwear is by wearing it around the house. Certain materials possess natural stretchability that gradually loosens with consistent wear.

While this method proves effective, it's essential to note that extended wear for prolonged periods may lead to discomfort or pain. To achieve a comfortable fit without causing discomfort, wearing the shoes frequently but for shorter durations can be a beneficial approach.

2) Keep using hairdryer

A hairdryer can be a useful tool in stretching tight shoes. While getting ready or styling hair, the opportunity to stretch tight shoes arises. However, it's crucial to exercise caution when using heat appliances. The method involves wearing a thick sock and sliding the foot into the shoe, followed by using the hairdryer.

When using the hairdryer, it's important to keep a safe distance to prevent any risk of burning or damage. Carefully slide the dryer's barrel around the areas where the shoe feels tight, allowing the heat to gradually expand and stretch the material. It's advisable to avoid applying this method to shoes made from materials like PVC or plastic, as they might not respond well to heat and could potentially get damaged.

3) Ice bag magic

Using ice is another effective method to stretch out footwear by leveraging its unique properties to expand the shoe material. The process is straightforward: place a water-filled plastic bag inside the shoe and put it in the freezer. Allowing approximately 6-8 hours for the water to freeze into ice will gradually expand the shoe material, effectively stretching it and enhancing the overall fit.

4) The Sprays and chemicals

When pressed for time and unable to invest effort in manually stretching out footwear , purchasing a stretching spray emerges as an excellent solution. These specialized sprays are specifically designed to facilitate the stretching of tight areas in shoes.

Simply spraying the solution onto the tight spots and allowing it some time to work can effectively expand the shoe material, offering a convenient and efficient method for stretching out footwear.

5) See shoe professional

For shoe enthusiasts, acquiring the perfect pair of sneakers or leather boots is a passion, and wearing them with discomfort diminishes the experience. In cases where previous remedies for discomfort or tightness don't yield the desired results, consulting shoe professionals to stretch out the footwear becomes a great option.

Shoe professionals possess the expertise and specialized tools to address shoe discomfort more effectively, ensuring a customized and optimal solution for a more comfortable and enjoyable wearing experience.

Wearing a cherished pair of shoes with discomfort can dampen the joy of owning them. Simple remedies like wearing socks to alleviate pain and prevent blisters to some extent, or placing a potato in the shoes for a period to aid in stretching, are common DIY methods.

However, if these remedies fail to provide relief, seeking assistance from shoe professionals is advisable. Shoe professionals possess the expertise to offer tailored solutions, ensuring a more effective and personalized approach to address discomfort or fit issues in footwear.

8 Stretches You Should Do While Watching TV To Boost Your Health

If you're like most Americans, there's a good chance you're sedentary for the majority of your waking hours. According to one recent survey, Americans sit an average of 13 hours a day and sleep an average of 8 hours—and there's a growing body of research showing our sedentary ways is not helping our health .

"It's become clear that too much sitting can increase your risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, as well as having negative effects on metabolism and even causing premature death," says Jessica Matthews, author of Stretching to Stay Young: Simple Workouts to Keep You Flexible, Energized, and Pain-Free . "And watching TV is yet another time when many of us are sedentary."

That's why Matthews suggests doing a simple stretching routine instead of staying camped out on your couch while your favorite show is on. "It's a perfect time to add more movement to your day, which can improve your overall health and wellbeing," she says. "I personally enjoy using TV time to sneak in some stretching." (Got 10 minutes? Then you've got time to lose the weight for good with Prevention's new 10-minute workouts and 10-minute meals. Here's how to get started .)

Here, Matthews shares her favorite 8 stretches that can be performed in your bedroom or living room while you're watching TV.

Self-Myofascial Release For Glutes

This move targets tight, restricted areas of your fascia as well as the glutes.

How-to: Sitting on a foam roller with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, place your right hand on the ground with your fingers angled away from your body directly behind the foam roller. Keep your left leg bent, extend your right leg fully, and angle your body slightly, shifting your weight to your right so the roller is positioned underneath your backside. Roll your body back and forth on the foam roller using small (2- to 6-inch) continuous movements, applying gentle pressure to any tender areas. Roll for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat. (You can also add these foam rolling exercises  into your routine.)

Here's how to use your foam roller to ease back pain:

Prevention Premium:   5 Foam Rolling Moves That Can Ease Your Aches And Pains—Physically And Emotionally

Hinge And Reach

This dynamic stretch is an ideal warm-up move for a wide variety of everyday tasks.

