Overweight kids are discriminated by other children through name-calling and social exclusion. This can lead to depression, isolation and eating disorders. Overweight youth are at increased risk for obesity, type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. According to 2008 article by Natalie Muth, M.D., published by the American Council on Exercise, kids are obese because they eat more calories than they expend. Physical education teachers should include moderate intensity exercises for youth lasting 30 to 60 minutes, including periods of rest or recovery.
Line Drill
The line drill makes use of the full length of a school gymnasium. You will need a stopwatch and five cones. Use the cones to mark the starting point and four more linear points. The starting point is point A. Place four cones on the court, one at 38 feet from point A, 84 feet from point A, 130 feet and 168 feet from point A. These distances correspond to the nearest free-throw line, the midcourt line, the farthest free-throw line and the farthest baseline of a basketball court. The children must make four round trips to complete this drill, stepping one foot on the imaginary line at each cone--from the starting line at point A to the first cone then back to the start, from point A to the second cone and back to start, from point A to the third cone then back to the start, and from point A to the fourth cone, then back to the start. Use the timer to record how long it takes each child to complete this drill.
Strength Training
According to a 2005 article by Pat Vehrs, Ph.D., published by the American College of Sports Medicine, youth can participate in strength training as long as they are able to follow directions. Strength training in a school gym should include body weight, medicine balls and rubber tubing exercises. Children may have difficulty completing a regular push-up. Physical education teachers should demonstrate push-ups on the knees, then gradually encourage the kids to do push-ups on their toes as their chest muscles get stronger. Squat jumps can be performed as a group to work the muscles of the legs. Children can throw medicine balls of varying weights above their head to work the shoulder muscles. Resistance bands can be used to do exercises for the arms such as biceps curls, triceps extensions and lateral raises. Kids can do sit-ups to improve their abdominal muscles then progress to sit-ups with a medicine ball toss.
Agility Drills
Agility equipment such as rings, poles, rubber discs and ladders are small and light weight, making them very easy to set up in a gym. These drills are fun, yet they also improve balance, speed and the children's ability to quickly change directions. Such skills are necessary for sports performance; they are also essential for children's functional activities at home, school, in the yard and in the playground.
References
- "American Council on Exercise Certified News"; Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of the Childhood Onset of Adult Disease; Natalie Muth, M.D.; Dec 2008/Jan 2009
- "American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal"; Strength Training in Children and Teens; Pat Vehrs, Ph.D.; July/Aug 2005
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
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