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myn

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Anna Frozen 2 🌷🦌 Disney MATTEL Core Doll Unboxing / Review ☃️❄️

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Family Fitness | Exercise For Kids | Kids Exercise | Parenting Tips | Family Fitness

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Welcome to Fit Family Together. To get family fitness tips, strategies and inspiration sent right to your inbox, just sign up right here. (You'll get a great 7-day ecourse as well!)

What's one of the biggest obstacles to bringing family fitness into your family life? Ideas.

Just like our kids, we inevitably get hit with that question, "What should we do?"

The first secret to making family fitness work, is to grab little moments and sneak activity in. The second secret is to streamline things so you can quickly move from planning to doing.

To apply both of these secrets, the last thing you want to be spending time doing is trying to come up with an inspiration for activity.

So to make that question, "What should we do?" disappear like dust in the wind, I pulled my husband and kids together to brainstorm a list of fun activities for family fitness.

Initially I was just thinking let's try to get to 100. But then I realized this could get much better and bigger . . .

I'd love for you to add your ideas and favorite activities here. Just put them in the comments. Let's see how far we can go!

(By the way, I realized I cheated a bit here. I didn't notice it the first time I wrote this up but I put cleaning the house down twice as an activity. You can see where I want to get the crew moving! And yes, active chores count!)

1. Play tag

2. Play hide and seek

3. Toss the football

4. Play ultimate football (Make teams and see how you can move the ball up to your goal line by simply doing several passes in a row back and forth. Other team tries to intercept.)

5. Play soccer

6. Play monkey in the middle soccer.

7. See who can shoot 10 basket ball baskets first

8. 1-on-1 (or 1-on-2 or 1-on-3 or 2-on-2, any configuration that works for your family) basketball

9. Climb a tree

10. Relay racesWrestling

11. Go ice skating

12. Play ice skating tag

13. Go pick-your-own fruits (apples, strawberries) at a local farm

14. Go on a hike

15. Go on a bike ride

16. Roll down a hill and then run back up

17. Go swimming

18. See who can tread water the longest

19. Dive under each others' legs in the water

20. Have a splash fight while you're swimming

21. Play sea monster: Lie in the shallow water, holding yourself up with your hands. And then move yourself using your hands (with your feet floating behind) to chase down your little guys as they run up onto the beach and back. (Be warned: Lots of screams and giggles!)

22. Laser tag

23. Squirt gun/water balloon fight

24. Stretching Olympics

25. Can You Do This?

26. Go for a walk

27. Go for a funny walk

28. Create an indoor obstacle course

29. Create an outdoor obstacle course

30. Jumping contest

31. Jump rope solo

32. Jump rope with two swingers holding the rope

33. Hoola hoop

34. Make a giant body map

35. Play Simon Says

36. Play Dodge ball (use a very soft ball)

37. Play a game of badminton (no net needed)

38. Play volleyball

39. Run around with your dog

40. Play Follow the Leader

41. Play Mother May I

42. Play Red Light- Green Light

43. Play Hopscotch (Hint, very creative hopscotch courses are fine!)

44. Go on a canoe ride or kayak

45. Rollerblade

46. Family running

47. Rollerskate to disco tunes at a roller rink

48. Plant a garden

49. Weed the garden

50. Rake the yard

51. Go snowboarding and skiing

52. Do a ropes course or go ziplining

53. Do wheelbarrow races: Hold your children by their legs, standing behind them and have them try to walk using only their arms

54. Go rock climbing or to an indoor climbing gym

55. Dance

56. Follow the leader dance

57. Do yoga together

58. Have a snowball fight

59. Shovel the driveway

60. Clean the house

61. Play baseball

62. Play Eskimo baseball (instead of a diamond, run between two lines back and forth after hitting the ball.)

63. Catch leaves in the autumn

64. Jump on a trampoline

65. Learn martial arts together

66. Play charades

67. Skip rocks over a pond or lake

68. Go on an early morning walk

69. Play leapfrog.

70. Go on a scavenger hunt around the house and yard

71. Spin until you're dizzy and then do 50 meter dash.

72. Throw a Frisbee around

73. See how many times you can throw Frisbee around family circle without dropping it.

74. Cartwheel competition. Race with cartwheels. See who can do the most in a minute. See who can do the most period.

75. Play ultimate Frisbee. (Try to score a goal by passing frisbee as you run up the field towards your goal line. Other team tries to intercept)

76. Go to the beach and jump over the waves.

77. Run on the beach.

78. Lie on the ground with your baby and imitate everything your baby does (great Yoga stretch, trying to eat your foot!)

79. Put your baby in a Snugli baby carrier or simply hold them close to you and dance with your baby to the music together.

80. Hop on one foot. Race hopping on one foot. See how far you can go hopping on one foot.

81. See how far you can jump.

82. Family tug of war. Tie rope around your waists and pull in opposite direction. See who can get to their line first.Play balloon volleyball in the living room.