How-to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed alongside your body, and palms facing each other. Keeping a soft bend in your knees and maintaining an elongated spine, hinge at the hips, pressing your glutes back while stretching your arms in front of you at shoulder height, palms still facing each other. Thrust your hips slightly forward and return to a standing position while simultaneously swinging your arms slightly back behind the body. Repeat 10 times. (You can get incredible results by adding stretching to your daily activities. Here's how .)

Arm Circles

This stretch will increase your range of motion in your shoulders .

How-to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Extend your arms out to your sides at shoulder height, palms facing down. With your elbows extended, slowly begin circling both arms forward simultaneously, starting with small circles and gradually making larger circles. Once you complete circling your arms forward, switch directions, making small circles with your arms first and increasing the size of the circles backward to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions per side, 5 in each direction.

MORE:   6 Simple Moves To Ease Sciatica

Ankle Circles

This dynamic range-of-motion exercise loosens your ankle joints, which can make you more comfortable when walking , running , and hiking (see the best 50 walks in America from Prevention Premium). Additionally, making sure your ankle joints are able to move more freely can help reduce knee pain.

How-to: Sit near the edge of a chair with both feet firmly planted on the floor and your hands resting on your thighs. Lift your right foot off the floor and extend your right leg slightly away from your body. Without moving your lifted leg, move your foot in a circular motion clockwise at the ankle. Complete this movement, then repeat it going counterclockwise. Perform 10 repetitions per side, 5 in each direction, then repeat with the left foot.

Wrist-Flexor Stretch

After spending long periods of time with your wrists in a flexed position, such as when you're typing or talking on the phone, this stretch will help alleviate any discomfort.

How-to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Interlace your fingers and flip your palms to face away from your body. Raise your arms to shoulder height and extend your elbows, while simultaneously pushing your palms away from your body. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds.

MORE:   Why Is Everyone Suddenly Drinking Aloe Juice?

Assisted Low Lunge

This stretch targets your quads and hip flexors , muscles that are often strong but tight—especially great if you spend long periods of time seated at work or run or cycle often.

How-to: Start by kneeling on a folded towel or thin pillow with your toes tucked under and the balls of your feet pressed against a wall. Step your right foot forward, bending your right knee about 90 degrees. Keep your right knee in line with the second toe of your right foot. Slide your left knee back slightly so the top of your foot is now resting against the wall and your toes point toward the ceiling, creating a stretch on the top of your left thigh and in your hip. Hold this stretch with your hands on top of your thigh for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.

Bound Angle

This stretch for your inner thighs is beneficial if you participate in recreational activities like cross-country skiing or dancing. (If you want to tone up your inner thighs, try these 3 moves .)

How-to: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and draw the soles of your feet together. Let your knees release away from each other. Place your hands on the tops of your feet or just above your ankles while keeping the outer edges of your feet in contact with the floor. Inhale and maintain length in your spine. Exhale, lean slightly forward, draw your chest toward your heels, and press your elbows gently into your thighs. Hold for 30 seconds.

MORE:   The Surprising Way Gentle Yoga Can Help You Lose Serious Weight

Half Lord of the Fishes

This stretch is beneficial if you suffer from hip and lower back pain , including sciatica .

How-to: Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched in front of you. Bend your right knee and step your right foot over your left thigh, planting your right foot on the floor outside your left knee. Place your right hand behind your right hip with your fingers pointed away from your body. Inhale and lift your left arm toward the ceiling while lengthening your spine. Exhale, gently rotate your torso to the right, hugging your right knee with your left arm or hooking your left elbow outside your right knee. Gaze over your right shoulder, if you can manage it. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

These exercises are excerpted from Stretching to Stay Young: Simple Workouts to Keep You Flexible, Energized, and Pain-Free by Jessica Matthews. 

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Kansas basketball coach Bill Self envisions his team being as good at it’s ever been, soon

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball didn’t reach the heights it set out for this past season.

The Jayhawks (23-11) fell short in the race for the Big 12 Conference’s regular season championship. They suffered a quick exit from the Big 12 tournament. And while they were able to advance to the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, that’s where the season came to an end.

While KU coach Bill Self pointed out earlier in the month to how the team still accomplished a lot, compared to what many programs experience across the country, he didn’t let the conversation end there. As he spoke at the team’s end-of-season banquet, he didn’t rest on Kansas entering the NCAA tournament as one of the top 16 teams — a No. 4 seed — in the nation.

