Kids Walk Across Arkansas
Education and Safety
Beginning A Physical Activity Program
 Goal: To have physical activity become a healthy habit for life
Objectives:
Participants will:
- Start slowly and progress gradually.
- Include endurance, strength, and flexibility activities.
- Learn how to pace themselves.
- Learn tips to make any activity a healthy habit.
- Do a physical activity.
Key Teaching Points:
Choose an activity you like.
- Warming up and cooling down helps prevent injuries.
- Never bounce when you stretch.
- Hold stretches 15-20 seconds.
- Do only what your body can handle and progress slowly.
Introduction
Physical activity is moderate activity sustained for a length of time. For
example, it may include 30 minutes of walking, roller blading, skiing, using a
push mower, dancing, aerobics, and various sports. If time does not allow for 30
to 45 minutes of continuous activity, it can be divided into 10 to 15 minute
segments three times a day.
Choosing an Activity
It is important to choose an activity that you enjoy doing. If you decide to
run and later find out you do not like it, you should try something else until
you discover an activity you enjoy.
Ask your friends what they like to do. You may get ideas for physical
activities from them that you may not have thought of by yourself. Also, it is
more fun to take part in an activity with others.
Participate in more than one activity. Sometimes you may want to walk alone
or with a partner. Other times you may want to play soccer or basketball with a
group of friends. If you like more than one activity, you are less likely to
become bored with “exercise.”
Getting Started
Once you have decided on the activity you want to do, start slowly and
progress gradually. Too often we over do it. For example: Your normal routine
when you come home from school has been to get a snack and watch TV. The only
activity which you take part in is badminton during P.E. class. Now you have
decided to start walking. How hard could that be? Well, you ask your friend who
has been walking two miles every day for four weeks to be your partner. The
first day you walk, you try to keep up with your friend. The next day, every
muscle in your legs ache and you decide that walking is too painful to do it
again!
You over did it. Maybe you should have asked your friend to help you decide
how fast you should walk, like walking one mile in 20 minutes instead of 15 and
increasing the pace after two weeks.
Your friend could be your support until you are able to keep up and become
walking partners. Too often when we do not start out slowly and progress
gradually, we become discouraged because we are too sore. No one likes to be in
pain.
Steps To Ensure Fun and Safe Activities
Let’s look at how you can lessen the chance of injury and pain from a
physical activity.
1. Warm Up.
Warming up the body before an activity reduces the risk of
pulling a muscle and eases the body into the activity. One of the best ways
to warm up is to mimic the activity. For example, when walking, start by
keeping your pace at about 75% of the speed you normally go for about 5 to
10 minutes allowing the muscles to warm up and stretch. They will be more
flexible for the faster pace you will go into and be less likely to get
injured. Another way to warm up is by doing light stretches. The stretches
must be done slowly and gently to prevent injury to muscles, tendons, and
ligaments. Do not bounce. Hold each stretch for a count of 15 to 20 seconds.
You should not experience any pain when stretching. If you do feel pain,
stop the stretch immediately to prevent injury.
2. Physical Activity.
Do the main physical activity after you have warmed up. It
may be walking, running, dancing, muscle strengthening, or a flexibility
workout. Stretching to improve flexibility can be done three times a week as
well as before or after aerobic and strengthening activities.
3. Cool Down.
Five minutes of your physical activity should include a
cool down. If you are walking, slow down the pace. This allows the body to
return to a resting state and helps reduce muscle soreness.
4. Schedule Strength Activities After Aerobic
Activities.
If you are planning to do more than one physical activity
in the same day, do strengthening activities after finishing your aerobic
cool down. Your muscles will be warmed up and you will have less soreness
from the workout.
You can, of course, do endurance and strength
activities on different days. Remember to warm up and cool down for each of
them.
Do one of the Warm-Up/Cool-Down* activities with the participants.
