October 12, 2011
Interactive app from HealthTeacher teaches kids lifelong stress management skills.
Nashville, TN (October 12, 2011) – HealthTeacher, a leading provider of online health and wellness information for children and adolescents, today introduced a deep breathing web app, designed to help every teacher to quickly calm the classroom and improve students’ ability to manage their emotions and behavior. The interactive, two-minute app helps students to relax and focus.
Studies have clearly documented that stress and anxiety negatively affect one’s body and emotions and can contribute to a range of issues impacting youth, including school absenteeism, behavioral problems, lower self-image and difficulty staying on task. If left untreated, stress and anxiety can also manifest in serious medical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and obesity. “With the high incidence of these health issues among American youth, it is absolutely critical that all young people learn to manage stress and anxiety and reduce their risk of long-term health effects,” said Emily Coe, PhD, Director of Behavioral Science.
The practice of relaxation and deep breathing techniques has been in existence for centuries and has become widely used in contemporary medical practice due to its protective and repairing effects. “With HealthTeacher’s deep breathing app, we are equipping educators with the knowledge, resources and ability to teach effective coping strategies to create calmer, more productive classroom environments while also empowering youth with lifelong coping skills to improve their health and well-being,” added Coe.
Every teacher wants and needs to have a calmer classroom, but fitting it in to the already overbooked day is a challenge. “HealthTeacher created the deep breathing app to enable teachers to incorporate the practice into their tight schedules and have meaningful impact on students’ emotional, physical and mental well-being in just two minutes,” said Vice President of Product, John Herbold. “Teachers can easily display the app on an interactive whiteboard or screen and use the related lesson plans and student activities to further the learning related to the positive health benefits of deep breathing.”
The interactive app is an expansion of the HealthTeacher’s comprehensive online resource focused on the physical, social and emotional health and well-being of young people. HealthTeacher’s new deep breathing app is now accessible to all subscribers from any computer or mobile device.
To help teachers become more comfortable with the practice and facilitate the learning process for their students, HealthTeacher developed a number of supporting materials, including lessons, assessments, videos and an animated short.
“Our deep breathing app provides a quick exercise for any teacher who wants to help focus and calm their students,” said Scott McQuigg, CEO of HealthTeacher. “Plus, kids are learning and practicing a simple, yet powerful skill they can apply throughout life to lower with stress and anxiety, and ultimately stave-off more serious medical issues.”
About HealthTeacher
HealthTeacher is a leading provider of online health promotion, disease prevention, social/emotional wellness and safety resources for kindergarten through 12th grade and is used by nearly 30,000 teachers nationwide. HealthTeacher helps establish community-based youth health collaboratives by developing partnerships between healthcare organizations, businesses, community leaders and schools to address the growing issues affecting the health status of young people. To learn more, visit www.healthteacher.com.
Media Contact:
Lori Orth | 800-514-1362 ext. 5005
