Introduction Personal Fitness

Transcription

1 Introduction Personal Fitness The following units address the expectations of the Active Living and Living Skills strands as well as a few from Movement Competence. While participating in a variety of fitness-related activities, students will learn the importance of regular physical activity and its relationship to developing and maintaining health-related fitness and skill-related fitness. For a glossary of terms, please refer to The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education, 2010 (revised). Throughout the units, students will learn not only what to do to develop personal fitness but also why to do it and how to do it appropriately and effectively. As the student s level of fitness improves, the duration of vigorous activity can be regularly increased. Daily Physical Activity (DPA) is included as a curriculum expectation in Personal Fitness for every grade and is a mandatory component of daily instruction for students in Ontario. Students will actively be engaged in sustained moderate to vigorous physical activity, including appropriate warm-up and cool-down activities, to the best of their ability for a minimum of twenty minutes every day. All students, including students with special education needs, are required to have the opportunity to participate in DPA during instructional time. The goal of daily physical activity is to instil the habit of activity and enable all elementary students to be active on a daily basis in order to maintain or enhance their physical fitness, their overall health and wellness, and their ability and readiness to learn. Many of the lessons in the Fitness units provide the opportunity for teachers to address this expectation, however some modification of the lesson may be required to fulfill the DPA time requirement. In these resources, fitness is presented in cohesive units, however for students to achieve maximum benefits, fitness should be a component of every lesson and addressed at numerous times throughout the duration of the program. An opportunity for diagnostic assessment enables students to set personal goals based on their initial assessment and reflect on their performances and make appropriate plans to improve their fitness levels. As students are involved in the assessment of their own health-related fitness levels, setting goals, and developing personal fitness plans to achieve their goals, it is important for teachers to incorporate the following into their practices. OASPHE Fitness Assessment Key Messages

2 1. Fitness assessment helps students identify physical abilities and areas of physical fitness that need improvement. Baseline measures are useful in setting individual goals and monitoring individual progress. Copied from Exercise Science - An Introduction to Health and Physical Education (2003), p.208, Temertzoglou & Challen, Thompson Educational Publishing. Fitness appraisal refers to the tool, task or activity (e.g., cardiovascular appraisal 12 minute run; flexibility appraisal sit and reach; muscular strength vertical jump) that is used to gather evidence of the student s physical fitness level. There are a number of fitness appraisals that can be used for each of the components of fitness. Adpated from Exercise Science - An Introduction to Health and Physical Education (2003), p. 210, Temertzoglou & Challen, Thompson Educational Publishing. 2. Teachers must be sensitive to the fitness appraisal environment and provide one that promotes success for all students. o Physical fitness should be an educational process (Cooper Institute, 1999) o Teach students to assess their personal level of health related fitness, interpret the results and use the information to develop personal fitness goals Adapted from the Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association Inc. Journal (October 2005), p.22, Charles F. Morgan, Aaron Beighie, Robert P. Pangrazi, and Debra Pangrazi, Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association 3. Fitness appraisals should be used to encourage lifelong participation in physical activity, generate critical thinking, self-awareness and discussion about healthy lifestyles. 4. Fitness appraisals results/scores should not be directly used as a grade (e.g., The concept of teachers giving 10% for 10 push ups and 100% for 100 push-ups is not acceptable practice). The results can be used to self-assess, self-monitor and set individual goals. Copied from Dr. Antony Card, Memorial University, PESIC conference, Newfoundland (2005). 5. Physical fitness education should focus on the health-related components of fitness (i.e., cardiovascular, muscular endurance, muscular strength and flexibility) to set goals to maintain/improve personal health-related fitness. The fitness appraisal of Body Mass Index (BMI) is not the role of the educator. Dr. Margaret MacNeill, U of T, Physical Fitness appraisals should be inclusive, student-centered, personalized and consistent throughout the year. They should: focus on the process of fitness assessment not the product allow student choice of fitness appraisal tasks (i.e., cardiovascular appraisal choice of 12 minute run, step test, beep test; muscular endurance appraisal choice of partial curl-ups, push-ups, muscular strength appraisal choice of grip strength, vertical jump). allow students to perform activities in an order, pace and setting that is comfortable and appropriate for each individual student (e.g., circuit format).