Final Thoughts
Physical activity can be fun or it can be work. Since we would all rather
have fun, it is important you choose what you really like to do. Add music to
your activity, choose a time of day that is convenient for you, find a friend to
be your physical activity partner. Remember, do not over do. Start slowly and
progress gradually. Most of all, HAVE FUN!
Walking Activities
Walking
(Drink plenty of water, before, during, and after exercise to avoid
dehydration.)
How to Walk
Move at a steady pace, breathing deeply, with head erect, back straight, and
abdomen flat. Swing your arms freely at your sides. In the beginning, confine
your walks to level stretches of road or sidewalks, avoiding steep hills. If you
are walking in the early morning or evening be sure to wear reflective clothing.
If the sun is shining, be sure to wear sunscreen, hat, and protective clothing.
Pace Yourself
Monitor your level of exertion. The simplest way is to listen to your body.
Five to 10 minutes into your activity, your body should begin to feel warm. You
may begin to perspire. Your breathing should increase. If your pace seems too
easy, increase it slightly until you feel as if you are pushing yourself. If you
feel it is too hard, ease up.
Another way to pace yourself is the “talk-sing test.”
- If you cannot talk and exercise at the same time, you are
working too hard
- If you can talk while you exercise, you are doing just fine
- If you can sing while your exercise, it would be safe (and more beneficial) to
exercise a little harder
Activity 1: Warm-Up/Cool-Down
Name of Activity: The S Trail
Grade Level: 3-5
Equipment: None
Skills Emphasized: walking, jogging
Organization:
1. Students form a single line
2. Designate 1 student to lead
Description:
1. Students follow the leader in a single file line, with their
eyes focused directly on the person in front of them.
2. The student leader makes “S” patterns beginning with a walk and gradually
increases speed to a jog.
3. After a designated time (e.g., 30 seconds), change leaders by having the
front person rotate to the back of the line.
Teaching Suggestion:
- Remind students to stay in single file, directly behind the
person in front of them.
Variations:
- Form 2 or more lines and have several patterns going
simultaneously
- Have students move in other formations such as numbers or geometric shapes
- Change locomotor movement to a skip or gallop
- Basketball, soccer: Students dribble a ball while traveling
Activity 2: Warm-Up and Cool-Down
Name of Activity: Stretch Routine
Grade Level: 3-5
Equipment: None
Skills Emphasized: Stretching
Organization:
Students are scattered in personal space. (NOTE: Students should
engage in a few minutes of gentle, rhythmic movement, such as walking, prior to
stretching.
Description:
Each stretch should be held for approximately 20 seconds, then
repeated to the opposite side (arm, leg, etc.)
Neck
- Bend head to the right, moving right ear toward right shoulder
- Keep shoulders relaxed and down
- Turn head so that chin is above right shoulder
- Keep shoulders relaxed and down
Chest (pectorals)
- Clasp hands behind hips
- Raise clasped hands upward and away from body
Back
- Wrap arms around upper body as though hugging yourself
Trunk, Sides
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart
- Place right hand on right hip, extend left hand up and overhead
- Bend to right side
- Do not lean forward or backward, keep extended arm directly above the head
Back of Thighs (hamstrings)
- Cross left foot over right foot with knees slightly bent
- Bend forward slowly, sliding hands down the front of the legs
- Keep hands on legs to support lower back
Front of Thighs (quadriceps)
- Reach back to grab left ankle with right hand
- Keep left knee pointing to the ground
- Pull left ankle toward body
Calves (gastrocnemius)
- Lunge forward with right foot and bend right knee
- Keep left leg straight with foot flat on the ground
- Point both feet directly forward
- Hold upper body straight and high
Teaching Suggestions:
- Stretches should be held to the point of gentle tension–no
strain or pain.
- Remind students to breathe during the stretches. (One way to ensure they
breathe is to have them count aloud.)
- The purpose of stretching before activity is to gently lengthen and prepare
the muscles for more vigorous activity.
- Do not use ballistic (bouncing) stretches.
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