Making Fitness Fun for Students
With today’s largely sedentary lifestyle, making an effort to incorporate regular physical activity into children’s daily routines is necessary to maintain health and fitness. In order to get students moving for the recommended minimum of 60 minutes each day, its important to keep fitness fun, positive and approachable. Whether it’s basketball or ballet, any activity is a good one as long as it gets kids moving. Promoting regular physical activity as part of a balanced lifestyle will lead to healthier, happier students who have the tools to be fit for life.
Getting Fit, Feeling Fine
When kids get moving each day, they benefit both physically and emotionally. Daily exercise reduces the chance of obesity and obesity-related health problems such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Additionally, it strengthens children’s muscles and bones, and provides greater energy throughout the day as well as more restful sleep at night. Equally important, however, is that children who are physically active tend to have a more positive self-image, resulting in a more optimistic outlook on life overall. Best of all, when kids learn the importance of daily physical activity early, they develop healthy habits for life.
Class Action
Since kids spend much of their time at school, it makes sense that fitness-related activities appear there. While gym class and recess are the two most obvious times for students to get moving, according to www.kidshealth.org, school-age children should never be inactive for more than two hours at a time. Therefore, teachers should strive to integrate physical activity into regular classroom routines. Incorporating short energy breaks into a long lesson plan can give students a chance to recharge. Try revitalizing with a quick group stretch, a minute’s worth of jumping jacks or a short walk.
Gym Class Heroes
P.E. class is a great time to play traditional games as well as experiment with new activities. While most children are familiar with old favorites such as dodgeball, freezetag and soccer, their interest in fitness might be renewed with more novel forms of exercise like yoga or Pilates. Activities like these build strength and coordination through a series of poses, while enhancing concentration and positive thinking with calming meditation. In addition, Maranda Quiroga, a pre-med student interested in yoga for children, believes that yoga’s noncompetitive nature builds self-esteem.
Playground Free-for-All
Recess is a great opportunity for less-structured playtime. Encourage students to utilize playground basics such as monkey bars, swing sets and slides, or provide equipment like jump ropes, pogo sticks and balls for kickball or four-square games.
More Ideas
Looking for something out of the ordinary? Visit www.kidnetic.com for fitness challenges, "wet head" games (where you move so much your head gets sweaty) such as speedy stairs and Chinese jump rope, and the Move Mixer, a dance-creation tool. If you prefer a slower pace, read up on yoga for kids at the Yoga Journal (http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/210). Another great resource, www.kidsfitnesscentral.com, is filled with fitness articles and videos, in addition to a collection of healthy recipes.
