Daily Physical Activity is Essential

Physical activity is an incredible tool that will benefit our student’s physical and mental fitness for school and life.  From preventing chronic health conditions to boosting confidence and self-esteem, all students, through consistent and purposeful exercise, should be able to move their body safely and effectively in space during exercise, sport and functional living.  Students will improve their ability to push, pull, and carry their body weight through practicing the fitness elements of balance, speed and strength.

Lessons

The Functional Fitness Series focus is to provide simple lesson plans to the Middle School Level Physical Education specialist and non-specialist by building on groundwork from the Elementary School Level to incorporate progressive multi-directional movement skills in their daily physical activity planning.  All suggested exercises in the Functional Fitness Series can easily be included in a circuit or “boot camp” setting to add athleticism, or can be introduced as individual exercises during regular physical education classes.  From the Functional Fitness Series, parents and community coaches will also learn which exercises can be incorporated into practice sessions for skill development and injury prevention training.

Benefits

Training individual muscles using single joint movements for Middle School age children does not teach important functional life skills because children naturally move with toe to fingertip actions in most normal activities. Children need to be encouraged to recognize strength and exercise opportunities that exist in their everyday lives.

Children who are active will:

• Have stronger muscles and bones
• Have a leaner body as exercise helps control body fat
• Be less likely to become overweight, decreasing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions
• Keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check
• Boost their self-confidence

This book includes:

• A manual containing instructions for: equipment items, time suggestions, modifications for more or less challenging activities, circuit set up, and equipment substitution.
• 9 sample lessons; three different sets of how to generate a circuit with instructions of how to make your own endless circuit options.
• Over 120 age-appropriate exercises in balance, speed, strength and stretching described completely with pictures.
• Minor game ideas for warm up or cool down and a sample assessment and evaluation rubric.