Design A Workout
Focus: Fitness knowledge; group work; creating a balanced fitness routine
Equipment: paper and pencil per group; music with a strong 4/4 beat; tape or record player
Organization: Discuss the three major health-related fitness components: Cardiovascular endurance, Muscular strength and endurance, and Flexibility. Have players give examples or demonstrate an exercise from each of these components. Children working in groups of four or five will use these components to design a ten-minute workout. As they put their workouts together, circulate to each group, assisting as necessary. Praise and encourage the student's efforts. Stress the quality of movement and correct exercise technique. Encourage groups to bring in their own music selections to use with their workout. Have student form their groups; one member collects paper and a pencil. Disperse each group to a different area of the gym. Check for good spacing.
Description of activity:
1. Discuss with your group members the fitness exercises we have done in class. Then plan your fitness workout using the following guidelines:
*a warming-up activity
*an aerobic activity
*an upper body strength exercise
*an abdominal strength exercise
*a lower body strength exercise
*a cooling-down stretch activity
2. Record your fitness workout on paper. Decide how many times to repeat each exercise, using counts of four, eight or sixteen. Vary the body positions to perform the exercises you have selected: standing; back-lying; hook-sitting; front-support; all-fours; and so on.
3. Decide on the music you will use for your workout. Practice your workout together in time to the music's beat. Perform each exercise using correct technique.
4. On successive days, each group will lead the class through its workout.