Shrewsbury educator puts heart into teaching kids healthy lifestyle habits

Getting set to observe American Heart Month in February, physical education teacher Eric Brunell, prepares to instruct kids about heart healthy habits. He teaches at the Walter J. Paton School and at Spring Street School in Shrewsbury. PHOTO/LORI BERKEY Shrewsbury – Last year, in February, Eric Brunell converted the school gym into a giant heart. As the kids ran around the diff erent chambers, they switched from red to blue jerseys to get oxygen. In the midst of the fun, they learned about the right and left atria and right and left ventricles. Brunell, a physical education teacher at the Walter J. Paton and Spring Street schools in Shrewsbury, plans to repeat the successful lesson during February of 2010 in honor of American Heart Month.

He’s also made up February calendars to give his students. Each day has a diff erent heart fact listed, along with heart healthy activities the kids can try. While Brunell uses American Heart Month as a time to step up his eff orts to educate kids on the topic, his passion for helping kids live hearthealthy lives is something he focuses on year-round.

Brunell took the initiative to post and keep heart-healthy links on his teacher website.

“I know kids these days are always on the computer all the time,” Brunell said, “so with this [healthy heart links on his website], they can put up something healthy instead of just playing video games.”

Brunell said the links provide something that students and parents can do together.

“I know the parents like to check the school website outside of school, and they’ll see all these [healthy-heart] games they can play with their kids and talk to them about keeping active.”

Brunell makes a point to teach kids about their heart rate, healthy heart rate zones, how to calculate their maximum heart rate, and other heart facts. He tells the kids what kinds of activities increase their heart rate compared to ones that don’t. With February being American Heart Month, he believes it’s a chance for families to get in on the action.

“On these calendars it lists activities kids can do with their families, with their parents, with their brothers and sisters. Even if it’s just going out and taking a walk or going for a hike or sledding, anything they can do that they don’t usually do,” Brunell said.

According to 2010 statistical information released by the American Heart Association

AHA), it is estimated that more than one in three American adults have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. Per AHA, adults aren’t the only ones at risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. Progressively more, children are also susceptible.

People can reduce their risk factors for heart disease by making lifestyle changes. The AHA’s website provides information for kids and adults on how to live heart healthy lives.

Practicing what he teaches, Brunell keeps active himself. Each day, he does something physical, whether it’s working out at the gym, hiking or playing basketball. He said he enjoys his job because he likes kids and likes teaching them about being active.

“If you don’t start to be active early, then it can definitely affect you in later life, with obesity, diabetes, heart disease,” Brunell said, “Heart disease can aff ect you; if you don’t do the right thing, your arteries can be aff ected.”

To view the heart-healthy links on Brunell’s teacher website, visit www.teacherweb.com/ MA/ShrewsburySchoolDistrict/ MrBrunell/t.aspx.

For more information about heart health, visit the AHA’s website at www.heart.org.