83. Play the Blob tag - once "It" tags someone, then that person becomes "It" too.

84. Create a balance beam or tight rope between two trees just 6 inches off the ground and see if you can balance and walk.

85. Clean the house with music blasting.

86. Turn your children into free weights and lift them up and down. (Even more challenging since free weights don't wiggle!)

87. Play human bowling ball: Parent rolls on ground lying straight and children jump over you.

88. Go sledding, everyone tromps up the hill.

89. Have a two-legged hopping race.

90. Go snowshoeing.

91. Roll big snowballs and make a snowman.

92. Race in the deep snow.

93. Make snow angels.

94. See how many somersaults you can do in a row.

95. Practice water rescue. Parent, you sit just about waist deep for your child. Your child grabs your arms and pulls you to shore. (Kids love to be the rescuer!)

96. Dive under water for rocks, diving rings, or any other object that will sink but remain visible.

97. Move rocks around under water either swimming or walking and make a pile.

98. Go sock-skating. Put on socks and skid across vinyl or wood floors. Put on music for extra momentum!

99. Explore a new park.

100. Explore a new city or neighborhood on foot. (We walked from 87th St. in Manhattan all the way to Brooklyn once!)

What are your ideas to add here? Let's make this list as big as we can!

Tagged as: exercises, family, family fitness, fitness, fitness ideas, kids, kids exercise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Fit Family Together. To get family fitness tips, strategies and inspiration sent right to your inbox, just sign up right here. (You'll get a great 7-day ecourse as well!)Tweet What's one of the biggest obstacles to bringing family fitness into your family life? Ideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Family Fitness | Exercise For Kids | Kids Exercise | Parenting Tips | Family Fitness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to Fit Family Together. To get family fitness tips, strategies and inspiration sent right to your inbox, just sign up right here. (You'll get a great 7-day ecourse as well!)

What's one of the biggest obstacles to bringing family fitness into your family life? Ideas.

Just like our kids, we inevitably get hit with that question, "What should we do?"

The first secret to making family fitness work, is to grab little moments and sneak activity in. The second secret is to streamline things so you can quickly move from planning to doing.

To apply both of these secrets, the last thing you want to be spending time doing is trying to come up with an inspiration for activity.

So to make that question, "What should we do?" disappear like dust in the wind, I pulled my husband and kids together to brainstorm a list of fun activities for family fitness.

Initially I was just thinking let's try to get to 100. But then I realized this could get much better and bigger . . .

I'd love for you to add your ideas and favorite activities here. Just put them in the comments. Let's see how far we can go!

(By the way, I realized I cheated a bit here. I didn't notice it the first time I wrote this up but I put cleaning the house down twice as an activity. You can see where I want to get the crew moving! And yes, active chores count!)

1. Play tag

2. Play hide and seek

3. Toss the football

4. Play ultimate football (Make teams and see how you can move the ball up to your goal line by simply doing several passes in a row back and forth. Other team tries to intercept.)

5. Play soccer

6. Play monkey in the middle soccer.

7. See who can shoot 10 basket ball baskets first

8. 1-on-1 (or 1-on-2 or 1-on-3 or 2-on-2, any configuration that works for your family) basketball

9. Climb a tree

10. Relay racesWrestling

11. Go ice skating

12. Play ice skating tag

13. Go pick-your-own fruits (apples, strawberries) at a local farm

14. Go on a hike

15. Go on a bike ride

16. Roll down a hill and then run back up

17. Go swimming

18. See who can tread water the longest

19. Dive under each others' legs in the water

20. Have a splash fight while you're swimming

21. Play sea monster: Lie in the shallow water, holding yourself up with your hands. And then move yourself using your hands (with your feet floating behind) to chase down your little guys as they run up onto the beach and back. (Be warned: Lots of screams and giggles!)

22. Laser tag

23. Squirt gun/water balloon fight

24. Stretching Olympics

25. Can You Do This?

26. Go for a walk

27. Go for a funny walk

28. Create an indoor obstacle course

29. Create an outdoor obstacle course

30. Jumping contest

31. Jump rope solo

32. Jump rope with two swingers holding the rope

33. Hoola hoop

34. Make a giant body map

35. Play Simon Says

36. Play Dodge ball (use a very soft ball)

37. Play a game of badminton (no net needed)

38. Play volleyball

39. Run around with your dog

40. Play Follow the Leader

41. Play Mother May I

42. Play Red Light- Green Light

43. Play Hopscotch (Hint, very creative hopscotch courses are fine!)

44. Go on a canoe ride or kayak

45. Rollerblade

46. Family running

47. Rollerskate to disco tunes at a roller rink

48. Plant a garden

49. Weed the garden

50. Rake the yard

51. Go snowboarding and skiing

52. Do a ropes course or go ziplining

53. Do wheelbarrow races: Hold your children by their legs, standing behind them and have them try to walk using only their arms