3 teach students to self-assess and self-monitor their personal fitness levels as their primary purpose. Adapted from the Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association Inc. Journal (October 2005), p.22, Charles F. Morgan, Aaron Beighie, Robert P. Pangrazi, and Debra Pangrazi, Manitoba Physical Education Teachers Association Teachers can adapt the challenges in the fitness units by: allowing students to work at their personal level (pace and intensity); providing and allowing choice in fitness appraisals (e.g., for cardio-respiratory fitness: 12 Minute Run, running steps, stationary bikes, Beep Test, differentiated Beep Test); providing a variety of levels of intensity (e.g., in circuits and missions); allowing students to work with a partner who has similar goals; allowing choice in the reporting methods (e.g., written report, verbal conference). Notes to Teacher: Fitness The primary purpose of fitness appraisals is to teach students to self assess and self monitor their personal fitness levels. Teach students the concept of their personal best. Remind them that fitness is not about comparing their results to another student s because everyone is different. It is about setting personal goals and making personal improvement. In order to respond to students different interests, abilities and needs, use a wide variety of activities for fitness improvement and for students to measure their own fitness improvement. Students perform activities in an order, pace and setting that is comfortable and appropriate for each individual student (e.g., circuit format). Students should be provided with a variety of opportunities to develop their health-related fitness. Be sure to offer student choice in activity. However, students must maintain their choice in order to be consistent within their goal setting. Personal results should not be displayed for public viewing. Work with students to co-construct and develop the vocabulary to help and positively encourage one another. For descriptions and illustrations of Ophea s 50 Fitness Activities referenced throughout the unit, see the Appendix. Teachers may want to record or represent fitness activities as a visual for student reference (e.g., words, signs, pictures), and include them on a word wall or in word study. Consider using upbeat music as motivation throughout the unit. It is helpful to develop a system or individual portfolios for storing and tracking paperwork from this and previous fitness units. Student worksheets can be kept in file folders in a box that is kept in the gymnasium. Rolling carts make it easy to transport files to and from the gymnasium. It is also helpful to keep a box of pens or sharpened pencils

4 in the gymnasium so students do not have to bring writing utensils to class. When creating anecdotal notes, consider only recording notes for 6 10 students per class. Ensure students you observe are aware of the Success Criteria and the students observed vary from class to class to ensure you eventually observe and provide direct feedback to all students. Fitness Journals Using fitness journals, students track their fitness activities and repeat this process at different points in the year to assess their progress. Journals can be completed during consolidation sessions during physical education periods or can be completed during regular class time. The fitness journal can guide ongoing tracking of fitness levels and allow student critical and creative reflective practices in response to their active participation in a variety of health-related physical activities. Yoga Provide students with background information on Yoga. Explain to students that Yoga originated in ancient India, and can be defined from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit to mean "union". Students will experience this union occurring between their mind, body and spirit. Yoga refers to the practice of physical postures or poses. Hundreds of yoga poses exist, and these positions, called asanas (in Sanskrit), have physical, mental and emotional benefits. Explain to students that the unit they are starting is one of balances performed while participating in Yoga. Pilates Provide students with background information on Pilates. Explain to students that this unit contains balances and strength exercises. Pilates is a system of exercises developed by Joseph Pilates during the early twentieth century in Germany. Pilates exercises focus on developing the core muscles, which are essential to providing support for the spine and help keep the body balanced and stable. These exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and can yield improvements in range of flexibility, motion, circulation, abdominal strength and even posture. Yoga and Pilates Consider using soft and soothing music throughout the unit and dimming the lights if possible during the Consolidation. Remind students that Yoga and Pilates poses are personal and that they should not compare their level of flexibility to other students or to the perfectly performed poses illustrated in books or on the internet. Instruct students to complete the range of motion for the exercise that is suitable to their level of ability/flexibility and comfort level and to stop the activity if they feel discomfort or pain. Breathing is vital to both Yoga and Pilates practice as it provides a focus point for the mind and body connection. Students should never hold their