Instead, he highlighted that they wouldn’t want the expectations around the program to be any different, and pledged the team would be as good as it’s ever been in the near future.

RELATED: How Kansas basketball’s roster looks next season after transfer portal, recruiting

RELATED: AJ Storr, a highly sought-after college transfer, commits to join Kansas basketball

Here are a few takeaways from Self’s reflection on the season, and what he had to say about what’s next:

While Kansas started out well, it lost momentum down the stretch

What Self felt was an up-and-down year started off well during the team’s trip to Puerto Rico. It continued to go well as the season went through its early stages, starting out 12-1 with non-conference wins against Kentucky, Tennessee, UConn, Missouri and Indiana — the lone loss to Marquette. But in the first month of Big 12 play, Kansas let a couple road games against UCF and West Virginia, as Self put it, get away from them.

Those two losses put Kansas in a tough spot in the Big 12 title race, and then injuries — to key members of a team that lacked depth — started to play a pivotal role. The Jayhawks didn’t play well enough to overcome their roster issues, which spread further than just injury status. There wasn’t the same momentum down the stretch Self’s team had when it all began.

Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar Jr. could have been first team All-Americans

Both senior center Hunter Dickinson and graduate senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. earned national acclaim for their play last season. Dickinson even became a consensus, second-team All-American. But neither enjoyed the season Self thought they could have, had they both been able to remain healthy.

Self thought Dickinson and McCullar were on their way to becoming first team All-Americans. McCullar, though, missed time during Big 12 play and wasn’t able to finish the season. Dickinson played injury during Big 12 play and like McCullar missed the Big 12 tournament.

NIL will be an important part of Kansas’ efforts moving forward

Self said, in theory, an athlete being able to profit off of their own name, image and likeness (NIL) is good. Self also mentioned there being issues with the current NIL landscape. But he made it clear: if Kansas wants to compete at the highest level of the game, NIL is going to be something the Jayhawks are involved in.

Self said this is the time when they need support for his team. He also mentioned a need to support KU, too. It’s a part of college athletics now, and one everyone must navigate.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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12 jurors have been picked for Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Selection of alternates is ongoing

A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump’s history-making hush money trial. (AP Production: Javier Arciga)

Two jurors in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial were dismissed Thursday, one after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair and impartial and the other over concerns that some of his answers in court may not have been accurate.

A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump’s history-making hush money trial, propelling the proceedings closer to opening statements and the start of weeks of dramatic testimony.

Former President Donald Trump holds up news clippings as he speaks following his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/Pool Photo via AP)

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Former President Donald Trump speaks with the media while holding news clippings following his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York.(Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York.(Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump speaks alongside attorney Todd Blanche as they return from a lunch break in his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

Former President Donald Trump gestures, while he returns to Manhattan criminal court in New York, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump walks out of the courtroom during a break at Manhattan criminal court in New York, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

Former President Donald Trump, second from left, watches juror number d2 speak at the podium to Judge Juan Merchan in Manhattan criminal court regarding her desire to be excused from the jury after " sleeping on it” and having concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial, Thursday, April 18, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, Pool)

Former President Donald Trump, seated far left, looks on with Judge Juan Merchan presiding as members of the jury panel answer questions from the jury questionnaire in Manhattan criminal court Thursday, April 18, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, Pool)

Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump holds up news clippings as he speaks following his trial at Manhattan criminal court in New York on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Attorney Todd Blanche listens at left. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury selection in New York, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury selection in New York, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump’s history-making hush money trial , propelling the proceedings closer to opening statements and the start of weeks of dramatic testimony.

The court quickly turned to selecting alternate jurors, with the process on track to wrap up by the end of the week. Prosecutors could begin presenting their case early next week.

What to know about Trump’s hush money trial:

• Trump will be first ex-president on criminal trial. Here’s what to know about the hush money case.
• A jury of his peers: A look at how jury selection will work in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial .
• Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, and a civil lawsuit. You can track all of the cases here.

The jury of Manhattanites includes a sales professional, a software engineer, a security engineer, a teacher, a speech therapist, multiple lawyers, an investment banker and a retired wealth manager.

The first-ever trial of a former American president is unfolding in New York during this year’s race for the White House, meaning the presumptive Republican nominee will spend his days in court confronted by salacious and unflattering testimony about his personal life while simultaneously campaigning to reclaim the office he held for four years.

