Movement as part of teaching

The easiest way to add movement to teaching situations is to give students permission to move around. Getting up and moving around in a full auditorium does not feel natural if the teacher has not given specific permission to do so. The best way is to have all students stand up every 30 minutes and give them permission to move around for a moment. After this, they can return to the lesson feeling more refreshed. 

Permission to move around can also be given, for example: 

• verbally before the start of the lesson, e.g. “You may move around during this lecture if necessary.”  
• by writing it in the footer of the slide show, e.g. “You may also listen to this lecture while standing.”  
• by adding activity icons to the slide show at appropriate intervals. 

The teacher can agree with the students about break times (e.g., every 30 minutes), when everyone gets up for a moment and moves around in place or participates in a short break exercise video together. Students may also be asked to come up with their own favorite workout moves.  

It is easily possible to add active exercise to functional methods, which also improves study vitality on its own. Different task types bring variety, activate study situations, and at the same time strengthen the sense of community. Ways to increase movement are e.g.  

• chat walks  
• compiling the conversations while standing 
• tick tasks   
• exhibition walks and learning cafés   
• drama methods  
• line works  
• physical activity votes  
• following a lesson while walking  
• tasks to be returned as an image, video, or other output  
• teaching and guidance walking outdoors or indoors  
• orientation using, for example, the ActionTrack app

Learning is influenced by many dynamically interacting factors, one of which is perceived alertness. Alertness refers to how a person perceives the state of their body and mind at any given moment. It can also be thought of as a measure of activity or energy levels. Students may be hyper-aroused, hypo-aroused, or optimally aroused.  For learning, the best state of alertness lies somewhere between hyper- and hypo-arousal. In this state, it’s easiest to focus and interact with others. Learning becomes smooth and meaningful.  

Gas or brake? – Regulating alertness with break-time exercise: 

• Assess your current state of alertness: 
  • Hyper-arousal: Sense of urgency, hyper-alertness, irritability, excitement, happiness. 
  • Optimal alertness: Ability to concentrate, a sense of balance, relaxation, feeling of safety, ease in regulating emotions, smooth interaction, and learning. 
  • Hypo-arousal: Sadness, dullness, fatigue, slowness, calmness, relaxation. 

Choose the type of break-time exercise based on whether you need to “press the gas” (increase alertness) or “press the brake” (decrease alertness). If you feel your alertness is good for learning/work, aim to maintain that level.

• To increase alertness (gas): 
  • Stand up. 
  • Observe your surroundings using different senses. 
  • Move with rhythmic and repetitive motions like stomping feet or jumping. 
  • Perform strong strokes or pats on the body’s limbs. 
  • Strengthen and lengthen your inhalation, either on its own or combined with movement. 
• To reduce alertness (brake): 
  • Observe your environment and notice the space around you. 
  • Use stroking, massaging, or hugging. 
  • Apply strength, such as squeezing or pushing movements. 
  • Gently lengthen your exhalation, either on its own or combined with movement (activates the vagus nerve, which promotes relaxation).

Reassess your alertness after the exercise. These exercises are designed to be suitable both for individual practice and group settings in classrooms. A teacher can observe the general state of alertness in the class and select the necessary exercise accordingly or allow students to assess their own alertness and independently aim to regulate it. Discussions can also be held on how these practices will benefit well-being and the ability to learn.