Take 5 for Fitness

EDUCATORS Take 5 for Fitness

Educational Objective: To introduce children in the educational setting to the concept of a “positive fitness attitude”. This simple and practical program uses three, 5 minute sessions per day (15 minutes per day) for a grand total of one hour and fifteen minutes per week. The basic idea is to gradually instill a positive attitude toward physical fitness activities and a healthy lifestyle. It’s just like teaching our children to brush their teeth, through consistency until the habit is established. From the current epidemic of childhood obesity, it is more important, now than ever, to create a positive attitude toward maintaining both a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body. In addition, research indicates that fitness activities help children to de-stress and re-focus between demanding class subjects and concentrated learning activities.

Rationale:  The lack of funding and current time restraints greatly restrict  children from meeting their very basic fitness needs.  When they get home from school, homework, T.V. and video games have replaced the days of “play” that we once enjoyed as adults.

Take 5 For Fitness: Here’s How It works:  Each “Take 5 For Fitness” class receives between seven and ten 8” x 10” color-coded fitness cards.  Each card contains the name of the exercise, a picture illustrating it, and the specific muscles involved.  Each card takes only 1 minute to execute.

Leadership:  To implement the program, the teacher/guide introduces a simple exercise several times until all students are comfortable with it.  Following the introduction phase, the teacher/guide then selects a peer group volunteer to lead the activity.  The volunteer will eventually be able to select 5 fitness cards and lead the classroom by using the cards and the accompanying timer.

Sample Exercises:

1. Scissor jumps
   
2. Chair squats
   
3. Shoulder press- books or water
   
4. Bicep book curl
   
5. Scissor rotation
   
6. Knee tucks
   
7. Arm circles- big and small
   
8. Running arms
   
9. Run in place
   
10. Tricep dips
    

All physical fitness exercises have been developed and approved by Cindy Larson: NASM-CPT, PES, YOUTH TRAINING, JGSI.

An activist for children’s fitness and family well being, Cindy has spent 15 years as a personal trainer and educator, teaching women how to take care of their bodies through exercise, and in turn, model healthy fitness for their families. Take 5 For Fitness  is born out of a commitment to helping parents, educators and children find a concrete, practical and workable solution in America’s struggle against childhood obesity.

The Family Fitness Path  www.familyfitnesspath.com