Almost two-thirds of teachers and administrators use digital fitness trackers to monitor how many steps they take each workday, according to a national survey conducted in 2024 and reported in Education Week. Educators logged an average of more than 8,500 steps—or about 1.6 miles—per school day in an academic year.
Physically active teachers typically have lower rates of anxiety and depression. Consistent, school-based support for exercise can reduce teacher stress and burnout, some studies have found.
School support is key. Otherwise, regular exercise outside of work can be difficult, says Amira Davis, dance instructor at Ivy Hill Preparatory Charter School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“Some teachers can stay consistent for a while, and then they fall off because they just get so busy and there’s so much work to do. It’s like, OK, I can miss the gym today. OK, I can miss my yoga class today … and then they look up and time has flown by,” Davis says.
School wellness programs need to be voluntary. Mandatory exercise programs can be counterproductive, with teachers more stressed or overwhelmed, according to research.
“I don’t think you have to do anything dramatic, but just by being consistent with small changes, you can make big progress,” says Jazzmyne Townsend, a language arts instructional coach and special education teacher at Stanton Elementary School in the District of Columbia. She tries to work out at least twice a week but often gets her daily exercise long before she hits the gym.
“There are all these little things that I can do to make sure that my body is functioning well, that I’m bringing my best mental self and my best physical self to work every day,” says Townsend. “I’ve never been a teacher who was comfortable just instructing and then going to sit down at a desk. I like being able to get up and move with the students. I get down on the floor with students when we’re doing manipulatives or anything like … so being physically fit, being able to move and to do those things definitely helps.”
Education Week
