ACTIVE 8 FITNESS Learning outcomes

Warm up and CARDIO It is important to encourage good fitness habits and so each week we do a warm up activity to get started. Warm ups help prevent injury. The objective of the warm-up is to raise total body and muscle temperature to prepare the entire body for vigorous activity. Many of our warm ups are set to songs where participants must follow along to the lyrics. We start off gently and gradually become more energetic to raise the heartbeat

BALANCE AND CORE Balance is a one of the most fundamental developmental skills – necessary for most all activity, including sitting up, standing and walking. Balance and coordination work hand in hand. Balance is the ability to maintain a controlled body position while performing tasks or activities. Children need the ability to maintain controlled positions during both static (still) and dynamic (moving) activities. Static Balance is being able to hold a certain position without moving. Dynamic Balance is the ability to remain balanced while engaged in movement. Bilateral Coordination is the ability to use both sides of the body at the same time in a controlled way. Bilateral coordination also includes using one hand to support the other hand while it carries out more skilled work. Children usually learn to coordinate the use of their arms before the use of their legs. Laterality is the awareness of the left and right sides of the body and the knowledge that they differ from each other. It is a not a skill that is learnt, but an inner awareness that the child develops within himself.

QUICKNESS AND AGILTY Agility refers to physical coordination, speed, and balance skills. Agility is an important aspect of gross motor development, needed to maintain and control body position whilst changing direction. It is directly related to speed, reaction times, balance and coordination skills. Children develop speed and agility at an early age, when they chase their friends or their family pet around the yard. The ability to react to visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic, or tactile, cues is an important aspect of agility. Games such as tag and games that require children to respond to auditory cues enhance this ability. Ending such auditory cues, which occur in games such as musical chairs, also provides effective training. Children develop rhythmicity and movement synchronization by playing hand-clapping games and singing and dancing games.

STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE Strength and endurance are important to enable children to perform every day functions such as fine motor skills (e.g. holding a pencil appropriately, cleaning teeth), gross motor skills (e.g. carrying heavy school bags, walking, running, skipping, playground skills such as climbing, and sporting skills such as  catching, throwing and hitting a ball with a bat). Muscular endurance helps maintain proper posture all day long. Improving strength and endurance contributes to a higher metabolism, which increases caloric use both while at work and rest, which in turn reduces the risk of obesity. Another important benefit to note is that when a child has good strength, they are more likely to have stronger tendons, ligaments and general joint health which reduces the risk of serious injury

CHEERLEADING Fun and self-expression is the main goal in the cheerleading component. Good listening skills and following directions are also being developed, but merely a secondary achievement. By using flash cards, children are learning both visually and verbally (auditory skills). By adding in a description, for example, when the Hooray sign is used, tell children to jump up like a jack out of a box, the kinaesthetic skills (feeling and/or tactile skills) are also being developed.

TAI CHI Balance: Tai Chi movements are steady and slow, shifting from one side to the other with coordinating upper body movements. These movements help the core regain balance Strength and Endurance: Research shows that individuals who practiced Tai Chi at least 3 times a week on the regular, had higher strength and performance level. Flexibility: In Tai Chi the range of movements helps improve flexibility. Posture: Constant practice of Tai Chi promotes good posture. Improves coordination: Helps with hand eye coordination as well as upper and lower body coordination with the slow rhythmic movements involved. Regulates the respiratory system: Breathing is one of the three parts of Tai Chi.

1300 139 631 www.heydeeho.com.au