54. Go rock climbing or to an indoor climbing gym

55. Dance

56. Follow the leader dance

57. Do yoga together

58. Have a snowball fight

59. Shovel the driveway

60. Clean the house

61. Play baseball

62. Play Eskimo baseball (instead of a diamond, run between two lines back and forth after hitting the ball.)

63. Catch leaves in the autumn

64. Jump on a trampoline

65. Learn martial arts together

66. Play charades

67. Skip rocks over a pond or lake

68. Go on an early morning walk

69. Play leapfrog.

70. Go on a scavenger hunt around the house and yard

71. Spin until you're dizzy and then do 50 meter dash.

72. Throw a Frisbee around

73. See how many times you can throw Frisbee around family circle without dropping it.

74. Cartwheel competition. Race with cartwheels. See who can do the most in a minute. See who can do the most period.

75. Play ultimate Frisbee. (Try to score a goal by passing frisbee as you run up the field towards your goal line. Other team tries to intercept)

76. Go to the beach and jump over the waves.

77. Run on the beach.

78. Lie on the ground with your baby and imitate everything your baby does (great Yoga stretch, trying to eat your foot!)

79. Put your baby in a Snugli baby carrier or simply hold them close to you and dance with your baby to the music together.

80. Hop on one foot. Race hopping on one foot. See how far you can go hopping on one foot.

81. See how far you can jump.

82. Family tug of war. Tie rope around your waists and pull in opposite direction. See who can get to their line first.Play balloon volleyball in the living room.

83. Play the Blob tag - once "It" tags someone, then that person becomes "It" too.

84. Create a balance beam or tight rope between two trees just 6 inches off the ground and see if you can balance and walk.

85. Clean the house with music blasting.

86. Turn your children into free weights and lift them up and down. (Even more challenging since free weights don't wiggle!)

87. Play human bowling ball: Parent rolls on ground lying straight and children jump over you.

88. Go sledding, everyone tromps up the hill.

89. Have a two-legged hopping race.

90. Go snowshoeing.

91. Roll big snowballs and make a snowman.

92. Race in the deep snow.

93. Make snow angels.

94. See how many somersaults you can do in a row.

95. Practice water rescue. Parent, you sit just about waist deep for your child. Your child grabs your arms and pulls you to shore. (Kids love to be the rescuer!)

96. Dive under water for rocks, diving rings, or any other object that will sink but remain visible.

97. Move rocks around under water either swimming or walking and make a pile.

98. Go sock-skating. Put on socks and skid across vinyl or wood floors. Put on music for extra momentum!

99. Explore a new park.

100. Explore a new city or neighborhood on foot. (We walked from 87th St. in Manhattan all the way to Brooklyn once!)

What are your ideas to add here? Let's make this list as big as we can!

Tagged as: exercises, family, family fitness, fitness, fitness ideas, kids, kids exercise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Fit Family Together. To get family fitness tips, strategies and inspiration sent right to your inbox, just sign up right here. (You'll get a great 7-day ecourse as well!)Tweet What's one of the biggest obstacles to bringing family fitness into your family life? Ideas.

# data[].attributes.headline
Fitness & Service Learning, A. Buonaguro

# data[].attributes.subject
Fitness & Service Learning, A. Buonaguro

# data[].attributes.body
Encourage students to maintain a log of fitness activities that also incorporate elements of community service. Plan a culminating event on April 15 for global Youth Service Day. Eligible activities include:

-Raking leaves, carrying groceries or shoveling snow for a family member or elderly neighbor

-Participating in a Fun Run or Walk to raise awareness or money for a community health issue such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, or Multiple Sclerosis

-Participate in a litter clean up around the school or a local park

- Donate time at a local community garden or help beatify a nursing home

-Host a Jump-A-Thon where each sponsor pledges a penny for how many times students can skip a rope within an hour. (Activity could be substituted for sit-ups, push-ups or jumping jacks). Donate the proceeds to a local cause.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Global Youth Service Day 2018 | #LeadASAP | Youth Service America

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The 30th anniversary celebration of Global Youth Service Day is April 20-22. GYSD is the largest service event in the world and the only one that celebrates the contributions that children and youth make 365 days of the year.

BE FEARLESS BE KIND pledge

Hasbro and YSA are calling on youth to BE FEARLESS BE KIND, by standing up for others, being inclusive and making a difference through service projects and kind acts. From fighting hunger, to advocating for the environment, to raising money for kids in need, youth can #LeadASAP. Join us!

Take The Pledge

Take the
BE FEARLESS BE KIND Pledge

Take the pledge, start your project, and show your impact for a chance to get a grant!

TAKE THE PLEDGE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 30th anniversary celebration of Global Youth Service Day is April 20-22. GYSD is the largest service event in the world and the only one that celebrates the contributions that children and youth make 365 days of the year.

