Download Examples of Moderate- and Vigorous

Addressing the Obesity Epidemic:
Collaboration with Elementary School Teachers
2009 AAHPERD National Convention
Tampa, FL
Charity Bryan
University of Louisiana – Lafayette
[email protected]
Donna Dunaway
Samford University
[email protected]
Donna Hester
University of Alabama at Birmingham
[email protected]
Examples of Moderate- and Vigorous-Intensity Aerobic Physical Activities and Muscle- and BoneStrengthening Activities for Children and Adolescents (Chapter 3, page 18)
Type of Physical
Activity
Moderate–intensity
aerobic



Age Group
Children
Active recreation, such as hiking,
skateboarding, rollerblading
Bicycle riding
Brisk walking





Vigorous–intensity
aerobic







Musclestrengthening





Bonestrengthening





Active games involving running and
chasing, such as tag
Bicycle riding
Jumping rope
Martial arts, such as karate
Running
Sports such as soccer, ice or field
hockey, basketball, swimming, tennis
Cross-country skiing

Modified push-ups (with knees on the
floor)
Resistance exercises using body weight
or resistance bands
Rope or tree climbing
Sit-ups (curl-ups or crunches)
Swinging on playground
equipment/bars



Games such as hopscotch
Hopping, skipping, jumping
Jumping rope
Running
Sports such as gymnastics, basketball,
volleyball, tennis













Age Group
Adults
Active recreation, such as canoeing,
hiking, skateboarding, rollerblading
Brisk walking
Bicycle riding (stationary or road bike)
Housework and yard work, such as
sweeping or pushing a lawn mower
Games that require catching and throwing,
such as baseball and softball
Active games involving running and
chasing, such as flag football
Bicycle riding
Jumping rope
Martial arts, such as karate
Running
Sports such as soccer, ice or field hockey,
basketball, swimming, tennis
Vigorous dancing
Cross-country skiing
Games such as tug-of-war
Push-ups and pull-ups
Resistance exercises with exercise bands,
weight machines, hand-held weights
Climbing wall
Sit-ups (curl-ups or crunches)
Hopping, skipping, jumping
Jumping rope
Running
Sports such as gymnastics, basketball,
volleyball, tennis
Note: Some activities, such as bicycling, can be moderate or vigorous intensity, depending upon level of effort
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Washington D. C. Health and Human Services.
Action Word Locomotion: Engage students in a creative writing activity incorporating various locomotor skills
(run, jump, hop, skip, gallop). Upon completion of their creative story, have the students act out the story. The
following story is an example: One day Suzy decided to take a walk through the woods. In the woods, she saw a deer
gallop in the distance. Suzy thought that looked like fun so she decided to gallop too! All of a sudden, she came to
some trees that had fallen down across her path so she had to jump and jump and jump.
Get Active with Action Verbs: While reading a story to the students, have the students balance on one foot
when they hear a passive verb. When they hear an action verb in the story, the students should hop in place on one
foot. Have students change feet frequently.
Alphabet Challenge: Have students perform push-ups while spelling a word from the week’s spelling list.
Starting in the “up” push-up position, go down while saying the first letter, come up on the second letter, etc. A
variation for students unable to perform push-ups, is to remain in the “up” push-up position and lift the left hand into
the air while saying the first letter of the word, switch hands for the second letter, etc. Sit-ups can also be used for
this activity.
Flash Card Grammar: Create a stack of vocabulary flash cards and during the activity, show one word at a
time to the students. Have students perform 1 push up for each syllable in the word. The teacher may add additional
activities such as “while in the crab-walk position, define the word…” or “who can spell ______ while in push-up
position?”
Heart Rate Math: Explain to the students “your pulse or heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in
one minute.” Have the students march/jump/run in place for a designated time then find their pulse at the carotid
artery and count for 15 seconds. The 15-second count is multiplied by 4 to come up with a one-minute heart rate.
The teacher should note that any divisor of 60 can be used (i.e., count for 10 seconds and multiply by 6; count for 6
seconds and multiply by 10; count for 20 seconds and multiply by 3) to work on various multiplication skills.
Upon completion of the calculation above, have students calculate the number of times their heart beats every
day. Instruct the students to multiply their 1-minute heart rate (calculated in Heart Rate Math I ) by 60, to determine
the number of beats per hour. Then, have students multiply their one hour heart rate by 24. A simple worksheet
could be given to each child, based on the following:



