Hello friend.
A couple of months back, after forgetting that I’m not a young whipper-snapper anymore, I jogged a little too vigorously and injured my knee.
I tried to ‘walk it off’ but my knee was having none of it – sharp pains quickly released me from my youthful delusions.
The GP ruled out anything serious but said that it seemed like a sprain and after a week, I should be ‘back to running in no time.’
But I wasn’t. Every time I tried to run, my knee grumbled, complained and protested until I stopped after 30 metres.
So I stumped up the cash and booked a fancy physiotherapist to see me in my home for an hour consultation.
I expected the usual advice: stretch more, rest when you can, apply heat to the knee.
But Carol, my physio, gave me a crash course in how our posture and breathing connect with our overall health.
What shocked me was how much stress impacted the way that our bodies moved, harming our well-being.
What I learned that day completely changed how I think about teaching, stress, and even self-care.
In today’s newsletter, I am going to break down the key lessons I learnt from Carol and how taking better care of yourself will make you not only a better teacher but a better person.
Your Body Keeps The Score
Teaching is a stressful gig.
I’m sure, like me, after a hard day in the classroom, your head, shoulders and feet hurt, and we learned to accept it as ‘normal.’
But it turns out that many of the aches and pains we accept are actually signals — physical symptoms of our bodies being out of whack, both mentally and physically.
If we ignore the minor aches and pains that come with teaching, they don’t just fade away — they grow. The more we push through, the more tension builds.
Before long, the stiffness in our necks and the soreness in our backs become a bigger problem, where we start practically living in our GPs' offices and popping prescription pills like Skittles.
Every repetitive movement, every shallow breath, every long day spent standing on hard floors adds up. Our bodies keep the score like Sky Sports News on Super Sunday.
But here’s the good news: if we can start to tune into our body’s signals rather than ignoring them, not only will we start feeling physically better, but we’ll be able to get a bit more peace and clarity in the old noggin too.
#1 Fix Your Feet
While I was complaining about my knees, Carol made a surprising suggestion to look at my feet. After a couple of tests, it turns out that my foot muscles were weaker than I thought.
The culprits?
My expensive ultra-cushioned running shoes I grabbed online.
It turns out that my snazzy trainers were protecting my feet a little too much – by not helping my feet fire up the right muscles.
This paradoxically caused my feet to feel more pain in the long run. When your arches collapse, everything above has to compensate: your knees twist inward, your hips adjust, and your back tightens. It’s a domino effect that starts at the ground.
As teachers, we spend hours standing, pacing, or leaning over desks. If your feet aren’t adequately supported, the cumulative effect can lead to chronic discomfort and fatigue.
They say on average, teachers do up to 12,000 steps per day! I know we want to look professional at work, but wearing those hard-soled shoes could be killing your career in the long run.
What to do:
• Upgrade your shoes. Get footwear that matches your arch type, or invest in insoles for better support. Yes, they might be expensive, but DO IT! It’s not indulgent — it’s essential maintenance. If you’re not sure, there are plenty of free physio consultations – give it a quick Google.
• Strengthen your feet. Try rolling a lacrosse ball under your arches, picking up a towel with your toes, or doing calf raises. These small exercises build the muscles that protect your knees and hips.
• Move intentionally. Shift your weight often, stretch your calves, and take short walking breaks. A minute or two every hour can make a world of difference.
When your foundation is steady, the rest of your body feels lighter. You move through your day with more comfort — and far less pain.
#2 Learn to Breathe Properly
We rarely pay any thought to how we breathe. But we all definitely should.
Carol noticed that I was breathing high in my chest rather than deeply from my diaphragm. That shallow breathing, she explained, was keeping my body in a constant state of tension.
Over time, it tightens the pelvic floor and lower back and can even affect digestion.
As teachers, we spend so much time “on alert” — managing noise, multitasking, reacting — that we often live in 'fight-or-flight' mode without realising it.
Our breathing mirrors our stress levels, becoming fast and shallow. This puts you in a negative headspace, making you ready to snap at any poor soul who gets in your way.
What to do:
• Check your breath. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. If your chest rises more than your belly, slow down and breathe deeper into your abdomen.
• Pause and reset. Between lessons or when the room is noisy, take a few intentional breaths — in for four counts, out for six. Imagine exhaling tension.
• Make it a ritual. Try a short guided breathing exercise after work or before bed. It’s one of the fastest ways to calm your mind and relax your body.
The more you practice, the more your body remembers what calm feels like. Deep diaphragmatic breathing teaches your nervous system to settle down and keep you zen in the classroom and beyond.
#3 Work Your Core
You don’t need a Love Island six-pack to have a healthy core.
Your core is a whole network of muscles that stabilises your spine and pelvis. When the core is weak, posture collapses. Your back works overtime, your hips misalign, and your gait becomes uneven.
My physiotherapist called this the “kinetic chain” — how every part of the body affects the next. For teachers, this imbalance shows up as fatigue, stiffness, or the feeling of being “slumped” at the end of the day.
Posture doesn’t just affect the body; it affects mood, confidence, and even how we connect with our students.
What to do:
• Engage your core. Try a few planks, bridges, or gentle core exercises a few times a week. It’s less about intensity, more about consistency. YouTube has plenty of great videos - have a gander.
• Mind your posture. When standing, imagine a string pulling the crown of your head upward. Keep shoulders soft and weight balanced.
• Keep moving. Stretch between classes, roll your shoulders, or take a mindful walk at lunchtime.
These minor resets help you realign and re-energise. A strong, stable core gives you both physical balance and mental steadiness. It helps you quite literally stand taller and makes you feel more confident — in your classroom and in your life.
As someone who preaches about body language and tone, I was surprised by how these slight adjustments could have such a significant impact on my well-being.
But these tiny tweaks can make a massive difference in the weeks, months and years ahead.
As cliché as it sounds, it's true: "teaching is a marathon, not a sprint."
Our bodies whisper before they shout. If you’re tired, achy, or overwhelmed, that’s not weakness — it’s information. Take heed, make the adjustments and reap the benefits.
Just one more thing:
I am reopening my free 30-minute Zoom consultations. If you have any queries around classroom leadership, click the link below, fill in the form and arrange a time to sit and talk to me.
https://calendly.com/actionheroteacher/new-meeting
As newsletter subscribers, you get first dibs.
That’s all for today.
The next TOTR edition comes out Thursday 24th October 2025
Take care,
Karl
