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Written by Courtesy of Chris Chapan
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Thursday, 26 May 2005 |
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It is essential that children have positive experiences with exercise and fitness. So much is being said about childhood obesity and children developing diabetes II faster than the adult population. Now it is time to do something.
Stretching is important for any age especially children since ..............
 ............... their muscles and bones have not yet finished growing. Injuries to children are more easily repaired than for adults, bone and ligament injuries are never repaired as fully as healthy new muscle. Stretching is generally overlooked in children's training programs yet children need to stretch for the same reasons as adults.
Older children may follow similar stretching exercises as adults, but younger children require a bit more fantasy and adventure. You cannot tell a new entrant’s child that stretching increases circulation and expect results.
The following ideas are designed to teach flexibility, strength, balance, concentration, and the importance of stretching, presented as play, achieve the desired results.
When directing students in the movement, the teacher should be gently instructing them to:
- Breathe evenly,
- Not hold their breath,
- Move in and out of each stretch slowly and
- Not make any quick movements that might strain a muscle or bone.
Animal Poses
The most important thing is for the children to have fun as they develop workout techniques that will carry them through their adult lives.
The following animal poses are suggested activities for young children. The leader, instructor or teacher must be prepared to demonstrate. Making animal noises adds to the fun and play but be assured these are real and demanding exercises.
Elephant Walk
Direction: Put fingers together, and then bend over slowly from a standing position. With your back straight, swing your arms back and forth like an elephant's trunk as you walk.
Flamingo Stand
Direction: Stand with your feet together and place your palms together in front of your chest with your fingers pointed up. Focus on a spot in front of you and bend forward from the waist. Bend one leg up and hold as long as you can. Straighten up to stand with your feet together. Then do the other leg.
Inch Worm
Direction: Assume a position where your feet are on the floor (shoulder width) while your hands are flat on the ground in front of you (also shoulder width). At the starting position, your butt should be high in the air; imagine you are making an inverted "V" with your body. Walk your hands out as far as possible, and then walk your hands back to the starting position. Preferably, at the end position, your abs should be two to three inches off the ground and you will look like a flying superman.
Bear Crawl
Direction: On all fours you move along the floor keeping yourself low. Chest remains off the floor as you should move at a moderate pace to avoid "hopping". The bear crawl can be done moving forward, backward, or sideways.
Seal Pose
Direction: Sit back almost on heels -- not completely back on heels where it would hurt knees and ankles. Point fingers to the side like flippers. With back flat, lift chest to straighten elbows. Keep seat off heels and hold the pose. The seal pose will take some explanation and direction and correction to get right.
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