5 breath and should always breathe in a steady rhythm. Students should inhale deeply at the beginning and as they move into their poses, exhale. In Yoga breathing occurs only through the nose. When poses become a challenge students should be brought back to their breathing and focus within. As we breathe in, we inhale, drawing power, energy, and strength into our bodies. Inhaling is a focus of self. As we exhale, we are giving and letting go. Poses in yoga are not held by number of seconds, but by number of breaths. Encourage students that regardless of their level of flexibility they should move slowly into and out of poses. If available, provide students with yoga tools like blocks or bands to help students who are less flexible move into the poses (e.g., in forward bend, rather then placing hands on the floor, students can place hands on a block in front of the body). Work with students to co-construct and develop the vocabulary to help and positively encourage one another. When creating anecdotal notes, consider only recording notes for 6 10 students per class. Ensure students you observe are aware of the Success Criteria and the students observed vary from class to class to ensure you eventually observe and provide direct feedback to all students. Safety Safety, including physical and emotional safety, is an integral part of the health and physical education curriculum. Although teachers have responsibility for following board safety guidelines in matters related to supervision, clothing and footwear, equipment, and facilities, and for applying special rules and instructions, students must also begin to take responsibility from a very young age for their own safety and the safety of others around them at school, at home, and in the community. Fitness Refer to the Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines for the most up-to-date safety requirements. Any teacher who is unfamiliar with the use of fitness equipment must: o seek assistance from appropriate support personnel, and/or o refrain from teaching until help is received and/or o acquire Canada Fitness Standard Certification or equivalent. Prior to activity inspect activity area for safe traction and eliminate potential hazardous conditions. All fitness equipment must be appropriate in size and weight for the student. Only small hand-held fixed weights up to 2.2kg (5 lbs) maximum (e.g., moulded plastic dumbbells) can be used in fitness activities. A process must be in place to regularly disinfect equipment.

6 Be aware of students who have latex allergies and ensure bands are not made of that latex. Rubber tubing can be used as a substitute for resistance bands. Limit the activities that occur on stages to those that are stationary Where fitness equipment is being used, (e.g., treadmills, stationary bicycle, medicine ball, chinning bar, tubing) students must be instructed in and demonstrate competency in the proper use of the equipment before using independently. Permit students to work at personal levels of intensity (e.g., students who can make responsible decisions related to low-impact to high-impact and low-intensity to high-intensity). Yoga and Pilates: Refer to the Ontario Physical Education Safety Guidelines for the most up-to-date safety requirements. Any teacher who is unfamiliar with Yoga/Pilates must: o seek assistance from appropriate sport personnel, and/or o refrain from teaching until help is received and/or o acquire Canada Fitness Standard Certification or equivalent Prior to activity inspect activity area for safe traction and eliminate potential hazardous conditions. Non-slip mats suitable for Yoga/Pilates must be used Students must wear appropriate foot-wear (e.g., non-slip socks, gymnastic slippers) or may participate in bare feet. A process must be in place to regularly disinfect equipment Position participants a safe distance from each other to minimize interference. Limit the activities that occur on stages to those that are stationary. Bikram Yoga or Hot Yoga where the facility is heated from 95 to 102 degrees must not be done as a curricular activity. Bikram, Ashtanga and Power Yoga are generally too vigorous for beginners and inflexible people. Students must be instructed not to attempt the following poses: headstands, plow, crow, full shoulder stands, full lotus Where equipment is being used, (e.g., resistance rings, stability balls, foam rollers) students must be instructed in and demonstrate competency in the proper use of the equipment before using independently. Permit students to work at personal levels. To prevent injury and student frustration students should always begin with basic series poses. Encourage students that no matter their level of flexibility they should move slowly into and out of poses. Do not bounce when stretching.