Do you hate doing homework?

If you run or jog, you may have heard of Jeff Galloway. No? He’s the guy behind the “Coach to 5K” movement. He has helped thousands of people start training programs with his run-walk-run protocol. By taking walk breaks, people actually improve their running times.

You’re probably wondering what a race strategy has to do with the headline, right? Let me explain…

Short-term Recovery

The reason run-walk-run works is because the body is given time to recover. Then you can run faster during the run.

If you do your homework in a work-rest-work manner, you’ll give your noggin a breather. When you tackle the work again, you are able to go harder, know that another rest is coming.

Like run-walk-run, start with an easier to complete target. For example, a 9th grader may start with 5 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest. As you adapt and improve (which you will!), modify the work-rest ratio. 5 on/5 off is a 1-to-1 ratio. Next try 2-to-1. 10 on/5 off.

My calculus students keep track based on problem count. Do one or two problems, rest 1-2 minutes. The ratio here is not as important as taking a brief mental break to re-engage with new vim and vigor.

Remember not to take too long off a break. With practice, you’ll develop a feel for your own needs. Congratulate yourself. You are on the road to self-regulation.

No Tech

One final caveat… no Facebook, Snap Chat, Instagram, etc. during your work or your rest time. Obvious digital fast during work session, but maybe not so obvious during the rest. Tech-on during rest isn’t really a rest for the ol’ noggin.