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Mam I am eating papdi for excerside.

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Please dure online session we will pay the money

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My family name i

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26 stars- That I learnt asana only but I my sur name jirwajka only.

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26 stars- That I learnt asanas in unit 1 assignment only but you should teach me mam

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That practice what I am teaching

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This is a website which helps explain to students why physical activity is needed and why it is important. It also gives tips for increasing physical activity and how many calories are used in physical activity. This relates directly to how physical activity and nutritional choices are connected.

Mike Diehl

choosemyplate.gov

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Home Physical Activity

Being physically active can improve your health - today, tomorrow, and in the future. However, most people do not do enough physical activity. People of all types, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from being physically active. The more you do, the greater the health benefits and the better you'll feel. The information and tips below can help you learn ways to add physical activity to your life.

Physical Activity Guidelines Midcourse Report -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, in partnership with the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, has released the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth.

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usda center for nutrition policy & promotion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home Physical Activity Being physically active can improve your health - today, tomorrow, and in the future. However, most people do not do enough physical activity. People of all types, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from being physically active. The more you do, the greater the health benefits and the better you'll feel.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are a group of exercises that families are able to form together. The exercises are relatively easy to perform but are effective. The main thing is that you can get a healthy workout in while bonding with your family.

www.youtube.com

Mike Diehl

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Family Exercise Activities : Fitness & Building Strength

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Subscribe Now: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=ehowfitness Watch More: http://www.youtube.com/ehowfitness Family exercise activities can be done using pushups with the plank position and a wide variety of other techniques that you can do with a partner. Find out about family exercise activities with help from the first American physician/orthopedic surgeon to write and demonstrate all exercises in a comprehensive fitness book in this free video clip.

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Here are 100 free and easy ideas that families can do to have fun and stay active. There is a great variety of activities for all kinds of interests, seasons, locations, ages, and number of participants. Parents and children can both get fit while not even realizing that they are doing exercise.

fitfamilytogether.com

Matt Bale-Pena

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Family Fitness | Exercise For Kids | Kids Exercise | Parenting Tips | Family Fitness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to Fit Family Together. To get family fitness tips, strategies and inspiration sent right to your inbox, just sign up right here. (You'll get a great 7-day ecourse as well!)

What's one of the biggest obstacles to bringing family fitness into your family life? Ideas.

Just like our kids, we inevitably get hit with that question, "What should we do?"

The first secret to making family fitness work, is to grab little moments and sneak activity in. The second secret is to streamline things so you can quickly move from planning to doing.

To apply both of these secrets, the last thing you want to be spending time doing is trying to come up with an inspiration for activity.

So to make that question, "What should we do?" disappear like dust in the wind, I pulled my husband and kids together to brainstorm a list of fun activities for family fitness.

Initially I was just thinking let's try to get to 100. But then I realized this could get much better and bigger . . .

I'd love for you to add your ideas and favorite activities here. Just put them in the comments. Let's see how far we can go!

(By the way, I realized I cheated a bit here. I didn't notice it the first time I wrote this up but I put cleaning the house down twice as an activity. You can see where I want to get the crew moving! And yes, active chores count!)

1. Play tag

2. Play hide and seek

3. Toss the football

4. Play ultimate football (Make teams and see how you can move the ball up to your goal line by simply doing several passes in a row back and forth. Other team tries to intercept.)

5. Play soccer

6. Play monkey in the middle soccer.

7. See who can shoot 10 basket ball baskets first

8. 1-on-1 (or 1-on-2 or 1-on-3 or 2-on-2, any configuration that works for your family) basketball

9. Climb a tree

10. Relay racesWrestling

11. Go ice skating

12. Play ice skating tag

13. Go pick-your-own fruits (apples, strawberries) at a local farm

14. Go on a hike

15. Go on a bike ride

16. Roll down a hill and then run back up

17. Go swimming

18. See who can tread water the longest

19. Dive under each others' legs in the water

20. Have a splash fight while you're swimming

21. Play sea monster: Lie in the shallow water, holding yourself up with your hands. And then move yourself using your hands (with your feet floating behind) to chase down your little guys as they run up onto the beach and back. (Be warned: Lots of screams and giggles!)

