By Claire Webster

Health and fitness are very important for high school students. Being healthy and fit can benefit your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Students in high school need to learn how to maintain a healthy body and develop good habits into adulthood.

Mrs. Amy Rose has been the health and fitness teacher here at Bellbrook High School for 20 years, and she helps her classes learn how to take care of themselves now and in the future.

“My hope is that every student can take something from class and apply it to their personal lives that will enhance their personal wellness,” Rose said. “For example, moving their body every day (even if they can only do 10 minutes), deep breathing throughout the day or when they lie down at night or making time to stretch while watching tv.”

Rose teaches health, mind and body wellness, dance, and girls weight lifting which helps young adults learn how to develop healthy habits to use for the rest of their lives.

Since Rose was little, she loved being active in any way, whether it was on her own or at school. She used her affection for physical activity to add creative classes — dance, girls’ weightlifting, and mind and body wellness — to students’ options for a physical education class.

“My entire life, physical activity has been very important for my personal wellness as well as utilizing techniques such as Yoga, stretching, deep breathing, and relaxation as a form of self-care,” Rose said. “When the time came for our PE courses to expand, I asked immediately if I could create the Dance class, Girls’ Weightlifting, and the Mind & Body Wellness classes,”

This variety of classes allows students to learn how to keep fit while having fun.

This semester 46 students are enrolled in Rose’s classes and are learning new ways to relax and be healthy.

“This class prepares me for my future in the sense that I will have knowledge of yoga poses and meditation practices when I need to relax and be mindful in the future,” senior Jayla Fields said.

“I hope that students learn from my classes how important physical fitness plays in our everyday lives. Balancing our physical, mental, and social health is so important to our overall wellness,” Rose said.

“[Mind and body wellness class] teaches me how to be more grateful for what I have and reflect on how better myself,” sophomore Gabi Ruble said. “I think what I like most about the class is the stretching. It helps me unwind and physically feel better. It takes the tension and worry out of the rest of the school day.”