physical activities

Hey, Everyone!

I miss you all so much!  Below are ideas for physical activities that you can do while you’re home.  Please spend at least 20 minutes everyday doing something active! Remember, exercise makes you SMARTER, HAPPIER, and HEALTHIER!

Please remember to drink WATER!!!  Stay hydrated so you never feel super thirsty.

I can’t wait to hear about all the activities that you are doing while you are home.  Please keep an activity log (date and what activities you do) and share it with me on email or when we get back to school.  I would love to hear what you are doing! Let’s do PE at home!

See you soon!

Julie Scott

FUN ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WITH THINGS AROUND YOUR HOME:

Sock balls - make little balls out of socks folded together.

  • Juggle with them.

  • Practice your overhand and underhand throw .

    • Make a target on the wall and try to hit it.

    • Play catch if you have a sibling.

  • Kick at a target or use chairs to make a goal.

Paper balls - Crumple up pieces of paper and make balls.

  • Have a snowball fight with your family.

  • Use them the same way I suggested with the sock balls.

Dance party 

  • Play your favorite music and just have a dance party (it is great exercise!).

  • Play any song with 4/4 time (4 counts per measure) and do any of the dances we learned in PE.  The Popcorn Dance and Electric Slide work perfectly!

Cosmic Kids

  • Google Cosmic kids and follow Jaime as she leads you through a story.  You will get physical activity and entertainment all at once!

Go Noodle

  • Google Go Noodle and follow along

BASIC EXERCISES FOR SMALL SPACES:

  • Heels to glutes - jog in place and kick your heels all the way to your glutes (bottom).

  • Lunges - lunge forward so your front knee forms a right angle, then push yourself back to standing.

  • High knees - jog in place and lift your knees toward your chest as high as possible.

  • High skip - skip in place and lift your knees as high as possible and jump as high as possible.

  • Jumping Jacks - Start by standing straight up with feet together and hands touching legs outside of legs (thighs).  Jump and spread feet and clap hands above your head. Then return to the starting position. Repeat at least 20 times.

  • Crab walk - Sit on your bottom.  Put your hands on the floor behind you and your feet flat on the floor in front of you.  Lift your bottom off of the floor and walk around on your hands and feet with your belly facing the ceiling.  How long can you do this? Your wrists may get sore. Take a break when they do and try again later. This will strengthen your wrists and won’t hurt if you do this everyday.

  • Plank - Lay flat on your stomach on the floor.  Turn your toes under and put them on the floor.  Push yourself up with your hands so your elbows are completely straight.  Your shoulders should be directly above your wrists so you have no pressure on your toes (feet).  Try to hold it for 30 seconds. If that’s easy, try for 1 minute (or longer).

  • Push-ups - do as many push-ups as you can.  If you are not yet able to do a proper push-up, you can modify it.  Stand about a foot away from the wall. Do a push-up against the wall.  Then you can use your knees instead of your feet.

  • Squats - stand with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart.  Put your hands on your hips. Squat down until your thighs (quadriceps) are parallel with the floor.  Push yourself back up. That is one squat. Try to do at least 20. How many can you do?

  • Crunches - lay on a carpeted floor at your home.  Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.  Straighten your arms in front of you. Curl up and try to touch the top of your knees without lifting your feet.  Do as many as you can in 1 minute.

  • Tuck jumps - Jump as high as you can and lift your knees to your chest.  Be careful so you land back on your feet.

 

REMEMBER TO STRETCH AFTER YOU ARE WARMED UP:

  • Butterfly Stretch - sit with your knees bent and the bottoms of your feet touching each other.  Lean forward if you are able.

  • Extension - Straighten one leg from your butterfly stretch and reach for your toe of the straightened leg.  Hold it for 20-30 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.

  • Windmill stretch - Stand with feet a little wider than your shoulders.  Keeping knees straight, touch your left foot with your right hand, then your right foot with your left hand.  Repeat using slow steady movements.

  • Shoulder stretch - take your right arm and bring it across the front of your body and point at the left wall.  Use your left arm to gently pull your right arm toward your body. You should feel a stretch in your right shoulder.  Repeat with your left arm.

  • Twist stretch - Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.  Extend your arms straight out to your sides. Twist one way and then the other at your waist.  This is a good stretch for your core (belly and back).