22. Laser tag

23. Squirt gun/water balloon fight

24. Stretching Olympics

25. Can You Do This?

26. Go for a walk

27. Go for a funny walk

28. Create an indoor obstacle course

29. Create an outdoor obstacle course

30. Jumping contest

31. Jump rope solo

32. Jump rope with two swingers holding the rope

33. Hoola hoop

34. Make a giant body map

35. Play Simon Says

36. Play Dodge ball (use a very soft ball)

37. Play a game of badminton (no net needed)

38. Play volleyball

39. Run around with your dog

40. Play Follow the Leader

41. Play Mother May I

42. Play Red Light- Green Light

43. Play Hopscotch (Hint, very creative hopscotch courses are fine!)

44. Go on a canoe ride or kayak

45. Rollerblade

46. Family running

47. Rollerskate to disco tunes at a roller rink

48. Plant a garden

49. Weed the garden

50. Rake the yard

51. Go snowboarding and skiing

52. Do a ropes course or go ziplining

53. Do wheelbarrow races: Hold your children by their legs, standing behind them and have them try to walk using only their arms

54. Go rock climbing or to an indoor climbing gym

55. Dance

56. Follow the leader dance

57. Do yoga together

58. Have a snowball fight

59. Shovel the driveway

60. Clean the house

61. Play baseball

62. Play Eskimo baseball (instead of a diamond, run between two lines back and forth after hitting the ball.)

63. Catch leaves in the autumn

64. Jump on a trampoline

65. Learn martial arts together

66. Play charades

67. Skip rocks over a pond or lake

68. Go on an early morning walk

69. Play leapfrog.

70. Go on a scavenger hunt around the house and yard

71. Spin until you're dizzy and then do 50 meter dash.

72. Throw a Frisbee around

73. See how many times you can throw Frisbee around family circle without dropping it.

74. Cartwheel competition. Race with cartwheels. See who can do the most in a minute. See who can do the most period.

75. Play ultimate Frisbee. (Try to score a goal by passing frisbee as you run up the field towards your goal line. Other team tries to intercept)

76. Go to the beach and jump over the waves.

77. Run on the beach.

78. Lie on the ground with your baby and imitate everything your baby does (great Yoga stretch, trying to eat your foot!)

79. Put your baby in a Snugli baby carrier or simply hold them close to you and dance with your baby to the music together.

80. Hop on one foot. Race hopping on one foot. See how far you can go hopping on one foot.

81. See how far you can jump.

82. Family tug of war. Tie rope around your waists and pull in opposite direction. See who can get to their line first.Play balloon volleyball in the living room.

83. Play the Blob tag - once "It" tags someone, then that person becomes "It" too.

84. Create a balance beam or tight rope between two trees just 6 inches off the ground and see if you can balance and walk.

85. Clean the house with music blasting.

86. Turn your children into free weights and lift them up and down. (Even more challenging since free weights don't wiggle!)

87. Play human bowling ball: Parent rolls on ground lying straight and children jump over you.

88. Go sledding, everyone tromps up the hill.

89. Have a two-legged hopping race.

90. Go snowshoeing.

91. Roll big snowballs and make a snowman.

92. Race in the deep snow.

93. Make snow angels.

94. See how many somersaults you can do in a row.

95. Practice water rescue. Parent, you sit just about waist deep for your child. Your child grabs your arms and pulls you to shore. (Kids love to be the rescuer!)

96. Dive under water for rocks, diving rings, or any other object that will sink but remain visible.

97. Move rocks around under water either swimming or walking and make a pile.

98. Go sock-skating. Put on socks and skid across vinyl or wood floors. Put on music for extra momentum!

99. Explore a new park.

100. Explore a new city or neighborhood on foot. (We walked from 87th St. in Manhattan all the way to Brooklyn once!)

What are your ideas to add here? Let's make this list as big as we can!

Tagged as: exercises, family, family fitness, fitness, fitness ideas, kids, kids exercise

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Fit Family Together. To get family fitness tips, strategies and inspiration sent right to your inbox, just sign up right here. (You'll get a great 7-day ecourse as well!)Tweet What's one of the biggest obstacles to bringing family fitness into your family life? Ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
Stretching is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle for everyone. Stretching can prepare the body for physical activity, prevent injuries, and decrease imbalances in the body that can lead to pain or dysfunction.

Youtube.com

Matt Bale-Pena

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free Flexibility Video: 5-Minute Stretch Routine

# data[].attributes.headline
Fitness & Service Learning, A. Buonaguro

# data[].attributes.subject
Fitness & Service Learning, A. Buonaguro

# data[].attributes.body
Encourage students to maintain a log of fitness activities that also incorporate elements of community service. Plan a culminating event on April 15 for global Youth Service Day. Eligible activities include:

-Raking leaves, carrying groceries or shoveling snow for a family member or elderly neighbor

-Participating in a Fun Run or Walk to raise awareness or money for a community health issue such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, or Multiple Sclerosis

-Participate in a litter clean up around the school or a local park

- Donate time at a local community garden or help beatify a nursing home

-Host a Jump-A-Thon where each sponsor pledges a penny for how many times students can skip a rope within an hour. (Activity could be substituted for sit-ups, push-ups or jumping jacks). Donate the proceeds to a local cause.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Global Youth Service Day 2018 | #LeadASAP | Youth Service America

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The 30th anniversary celebration of Global Youth Service Day is April 20-22. GYSD is the largest service event in the world and the only one that celebrates the contributions that children and youth make 365 days of the year.

