It’s the middle of third period on a Monday. You feel restless, tired, and less focused. You haven’t moved much because your first two classes were lectures and notes, and you finished an assignment at break.
Besides freshman PE or a fitness class, there are very few opportunities for movement during the school day.
Throughout high school, students spend their days sitting through lectures, staring at screens, taking notes, and struggling to focus.
The health consequences of forced sedentary behavior are too serious to ignore. Schools have a responsibility to protect student mental and physical wellbeing, not just academic performance.
Jesuit should take actions by implementing regular movement breaks, incorporating active learning strategies, and providing standing desk options.
Christopher Bergland, a science writer for Psychology Today, warns in “Why Prolonged Classroom Sitting Isn’t Ideal for Student Health” that prolonged sitting increases the risk of depression, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Students aren’t just sitting through school—they are heading towards serious health problems.
According to Mayo Clinic, prolonged sedentary behavior “has been linked to increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels.”
One might argue passing periods provide enough movement, but they don’t—rushing through hallways is a logistical necessity, not a health intervention. Mayo Clinic recommends intentional movement breaks every 30 minutes. Jesuit class periods are nearly double.
The school environment goes against medical suggestions that Connecticut journalist Helen Bennett emphasizes in “CT Schools Must Be Healthful Environments for Kids”. She states that “High levels of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity should be a normal part of childhood and adolescence as it improves heart health…”
Schools must take action to combat constant sedentary behavior. Bergland offers three practical solutions: scheduling regular movement breaks during class; incorporating active learning strategies like group work and station rotations; and redesigning classrooms to include standing desk options. These changes are not drastic–they simply require schools to accommodate student health alongside academics.
History teacher, Mrs. Bernards, acknowledges, “The number of classes that students sit through can be challenging for students to maintain focus and attention.”
She recounts that “It’s really important to keep the brain engaged to change activities and incorporate movement.”
When teachers recognize that students are being prevented from enough movement during the school day, change is overdue.
If one of Jesuit High School’s values is cura personalis (care for the whole person), why are they not taking into account the negative health effects that prolonged sitting in classrooms can cause students?
Our education shouldn’t come at the cost of our health.
Opinions published on Jesuitnews.com represent the beliefs of the writer(s) and don’t necessarily reflect those of Jesuit Media, Jesuitnews.com, The Jesuit Chronicle, or Jesuit High School.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/sitting/faq-20058005
