Developing Fitness in Elementary School Aged Children - Part 1

One of the primary concerns for all parents is the physical well being of their children. This includes the concern for children's health, wellness, and physical fitness. One of the primary objectives of any quality physical education program is to provide children with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will enable them to develop a physical fitness level commensurate with good health. The development of this health enhancing level of physical fitness does not occur for children within a school or home environment without the thoughtful and systematic presentation of activities, information and instruction related to health related fitness. The development of knowledge, habits and attitudes related to physical fitness should be systematically planned for, taught, and reinforced on a regular and consistent basis by both the home and the school.

What do we mean by Physical Fitness?

The term physical fitness, with respect to elementary aged children, refers to a category of fitness known as health related fitness. Health related fitness, as opposed to skill related fitness, includes five (5) components and their meanings listed below:

The 5 Components of Health Related Fitness

1. Cardiovascular/Aerobic Fitness (Heart/Lung Fitness) - the ability of the heart, blood vessels, and respiratory system to deliver oxygen efficiently over an extended period of time.
2. Body Composition or Body Fatness - the proportion of body fat to lean body mass.
3. Flexibility - the range of movement through which a joint or sequence of joints can move.
4. Muscular Strength - the ability of muscles to exert force.
5. Muscular Endurance - the ability to exert force over an extended period of time.

Modification and Simplification for Elementary Aged Children

For elementary aged children the component of health related fitness can be divided into four (4) exercise or fitness categories that allow for simplification and better understanding and learning related to the essential elements of fitness activities that lead to health related fitness. The inclusion of exercises and activities from each of these four categories can help ensure the development of a balanced plan of attack for impacting the health related fitness of children.

The 4 Exercise/Fitness Categories for Elementary Aged Children

1. Aerobic/Cardiovascular Exercise -This type of exercise or activity is used to impact both cardiovascular/aerobic fitness and body composition or body fatness.
2. Flexibility or Stretching Exercise - This type of exercise is used to impact the development of flexibility.
3. Upper Body Strength Exercise - This type of exercise is used to develop upper body strength and endurance which includes arm, chest, upper back, and shoulder girdle development.
4. Abdominal Strength Exercise - This type of exercise is used to develop abdominal strength and endurance.

Exercise/Activity Examples for each Category

1. For Aerobic/Cardiovascular Fitness (Heart/Lung Fitness):

• Jogging
• Brisk Walking
• Bike Riding
• Skate Boarding
• Roller Blading
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Rope Jumping
• Basketball
• Soccer

2. For Flexibility - Various stretching exercises that stretch specific muscle groups such as:

• Hamstrings (back of upper legs)
• Quadriceps (front of upper legs)
• Calf (back of lower legs)
• Shoulders
• Triceps (back of upper arms)
• Lower back
• Gluteus (buttocks)
• Latissimus (sides of upper back)

3. For Upper Body Strength and Endurance

• Push-Up Variations

1. Rest at the Bottom Push-Up (lay on stomach with arms bent, straighten arms to push up, bend arms to go back down, repeat)
2. Shoulder Touch Push-Ups (from push-up position with only toes and hands touching, touch one hand to opposite shoulder, repeat with other hand)
3. Knee Push-Ups
4. Regular Push-Ups

• Bear Walks
• Crab Walks
• Climbing or Hanging on Playground Equipment
• Lifting Light Weights (cans of food, small dumbbells, etc)

4. For Abdominal Strength and Endurance

• Sit-Ups (lie on back, knees bent, sit up, lay back down)
• Head-Ups (lie on back, lift head up and down)
• Curl-Ups (lie on back, sit up part way, lay back down)
• Crunchers (lie on back, feet up and crossed, arms crossed, bring elbows to knees)
• Bicycle Legs (sit, lift feet off ground in a bicycle motion)
• Knee to Chest Curls (sit, feet come up toward chest, back out, and down)
• Sitting Leg Lifts (sit, lift one leg or two legs at a time)

When working with elementary aged children, it is extremely important to always keep in mind the desired end result of each child's participation in fitness activity. Ultimately, we want our children to enjoy activity and exercise, to appreciate the benefits that can be derived from being physically fit and active, and to develop knowledge and understanding of how to exercise safely and effectively. A drill sergeant approach that may force children to work hard without taking into account the attitudes that are being developed is never the answer for achieving a lifetime of health and fitness.

Join us Saturday when we talk about:

• Are today's children physically fit?
• Should all children be expected to meet established standards of fitness?
• How to focus on the Process of fitness and not the Product of fitness!
• Strategies for creating positive attitude toward fitness and activity!
• And much more!