He’s made clear his determination to use his legal jeopardy, already a central issue in the race against Democratic incumbent Joe Biden, to his advantage. After a full day of jury selection, he complained to reporters that he should have been out campaigning but was in court instead for what he said was a “very unfair trial.”

“Everybody’s outraged by it,” he said. “You know the whole world’s watching this New York scam.”

Jury selection proceeded at a plodding pace earlier Thursday when two jurors were dismissed, one after expressing doubt about her ability to be fair following disclosure of details about her identity and the other over concerns that some of his answers in court may have been inaccurate.

But lawyers who began the day with only five jurors settled on the remaining seven in quick succession, along with one alternate. Judge Juan Merchan has said his goal is to have six alternates.

The process of picking a jury is a critical phase in any criminal trial but especially so when the defendant is a former president and the presumptive Republican nominee. Prospective jurors have been grilled on their social media posts, personal lives and political views as the lawyers and judge search for any bias that would prevent them from being impartial.

Inside the court, there’s broad acknowledgment of the futility in trying to find jurors without knowledge of Trump. A prosecutor this week said lawyers were not looking for people who had been “living under a rock for the past eight years.”

Former president Donald Trump, comments after visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

To that end, multiple jurors chosen for the panel acknowledged having personal opinions of Trump or his presidency.

One juror, a man who works in investment banking, earlier described himself as “ambivalent” about Trump, adding, “I might not like some of his policies, but there has been some good” for the country.

A woman picked for the jury said she thought Trump seemed “very selfish and self serving,” adding, “I don’t really appreciate that from any public servant.” Defense lawyers were out of peremptory strikes, which would allow them to dismiss a juror without giving a reason.

The trial centers on a $130,000 payment that Michael Cohen , Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer, made to porn actor Stormy Daniels to prevent her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public in the final days of the 2016 race.

Prosecutors say Trump obscured the true nature of the payments in internal records when his company reimbursed Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 and is expected to be a star witness for the prosecution.

Former President Donald Trump addresses the media following the second day of jury selection, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at Manhattan criminal court in New York. Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during his 2016 campaign. (Justin Lane/Pool Photo via AP)

Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and his lawyers argue that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He could get up to four years in prison if convicted, though it’s not clear that the judge would opt to put him behind bars. Trump would almost certainly appeal any conviction.

Trump faces four criminal cases, but it’s not clear that any others will reach trial before the November election. Appeals and legal wrangling have caused delays in the other three cases charging Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020 election results and with illegally hoarding classified documents .

The jury selection process picked up momentum Tuesday with the selection of seven jurors. But on Thursday, Merchan revealed in court that one of the seven, a cancer nurse, had “conveyed that after sleeping on it overnight she had concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial in this case.”

And though jurors’ names are being kept confidential, the woman told the judge and the lawyers that she had doubts after she said aspects of her identity had been made public.

“Yesterday alone I had friends, colleagues and family push things to my phone regarding questioning my identity as a juror,” she said. “I don’t believe at this point that I can be fair and unbiased and let the outside influences not affect my decision making in the courtroom.”

A second seated juror was dismissed after prosecutors raised concerns that he may not have been honest in answering a jury selection question by saying that he had never been accused or convicted of a crime.

AP AUDIO: 2 jurors dismissed from Trump hush money trial as prosecutors seek to hold ex-president in contempt.

In an AP interview defense attorney Arthur Aidala says the lawyers make sure to check social media pages of potential jurors.

The IT professional was summoned to court to answer questions after prosecutors said they found an article about a person with the same name who had been arrested in the 1990s for tearing down posters pertaining to the political right in suburban Westchester County.

A prosecutor also disclosed that a relative of the man may have been involved in a deferred prosecution agreement in the 1990s with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting Trump’s case.

Because the juror was questioned Thursday at the judge’s bench, off-microphone and out of earshot of reporters, it was not known whether the man confirmed or denied that either instance was connected to him.

After dismissing from the jury the nurse who had already been selected, Merchan ordered journalists in court not to report prospective jurors’ answers to questions about their current and former employers.

“We just lost, probably, what probably would have been a very good juror for this case, and the first thing that she said was she was afraid and intimidated by the press, all the press, and everything that had happened,” Merchan said.

In other developments, prosecutors asked for Trump to be held in contempt over a series of social media posts this week.

The district attorney’s office on Monday sought a $3,000 fine for Trump for three Truth Social posts they said violated the judge’s gag order limiting what he can say publicly about witnesses. Since then, prosecutors said Trump made seven additional posts that they believe violate the order.

