When the students line up against the wall to leave the classroom or other designated place, have each student face the wall and perform 10 wall push-ups. After all push-ups are completed the class can walk in line.
Do push-ups from a seated position by using a desk or table.
Ask the youth to write a spelling word in the air with their fingers. Once they write the word in the air, ask them to trace a line moving from left to right underneath the letters, then right to left. Take it to the next level! Ask the youth to point to the letters (in their correct placement) as they are called out. Remind youth to use their opposite hand and then, other parts of their bodies such as their toe or elbow.
1. Introduce the pedometer and tell the students that the device is a battery operated step counter that tracks how many steps we take. On average, 2,000 steps equals one mile. We should strive to take 10,000 steps each day.
2. Demonstrate how to use the pedometer. The pedometer should be secured to the waist/pant line, straight up from either knee cap. It should be level and not tilted.
3. Help the students attach the pedometer correctly to their waist band. Spend four to five minutes per activity in the gym to allow students the opportunity to experience the fun and benefits of wearing a pedometer.
Pedometer activities could include: walking, running, hopping, and skipping or Choose MyPlate Chasers.
Equipment activities could include: jump rope, hacky sack or basketball.
• Ask the students which activity gives them the most/least steps in a certain amount of time?
• Have the students take a break from the activity to feel their heart beating faster.
• Remind them their heart is a muscle and it’s getting stronger and healthier with the activities they are doing.
Hold the resistance band or PVC pipe with a wide grip (more than shoulder width) in front of your body. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. While holding the band or PVC pipe, slowly raise your arms over your head and then behind your head. Keep going until you reach a gentle stretch. Slowly bring your arms back to the front of your body. Repeat 10 times.
Poor balance: Lean back against a wall or sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, shoulder width apart.
Use a paper plate as a steering wheel. Each student should have their own paper plate and place their hands on either side of the “wheel.” The students will “drive” (walk) around the room, gym space or outdoor area.
The teacher will than say out loud different commands that will cause the students to change their pace or the way they “drive” their vehicle. These commands may include speed bump, stop signs, red/yellow/green light, speed of a police car or fire truck.
Divide the class in half. Half of the students each write a word on an index card. The other half of the class each writes the definition. Shuffle the cards and hand one card to each student. The students walk around the classroom and match the word with the definition. For younger students, match up sight words, letters or numbers. Also works well with math problems.
Divide the class in half to review math problems. Each student stands by their desk (paper and pencil on desk). Call out a math problem such as 4+5=. One half of the class jumps 4 times, then the other half jumps 5 times. Each student writes down their own answer. Continue with other math problems, and vary the movements: clapping, touch toes, jumping jacks, side bends, high-knees. Have students pick the movements.
Create a chart with a list of the students’ names and each day of the month. (Instead of the student’s names, you could also use a “code name” that each student picks for themselves. Students could choose a healthier food item such as kiwi, mango, steak, etc., to use as their code name.)
Before lining up for lunch, have students stand up next to their desks, or if space allows have students spread out in the classroom. Have all of the students do 10 jumping jacks and 10 toe touches, alternating 2 times for a total of 20 jumping jacks and 20 toe touches. Have the students add a sticker to the chart under their name for that day if they participated in the class activity or did some type of physical activity outside of school.
When the students return from lunch, ask who ate a serving of a fruit or vegetable. For every day the student eats a fruit or vegetable, he or she can put a sticker on that day.
At the end of the month, tally up the food and activity stickers. See if the class can improve the tally each month.
Instruct students to stand with their feet shoulder width apart and their hands on their hips. Have them be sure to keep their stomach muscles tight and their back straight in line with your hips. Tell them to lunge forward with one foot, being sure to keep the knee straight in line with the ankle. Remind them not to let the knee go over the toe when they lunge. Have them slowly squat down, gently touching their back knee to the ground, and slowly raise their body back to standing. Step forward and repeat with the opposite leg in front. They can perform the lunges in place, or they can start at one end of the hallway or gymnasium and perform the exercise across the space available. To make the exercise more challenging, students can put their hands above their heads, or even hold a medicine ball, or a heavier object to add more resistance.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Raise your arms out at your sides and up to your shoulder level. Make a gentle fist with each hand. Bend each arm at the elbow with your fists pointed up at a 90 degree angle. Keep your neck relaxed. Your upper body will look like a goal post ready for a field goal. Do 50-100 small pulses up and down with your elbows, pushing your fists straight up toward the ceiling. Keep your goal post looking nice and perfect!