BE FEARLESS BE KIND pledge

Hasbro and YSA are calling on youth to BE FEARLESS BE KIND, by standing up for others, being inclusive and making a difference through service projects and kind acts. From fighting hunger, to advocating for the environment, to raising money for kids in need, youth can #LeadASAP. Join us!

Take The Pledge

Take the
BE FEARLESS BE KIND Pledge

Take the pledge, start your project, and show your impact for a chance to get a grant!

TAKE THE PLEDGE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The 30th anniversary celebration of Global Youth Service Day is April 20-22. GYSD is the largest service event in the world and the only one that celebrates the contributions that children and youth make 365 days of the year.

# data[].attributes.headline
Download the 'Substitutions' app to help find healthier food choices.

# data[].attributes.subject
Download the 'Substitutions' app to help find healthier food choices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read reviews, compare customer ratings, see screenshots, and learn more about Substitutions. Download Substitutions and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

# data[].attributes.headline
Physical fitness and transfer in your daily life. Check out this link from WebMD

# data[].attributes.subject
Physical fitness and transfer in your daily life. Check out this link from WebMD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Functional fitness may be among the latest buzzwords in gyms these days, but for good reason. It's about training your body to handle real-life situations.
From the WebMD Archives

Yesterday you had a great workout at the gym. You're bench-pressing more weight than ever before, and pulling enough weight on the seated rowing machine to try out for the Olympic sculling team.

Today, you lift a 60-pound suitcase to carry it downstairs -- and throw your back out. What happened? In all likelihood, you're not paying enough attention to your functional fitness. You might be toned, tight, and ready for the beach, but are you ready to lift your toddler out of his car seat or hoist the spring-water bottle onto the dispenser?

Functional fitness and functional exercise are the latest gym buzzwords. They focus on building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions, not just lifting a certain amount of weight in an idealized posture created by a gym machine.

Making Muscles Work Together

"Conventional weight training isolates muscle groups, but it doesn't teach the muscle groups you're isolating to work with others," says Greg Roskopf, MS, a biomechanics consultant with a company called Muscle Activation Techniques who has worked with athletes from the Denver Broncos, the Denver Nuggets, and the Utah Jazz.

"The key to functional exercise is integration. It's about teaching all the muscles to work together rather than isolating them to work independently."

So what's an example of a functional exercise? Think of a bent-over row; not the kind of row you do on a seated machine, but the kind you do leaning over a bench, holding the weight in one hand with your arm hanging straight down, and then pulling the weight up as your elbow points to the ceiling, finishing with your upper arm parallel to the ground.

"That's an exercise that will build the muscles of the back, the shoulders, the arms, and because of its nature will really work your whole body," says exercise kinesiologist Paul Chek, MSS, founder of the Corrective High-performance Exercise Kinesiology Institute in California who has advised the Chicago Bulls and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"Compare that motion to a carpenter bending over a piece of wood, a nurse bending over a bed to transfer a patient, or an auto mechanic bending over to adjust your carburetor. Anyone doing a bent-over row will find a carryover in things you do in normal life."

Continued

Contrast that with the seated row: You're sitting in a chair with your chest pressed against pads, and you pull two levers back. "You may be strengthening certain muscles, but your body's not learning anything, because you don't have to activate your core stabilizer muscles or the stabilizers of your arms and shoulders. The machine's doing it for you," says Chek.

"In functional fitness, most of the time, you should be standing on your own two feet and supporting your own weight when you lift anything."

Control and Balance the Body

In fact, to get started with functional fitness, you might want to forget about the weights entirely at first. "Most people can't even control their own body weight," says Roskopf. "They can't do a one-legged squat without falling over." Try it now; can you?

"They could lie down on a leg-press machine and press 500 pounds, but they don't have the muscular control for a one-legged squat because they don't have the stability or the muscles working together." That's why, when we walk downstairs or reach up to get something out of a high cabinet, a lot of us have pain.

Your first step, Roskopf says, should be to teach your body to control and balance its own weight. "Start with simple movements, like the one-legged squat, and other balance exercises. Then try standing on one leg on a step-stool that's perhaps eight inches high, and then lower the heel of your other foot to the ground, while controlling your body weight as you go down and back up." Switch sides during each maneuver to promote balance and muscle integration on either side of your body.

Once you can control and balance your own body weight, then you can start working with added weights. "Put a five-pound dumbbell on a level chair, and then do the same one-legged squat, but this time pick up the dumbbell as you come up," suggests Roskopf. "Next, pick up the same weight from the ground while doing the squat. That's challenging your total body integration, and teaching the upper body to work with the lower body."

Other popular tools that promote functional exercise are things like stability balls and the "wobble board," both of which force you to work your core to keep your body balanced while you're lifting a weight.

