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Helping Your Child Be Healthy and Fit - Aerobic & Sports - Warm up -> Keep going
Warm Up
Use one or more of the following exercises to have your child warm up before doing more vigorous exercises.All exercises have been adapted from Get Fit!, published by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 250, Washington, DC 20004. What to do
- Arm Circles. Stand tall with knees slightly bent. Rise on your toes and slowly circle your arms inward and upward, until arms are straight over head. Inhale deeply. Continue circling your arms backward and downwards while lowering your heels and exhaling. Do this exercise slowly and smoothly. Repeat 5 times.
- Swinging March. Stand up straight with feet shoulder-width apart, hands at your sides. Alternate right and left arms in forward circle motions. At the same time, lift your opposite knee so that when the right arm is circling forward the left knee is raised and vice versa. Do 10 complete
circles with each arm and then switch arms to swing backward. Repeat 10 full circles with each arm.
- Pendulum Push. Stand straight with arms at your side. Step to right, bending your right knee. Raise arms overhead and push toward the ceiling. At the same time, rise on your right toes and lift your left leg off the ground, keeping all the weight on the right foot. Put your left leg back on the ground, bending both knees and placing hands on shoulders. Repeat to the left side. Repeat
10 times on each side.
- Jumping Jacks. Stand straight with feet together. Jump up and land with your feet
shoulder-width apart as you swing arms to shoulder height. Jump back to starting position while
clapping your hands over your head. Jump up and land with feet apart while bringing your arms
back to shoulder height. Jump back to starting position while lowering arms to your sides.
Repeat this 4-part jumping jack 10-20 times at a slow, controlled pace.
Children should warm up their bodies for about five minutes to get muscles and joints ready for action and to prevent injury. They will be warmed up when they start to sweat and breathe heavier.
Stretch
Muscles should be stretched after they've been warmed up.What to do
- Back Scratch Stretch. Have your child stand or sit to do this exercise. Raise the right hand in the air with the palm facing to the back. Bend the elbow and place the palm of the hand on the back between the shoulders. Bring the left hand behind the back to try to touch the right hand. Hold 10-30 seconds. Repeat two times on each side. Do not force the stretch.
- Knee High Stretch. While standing, lift left knee toward chest. Place left hand under knee and pull leg up to stretch the back of leg and lower back. Keep the standing leg slightly bent. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat twice on each side.
- Thigh Stretch. Keeping body upright, grasp left foot behind you with left hand. Slowly pull leg back so that the knee moves away from your body until you feel a stretch in the front of your leg. Hold 10-30 seconds. Repeat twice with each leg.
- Calf Stretch. With hands against a wall, put right leg behind you. Keep right heel on the floor and very slightly bend the right knee. Lean forward until you feel a pull in your calf and behind your ankle. Hold 10-30 seconds. Repeat twice with each leg.
Stretching helps prevent muscles and joints from getting injured. Stretching makes the body more flexible so your child will be able to move easily. Stretching also helps your child relax.
Run For It!
After you've warmed up and stretched, you're ready to run.What to do
- Beginner. Jog 2 minutes/walk 1 minute for a total of 15 minutes. Repeat. Do this at least three
times a week.
- Intermediate. Jog 4 minutes/walk 1 minute. Do this for about 15-20 minutes at least three times
a week. After about two weeks, reduce the amount of walking to 30 seconds. Gradually build
up to about 30 minutes using this pattern.
- Advanced. Continuously jog for 20 minutes. If you like jogging, you can run for longer periods
time.
Aerobic activities strengthen your child's heart and lungs by requiring lots of oxygen and making the
heart beat faster. Walking, swimming, running, and dancing are examples of aerobic exercises.
Keep Going!
These exercises will help your child build muscle strength and endurance.
What to do
- Push Ups. Get down on your hands and knees and position yourself so that your back is straight,
head in line with your spine. Hands should be placed slightly outside your shoulders, fingers
pointed forward, feet on the ground. Slowly lower your body until your chest touches the floor.
Return to starting position. Once you can do 20-25 push ups with your knees bent, advance to
the straight-leg position on your hands and toes. Try to do 10 straight-leg push ups at a time.
- Curl Ups. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms across
your chest, hands on opposite shoulders. Slowly curl your head, shoulders, and upper back off
the floor, bringing elbows to thighs. Breathe out as you curl up and return to starting position
while breathing in. Repeat 10 times. You might find it helpful to have someone hold your feet to
the ground.
Curl Ups build strong stomach muscles, and Push Ups build strong arm muscles.
Cool Down
After doing aerobic or muscle exercises, your child is ready to cool down.What to do
- Have your child walk around for a few minutes to make sure breathing is back to normal and
that the heart is NOT beating fast.
- Your child should feel slightly relaxed when it is time to do stretches.
- Doing the stretching exercises given on previous pages or others, have your child stretch all
major joints and muscle groups, especially those used in the workout.
- Have your child work on flexibility, since it's easier to stretch warm muscles.
Children should cool down after vigorous exercise to get their breathing back to normal. Cooling down also keeps muscles from becoming sore and stiff.
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