Heart beats for 1 minute
x 60 minutes =
heart beats in 1 hour
Since there are 24 hours in 1 day, you will need to multiply your 1-hour heart rate that you calculated
above by 24.
o Heart beats in 1 hour
x 24 hours =
heart beats in 24 hours
So, how times does your heart beat in one day? _____
Beside Your Desk I: Have students solve a math problem (add, subtract, multiply or divide) and then perform
a flexibility exercise. The answer to the math problem is the number of seconds the position should be held. For
example, perform the back-saver sit/reach by sitting on the floor, extending the left leg with the right knee bent, and
the right foot flat on the floor next to the left knee. If the math problem is 20 minus 10, students reach hands toward
their left toes and hold the position for 10 seconds. Instruct students to reverse the leg/foot position and repeat the
hold with a new math problem. Incorporate any flexibility exercise such as hamstring, quadricep, or calf stretches,
forearm stretches, hip flexors, neck rotations, and other safe and appropriate stretches.
Beside Your Desk II: Students hold the back-saver sit/reach position with right foot forward while the teacher
presents a math problem (add, subtract, multiply or divide). After solving the problem, have the students stand and
march the answer to increase their heart rates. For example, 20 x 10 means that students are to march 200 steps in
place, or around the room, depending on the space. Various locomotor movements can be incorporated, provided
they will help students increase their heart rates during the activity.
Countdown to Good Health: This activity teaches students the importance of eating the right foods and living
an active lifestyle. Tell the students to listen for the numbers, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0 in this story. “Every day you should:
eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables; drink 4 glasses of milk; eat 3 foods that have whole grains; get less than 2
hours of screen time (tv, computer, video games, etc.); exercise at least 1 hour every day; and drink 0 sugary
beverages.” Then have the students stand up and march in place. While the students continue to march, ask them to
recall the servings of fruits and vegetables they should eat each day. Since the correct answer is 5 fruits and
vegetables per day, have the students do 5 jumping jacks.
Have the students march in place again and ask what the 4 represents in 5-4-3-2-1-0. The answer is 4 servings
of milk and dairy, so students complete 4 jumping jacks. The students continue to march in place while the teacher
asks what the 3 represents in 5-4-3-2-1-0. The answer is 3 servings of whole grains, and students do 3 jumping jacks.
The students will march in place again while the teacher asks “how many hours of screen time should you have each
day?” The answer, 2 hours or less of screen time, means that students will do 2 jumping jacks. The students resume
marching in place while the teacher asks the students what the 1 represents in 5-4-3-2-1-0. The answer is 1 hour of
physical activity per day, and students respond by doing 1 jumping jack. Have the students march in place once again
and then ask what the 0 represents in 5-4-3-2-1-0. The answer is 0 sugar sweetened beverages, so students would
continue marching in place without completing any jumping jacks. This activity can be repeated using a random
pattern of numbering from zero to five.
Food Pyramid Game. Have students work in small groups (ideally no more than 3-4 students per group) to
create a poster of the Food Guide Pyramid (found at www.mypyramid.gov). Each group also needs pictures of
different foods to match each segment of the pyramid (i.e., fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy). In an outdoor or
large indoor space, using a relay formation, position the food pictures on one end of the space and the group
members, and pyramid posters on the other end of the space. Have all students assume a push-up position while
waiting for a turn. On the “go” signal, the first person in each group runs (gallops, skips) to retrieve one food picture
and returns it to his/her group space. Then the next person takes a turn. Repeat until all food pictures have been
retrieved. The students in each group should work together to attach its photos to the correct section of the Pyramid.
When all groups are finished, review the food pictures that should be in each section of the Pyramid. Have students
move pictures that were placed in the incorrect sections. Repeat activity as time allows.
Muscle mania: Teach students the location of these muscles: quadriceps, abdominal, hamstrings, biceps, and
the triceps. Have the students match the exercise (pictured below) to the muscle being used. Then have students
perform the exercises for 30 seconds each.
Campus Walk: Prior to class establish a walking route around the school campus. Identify trees, plants, etc.
to point out as the students walk by. Prior to the walk, have the students record their resting heart rates. Form a
single-file line and walk at a brisk pace that will increase their heart rates. As you lead the class, point out various
aspects of the environment being studied in the classroom. At the end of the walk, have the students take their heart
rates again and record it upon returning to the classroom. Students can calculate the percentage increase in their
“resting” vs. “activity” heart rates. Extend this activity by calculating mileage on the walk, or by using pedometers to
count the number of steps.
School Challenge: Display a map showing the route from your school to a destination being studied in
geography or history lessons. Organize a contest among the classrooms in the school to see who can reach the
destination first by accumulating steps (as measured with a pedometer – to keep it simple for every 1000 steps, credit
1 mile toward the destination). Time spent walking, jogging, or jumping rope can also be converted to distance
traveled (e.g., 15 minutes = 100 miles).
Activities from:
The HEAL Curriculum: Healthy Eating, Active Living. (unpublished manuscript). Birmingham, AL.