Continued

Function Follows Form

So should you abandon the weight machines at the gym for a program that's all about free weights and balance? Not necessarily.

"If there are isolated weaknesses, they'll cause a detriment in functional movement," says Roskopf. "If you don't address integration, strong muscles get stronger and the weak ones stay weak, and you create a pattern of compensation. If you blend the two together, functional exercises teach isolated muscles how to work together."

Jumping into functional exercise may startle some people used to working on machines alone: It's a lot harder! "Functional exercise is much more neurologically demanding than machine exercises," says Chek.

"You can't do functional exercise with the same levels of intensity and short rest periods as machine exercise. And unlike traditional weightlifting on machines, with functional exercise, if you 'train to failure' [until muscle ], you train to fail. Instead, your set ends when you can no longer perform the exercise with perfect form."

Finding a trainer with a background in functional exercise shouldn't be hard -- most gyms now have them, says Roskopf. And he advises caution. "Don't try to go too fast," Chek cautions. "The longer you've been away from exercise, the more time it takes to build your body back up."

Published Aug. 12, 2003.

Sources

SOURCES: Greg Roskopf, MS, biomechanics consultant, Muscle Activation Techniques, Denver, Colorado. Paul Chek, MSS, exercise kinesiologist and founder, CHEK Institute, Encinitas, California.

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Functional Fitness: Working out for Real Life Situations

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Functional fitness may be among the latest buzzwords in gyms these days, but for good reason. It's about training your body to handle real-life situations. From the WebMD Archives Yesterday you had a great workout at the gym. You're bench-pressing more weight than ever before, and pulling enough weight on the seated rowing machine to try out for the Olympic sculling team.

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Parents.com has great ideas to share with your family about staying active

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Parents.com has great ideas to share with your family about staying active

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Get Moving

Babies and toddlers spend an awful lot of time strapped into car seats or plopped in front of the TV. Not only does this prevent them from practicing their emerging motor skills and strengthening their heart, lungs, and muscles, but it can also set them up for a sedentary lifestyle, and even obesity, as adults. A good habit of physical activity, on the other hand, will last a lifetime, says Adelphi University professor Stephen Virgilio, author of Active Start for Healthy Kids (Human Kinetics Publishers). "And it's never too early to start," he says.

How, you may wonder, can you help your child get the recommended one-plus hours of daily physical activity when you can't even make it to the gym? The answer, says Virgilio, is to rethink your idea of exercise. "A workout doesn't have to mean running laps or lifting weights, which requires you to set aside blocks of time," he says. "Think of exercise as leading an active lifestyle, which you can do with your kids, and you'll be able to fit in more than you think."

As a bonus, exercise with family does double duty as quality time -- no small consideration given our jam-packed schedules. Let these creative ideas help you turn every day into an opportunity to get fit -- and have fun -- together.

Active Ideas 1-5

1. Go for pre- or post-dinner walks

Whether you head into town or just cruise the neighborhood, building a walk into your daily schedule ensures that it won't get put off. Brookline, Massachusetts, master Pilates instructor Lisa Johnson and her husband take evening walks with 3-year-old Alex, who alternates time in and out of the stroller. To make walking more enticing, Johnson makes a sport of it. "At one house we look for a cat sitting in the window, at another we run up and down a short flight of stairs," she says.

2. Crank up the music and boogie down.

Betsy Murphy of Coral Gables, Florida, holds disco nights with her four kids and several neighbors. She moves the furniture aside, fills the CD player with dance tunes, and lets the kids take turns using a flashlight as a strobe light. "They dance for three hours straight," Murphy says. "The older ones know all the words to the songs and really dance; it's hilarious to see the younger ones try to mimic them. Their favorite song is 'Brick House!'"

3. Make a game out of household chores.

Pretend that dust creatures are invading earth and it's up to Captain [insert child's name] to save the day by capturing them with his broom, suggests registered dietitian Juliet Zuercher of Wickenburg, Arizona. "Make believe he's one of the Rescue Heroes, and have him save his teddy bears from the slimy pit of the floor by putting them safely in his toy chest," she says. Jodi Arlen of Bethesda, Maryland, turns folding laundry into a guessing game. "It started when my daughter would ask, 'Is that mine?' and it grew into 'Guess whose this is!'" she says. After her daughters, 3 years old and 20 months old, correctly identify the clothing, they help fold them.

4. Sneak workouts into other activities.

Have your toddler walk instead of riding in the cart at the supermarket, and take the stairs or walk up the escalator whenever possible. Nancy Twigg of Knoxville, Tennessee, drives partway to her daughter Lydia's preschool, parks the car, and walks the rest of the way.

5. Turn TV commercials into fitness breaks.

Invent silly names for simple exercises like squats, push-ups, and sit-ups, and then do them together till the show comes back on. "Call them princess sit-ups or Bob the Builder muscle builders," says physical therapist Peter Kofitsas, of New York City, who does the moves with his 4-year-old and 20-month-old daughters. You can also play "coach," in which you take turns "ordering" each other to "drop and give me five," or "follow the leader," in which one person leads the others in fun, simple moves like clapping, wiggling, and marching.