Several of the posts involved an article that referred to former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen as a “serial perjurer,” and one from Wednesday repeated a claim by a Fox News host that liberal activists were lying to get on the jury, said prosecutor Christopher Conroy.

Trump lawyer Emil Bove said Cohen “has been attacking President Trump in public statements,” and Trump was just replying.

The judge already scheduled a hearing for next week on the prosecution’s request for contempt sanctions over Trump’s posts.

Tucker reported from Washington.

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Commentary: After 5-2 stretch, Mariners are starting to live up to expectations

SEATTLE – This, right here, is what it is supposed to look like.

Not just Wednesday, when the Mariners beat the Reds 5-1 while allowing just one hit.

And not just this series, in which Seattle swept Cincinnati over three games to climb within one game of .500.

This is a seven-game span we’re talking about – a small but auspicious sample size indicating that the expectations for this season weren’t misguided.

Dominant pitching. Standout defense. And, finally, some life in the lineup.

Rarely does the vision from the brass translate to the field without a setback or two. But the way the Mariners have won five of their past seven? This, for the most part, was the plan.

“That looks like Mariner baseball as we know it,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said after Wednesday’s victory. “This is how we put the team together. … We are driven by our pitching staff, and playing really good defense, and that’s the thing that stood out for me over the last week or so – we’ve played much cleaner baseball.”

Cleaner, yes. But really – just better baseball.

The Mariners, remember, were considered by many to have the best starting rotation in MLB before the season began. Then, Seattle gave up at least five runs in eight of its first 12 games. And though the M’s still rank 13th in MLB in ERA (3.93), they rank first over the past seven days (2.00).

On the forefront of this mound turnaround is Bryce Miller, who allowed one hit and one run in six innings Wednesday while amassing seven strikeouts and one walk. The 25-year-old is 3-1 on the season with a 1.85 ERA and an 0.82 WHIP. Asked Wednesday if he could have envisioned this scorching of a start, he smiled and said, “For sure.”

By his own admission, Miller didn’t have his best stuff against the Reds. But perhaps that speaks to how much he has developed since his MLB debut last season. His teammates in the rotation have all looked sharp recently, as well.

Logan Gilbert allowed one run in 6⅔ innings in Tuesday’s win over the Reds, dropping his ERA to 2.33 in the process. George Kirby rediscovered his form Monday after two shaky outings, allowing just two runs in six innings to a Cincinnati team that came in averaging 6.1 per game. And though Luis Castillo stands at 0-4 on the season and is in the midst of the worst start to his career, he allowed just two earned runs while striking out nine in six innings Sunday.

The Mariners (9-10) are going to need more from Castillo, the opening-day starter who finished fifth in last season’s American League Cy Young Award voting, but his track record suggests he’ll snap out of his first-month funk.

Miller thinks that’s true of the whole staff.

“We know we have a lot of talent in the starting rotation and in the bullpen, and anybody coming in out of the bullpen or anybody starting the game every day is going to be good and give us a chance to compete” Miller said. “We’ve had a few hiccups here and there, which everybody does, but it’s good to see us all putting it together.”

Of course, the one guy everyone has been waiting to put it together is center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who finished fourth in last year’s AL MVP voting. The 23-year-old came into the series hitting .186, and though he is still without a home run on the season, he went 5 for 14 this series, which included a pair of doubles Wednesday.

Has anything changed?

“He’s freeing himself up – he’s not thinking about his mechanics. He’s up there and if it looks like he can hit, he’s gonna hit it,” said Servais, adding that his defensive effort on Tuesday has boosted Rodriguez’s overall confidence. “Julio is always going to be an aggressive player. And he’s going to drive you crazy on certain days – ‘Why would he swing at that pitch? Why would he do that?’ But that’s Julio. That’s what makes him special. He’s got unbelievable talent.”

Didn’t hurt that designated hitter Mitch Garver finally got a ball over the fence on Wednesday after a series of quality at-bats this series. Doesn’t hurt that the M’s – still 25th in MLB in OPS – have scored five or more runs in three of their past six games. Doesn’t hurt that they are just one game back of Texas for first place in the American League West despite all their hitting woes.

“Our team as a whole, we have our head above water right now and we have not been hitting the baseball like we know how – and that’s a good thing for us,” Garver said.

Being one game below .500 is not where the Mariners wanted to be through 19 games. That record might be far below expectations, but this team isn’t far off.

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