Please note: Instead of reading this article, you can click this link to listen to it while you exercise. The audio version is 13 minutes long.

A healthy body has the energy investigate, study, teach and influence in society: Physical activity improves mood and concentration, sharpens thinking, alleviates stress, and improves sleep quality. Physical activity also increases the brain's neuroplasticity and promotes learning.

Considering how undisputed the research evidence on the benefits of physical activity is, it is extraordinary how small of a role it plays in the everyday life of university students. Sure, supporting the well-being of students is recorded in the strategic objectives of higher education institutions and most curricula. Well-being at work at the university is also surveyed periodically, and friendly recommendations on exercising during breaks or working on electric desks have been given. Still, students end up sitting for about 10 hours each day, and only one third of the students exercise sufficiently to maintain their health. The fitness of working-age people will also deteriorate as years at work increase: According to a recent report, working-age Finns spend most of their waking hours sitting still or lying down, and immobility increases in each older age group when comparing to the age group below. The coronavirus pandemic has caused further lack of activity. The matter should also be of interest to financial administrators at the university: too little physical activity and excessive passivity cost society billions of euros each year in health care costs, sickness absences and disability pensions.

I teach academic literacies at the University of Helsinki and instruct exercise classes at UniSport as a side job. This "double role" has shown me perspectives on both the everyday life of teaching and the promotion of a physically active operating culture at the university. I am occasionally asked to lead short exercise breaks at academic events because I am "the exercise person". However, I would argue that every person at the university can promote an active lifestyle and try to influence the practices of their own community. This is certainly already the case in many of the university's communities and especially in fields in which physical activity is a natural part of studies.

My field of teaching - writing - may not be a very physically active field, at least not stereotypically. In this text, however, I will present some examples of how I have made exercise a part of everyday life for myself, my students, and my community.

Permission to exercise in the teaching or meeting room

According to my observations, most university students try to sit still in the study room unless otherwise encouraged or given permission. Therefore, at the beginning of my courses, I tell my students that even if there are chairs and tables in the teaching space, they can use the area freely: They can sit on the floor or on a window sill, or stand up. They can change places and position. The students are allowed to walk around, stretch towards the ceiling or even stand on one foot. I remind students of this at the beginning of each class, and I also move - sometimes in a funny way, so that students find it easy to start moving and decrease their nervousness about their bodies. The possibility of using the space freely and adding movement should also be taken into account in meeting practices. For example, a recommendation on moving around could be added to agendas.

Staying still can also be difficult or even painful, e.g. for neurodivergent people or for people with physical problems. In other words, as an added benefit, the permission to move also removes obstacles to learning and participation.

Eyes off the screen

Many learning materials are now in digital form. I have liked using podcast series on different themes of teaching. Student feedback has praised the podcasts for allowing them to go outdoors or do dishes while studying, which can improve concentration and offer a break from sitting in front of a screen. This article, too, is available as an audio version.

I try to utilise the possibilities of giving attendees’ eyes a rest and moving around also in remote meetings and learning sessions. It is a good idea to consider when the recommendation to keep the webcam on is pedagogically justified in teaching or necessary for interaction meetings. If the agenda or lesson does not include items that require watching visual presentations or typing on the laptop, participants can listen on through the headphones while taking a walk. Even if the cameras are turned off, sharing descriptions of what each attendee sees on their end can still increase the feeling of communality. It is a good idea to discuss operating models in your own community, try different methods, and then create shared practices. What kind of ways of staying active can you come up with together with colleagues or fellow students?

Out of the classroom

When the situation allows it, I use assignments which allow a small group to meet among each other and discuss a theme. What was learned in the meetings is then discussed together at a later date. For example, if the task is for everyone to come up with ideas for their own text or share thoughts on a topic, I encourage students to meet for a walk in a park. The task description might begin as follows: "Choose an inspiring place...”

The university administration, on the other hand, should consider how different forms of implementation and opportunities are communicated to students in a timely, proactive and accurate manner. In addition to lecture halls, could the education information system of the future identify such alternatives as: Zoom without a camera and the possibility to move / location chosen by the small group / nearby forest?

Break exercises

On my courses, I teach working methods that support writing, including breaks and taking care of your body. I try to remember to lead a short exercise session during each class, in which I include a few simple movements. I use the same movements throughout the course to create a routine that students can bring into their own writing process. The movements can be done standing up or sitting down, for example in a wheelchair. You can watch and try them here!

Does this sound awkward rather than relaxing? How to lead exercise during breaks without related education? Exercise during breaks does not have to be a sporting achievement or a performance: the disadvantages of sitting are so significant that any movement is a better option than sitting still (which, by the way, is also a choice). Instead of a break exercise, you could actually talk about break movement: simply changing your position or getting out of your seat is good for your body. It is also worth remembering that it may even be an advantage if the teacher is not an athlete. If the student feels insecure in their body, the threshold for physical activity can become lower if they can do the movements together with others who share the same feeling.  

If, in spite of everything, leading exercises does not feel like your thing, you can offer a few minutes of free movement as part of the class which each student can use for any kind of movement they like.  It is also possible to involve the students and ask them to get into small groups in which they can show a movement one by one for others to copy. Break movement can also be integrated as part of group work in other respects: instead of asking the student to have a chat with a friend sitting next to them, they can be instructed to get up and find a discussion partner on the other side of the room. Taking care of your body also includes rest and recovery: perhaps the break session could also be used for relaxation exercises or collective naps, rather than students just nodding off on their seats?

Digital materials can also be utilised, for example, by showing an exercise video in the classroom. We will publish such videos for different needs throughout the spring as part of the University on the Move project.  

What do students think about more physical activity? I have not received any criticism in my course feedback on taking physicality into account. Vice versa: many people wonder why all courses do not do this. According to comments in the feedback, taking the body and space into account has reduced social anxiety and performance pressures and supported the writing process.

I dream of campuses where the study facilities would activate staff and students; where lobby areas would have stall bars and sleep capsules for quick naps, such as the ones you can find on airports. In addition to an active and energetic environment, I would like to see flexibility in the study and work culture: space to grow, breathe and recover. However, while waiting for these changes, I do something small every day.

Universities can accommodate many different fields of study and work tasks, so not all of my tips may fit your everyday life as such. Perhaps you can come up with something better yourself: something that sits well with you as a part of your own studies, work tasks or pedagogical thinking - or rather, not sit but something that flows and moves as part of your life at the university.

Hanna Kosonen
University Teacher of Finnish, University of Helsinki Language Centre, Sports Instructor, UniSport

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