Active Ideas 6-10

6. Have a weekly sports night.

Every Wednesday, for example, get everyone up and moving. One game to play is the fit-deck shuffle. Create a series of playing cards featuring family-friendly exercises, such as bear-crawling or ape-walking. Each family member picks a card and performs the exercise pictured until all the cards have been dealt. You can also buy a ready-made set of exercise cards from FitDeck (fitdeck.com).

7. Walk or run for charity.

Model the value of exercise -- and of giving back to society -- by teaming up with your children for a fund-raising race. When her husband and father-in-law participated in the Father's Day Race for Prostate Cancer, Jodi Zielinski, of Upper Montclair, New Jersey, took her 3-year-old daughter, Noa, to watch them run. When the race was over, she entered Noa in the kids' race that followed. "She didn't win but she had a great time," says Zielinski, who hopes to make it an annual family tradition.

8. Put kids to work in the yard.

If autumn brings down leaves in your area, make a game out of catching them on a windy day -- see who can catch the most yellow, orange, or red ones, suggests Zuercher. Then rake them into piles -- give the kids child-sized rakes so they can help -- and have fun jumping in them, or take turns completely covering one another in leaves. After a snowfall, let kids help clear the porch or walkway, then see who can make the most snow angels. Older kids can help build a snowman -- and even toss a few snowballs.

9. Team up for gardening.

Kids are great at digging up dirt, so let them turn over the soil and help you plant new bulbs. Research shows that gardening is as good as weight training when it comes to preventing osteoporosis, and if you're planting vegetables, it can make them more appetizing to kids. Dawn Schwartz, of Livingston, New Jersey, has her 3-year-old daughter, Samantha, help water the plants. "She loves to mush her hands in the soil," she says. In the summer, set up a sprinkler to water the lawn and challenge kids to duck the droplets.

10. Walk the dog.

New research from North American Association on the Study of Obesity shows that dog-owners had more fun losing weight and were able to keep it off longer than non-pup-owners. Don't have a pooch? Go look for some. Somers, New York, mom Mary Rose Almasi gets her two kids, ages 5 and 3, to go for a walk after dinner by suggesting they go "looking for dogs." "Luckily, there are a few at the end of my long street. That's the carrot I dangle," she says. "It works like a charm."
Aviva Patz is a mother of two daughters in Montclair, New Jersey.

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Get Moving Babies and toddlers spend an awful lot of time strapped into car seats or plopped in front of the TV. Not only does this prevent them from practicing their emerging motor skills and strengthening their heart, lungs, and muscles, but it can also set them up for a sedentary lifestyle, and even obesity, as adults.

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Track fitness progress along with friends and family members with Nike Trainer

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Track fitness progress along with friends and family members with Nike Trainer

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You are using balancing skills and strength skills even when bringing goceries into the house.

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You are using balancing skills and strength skills even when bringing goceries into the house.

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Learning how to move your body correctly can help with activities in your own home.

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Learning how to move your body correctly can help with activities in your own home.

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Making healthier food choices can improve your lifestyle. You don't have to eat less food, eat BETTER food.

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Making healthier food choices can improve your lifestyle. You don't have to eat less food, eat BETTER food.

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Nutritional choices effect your health - for better or for worse. Make the better choice!

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Nutritional choices effect your health - for better or for worse. Make the better choice!

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2.1.12.A.1 Analyze the role of personal responsibility in maintaining and enhancing personal, family, community, and global wellness.

2.5.12.A.1 Explain and demonstrate ways to apply movement skills from one game, sport, dance, or recreational activity to another (e.g., striking skills from/to tennis, badminton, ping pong, racquetball).

2.6.6.A.2 Determine to what extent various activities improve skill-related fitness versus health-related fitness.

2.6.4.A.4 Determine the extent to which different factors influence personal fitness, such as heredity, training, diet, and technology.

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1) Create a relationship between the skills and theories used in class to physical movements during your day as well as other subject areas in school.

2) Understand the importance of physical activity for personal growth and sustaining a balanced lifestyle.

3) Make better decisions in nutrition and what goes into your body and noticed the different effects your body has on them.

4) Understand the benefits of physical activity and proper nutrition is something everyone in your life can benefit from.

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1) What are some activities used in the classroom that are similarly used in your normal life?

2) How can I use what I learn in the Physical Education/Health class to improve my daily life?

3) How do different healthy lifestyle choices change what you eat and how you feel?

4) How are physical activity choices and nutritional choices you make connected?

5) Can my family members do the same things you do in Phys Ed?

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The idea that everyone has the same blue sky above them. Physical activity and health can relate to everyone underneath it.