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Journal for EC and primary grades

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Protect your eyes

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Experts say guarding your eyes - as well as your hands and mouth - can slow the spread of coronavirus. Here's why it's important to protect your eyes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and five ways you can help yourself and others.

Coronavirus can spread through the eyes

Coronavirus causes mild to severe respiratory illness. Symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath can show up 2 to 14 days after a person is exposed. People with severe infections can develop pneumonia and die from complications of the illness.

Limiting eye exposure can help. Here's why:

When a sick person coughs or talks, virus particles can spray from their mouth or nose into another person's face. You're most likely to inhale these droplets through your mouth or nose, but they can also enter through your eyes.

You can also become infected by touching something that has the virus on it - like a table or doorknob - and then touching your eyes.

Coronavirus may cause pink eye - but it's rare

If you see someone with pink eye, don't panic. It doesn't mean that person is infected with coronavirus. But health officials believe viral pink eye, or conjunctivitis, develops in about 1% to 3% of people with coronavirus. The virus can spread by touching fluid from an infected person's eyes, or from objects that carry the fluid.

Eye care procedures may be delayed during the pandemic

For everyone's health and safety, ophthalmologists and other doctors are being urged not to see patients during the coronavirus pandemic except for urgent or emergency care. This is important for two reasons:

Limiting contact between doctors and patients is key to helping reduce the spread of the coronavirus;

The entire nation must conserve vital disposable medical supplies (like masks and faceshields) so they can be used in hospitals where they are most needed right now.

You will likely find that routine patient visits will be rescheduled. Any eye surgeries and procedures that are not emergencies will be postponed.
Call your ophthalmologist for guidance in the following situations:

You have macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy and get regular eye injections;

You notice changes in your vision (like blurry, wavy or blank spots in your field of vision);

You notice a lot of new floaters or flashes in your vision;

You suddenly lose some vision;

You have eye pain, headache, red eye, nausea and vomiting.

Expect changes to eye exams and procedures:

The clinic may ask you to wait outside, or in your car, instead of in the normal waiting room. This is to protect you, the other patients, and the office staff from possible virus exposure in crowded waiting areas.

The clinic is likely restricting the number of people that enter. If you do not need someone to be there with you, please do not bring anyone to your appointment.

Your eye doctor may use a special plastic breath shield on the slit lamp machine they use to look into your eyes. They may also wear a mask with a plastic shield over their eyes.

Your doctor may ask you to wait to speak until after your eye exam is complete. Then they can talk with you and answer questions when they can be a safe distance from you.

Some practices may use telemedicine for "virtual" visits over the phone or video chat over a computer.

Eye doctors recommend the following precautions:

If you have a cough or a fever, or have been in close contact with someone who has these symptoms, you must call your doctor's office ahead of time and let them know. If your visit is not an emergency, you may need to stay home.

If you arrive sick, your doctor may ask you to wear a protective covering or mask, and to wait in a special room away from other patients.

If you need to cough or sneeze during your exam, move back from the microscope. Bury your face in the crook of your arm or cover your face with a tissue. Wash your hands with soap and water right away.

How to help yourself and others:

"It's important to remember that although there is a lot of concern about coronavirus, common sense precautions can significantly reduce your risk of getting infected. So wash your hands a lot, follow good contact lens hygiene and avoid touching or rubbing your nose, mouth and especially your eyes," says ophthalmologist Sonal Tuli, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

1. If you wear contact lenses, switch to glasses for a while.

Contact lens wearers touch their eyes more than the average person. "Consider wearing glasses more often, especially if you tend to touch your eyes a lot when your contacts are in. Substituting glasses for lenses can decrease irritation and force you to pause before touching your eye," Dr. Tuli advises. If you continue wearing contact lenses, follow these hygiene tips to limit your chances of infection.

2. Wearing glasses may add a layer of protection.

Corrective lenses or sunglasses can shield your eyes from infected respiratory droplets. But they don't provide 100% security. The virus can still reach your eyes from the exposed sides, tops and bottoms of your glasses. If you're caring for a sick patient or potentially exposed person, safety goggles may offer a stronger defense.

3. Stock up on eye medicine prescriptions if you can.

Experts advise patients to stock up on critical medications, so that you'll have enough to get by if you are quarantined or if supplies become limited during an outbreak. But this may not be possible for everyone. If your insurance allows you to get more than 1 month of essential eye medicine, such as glaucoma drops, you should do so. Some insurers will approve a 3-month supply of medication in times of natural disaster. Ask your pharmacist or ophthalmologist for help if you have trouble getting approval from your insurance company. And as always, request a refill as soon as you're due. Don't wait until the last minute to contact your pharmacy.

4. Avoid rubbing your eyes.

We all do it. While it can be hard to break this natural habit, doing so will lower your risk of infection. If you feel an urge to itch or rub your eye or even to adjust your glasses, use a tissue instead of your fingers. Dry eyes can lead to more rubbing, so consider adding moisturizing drops to your eye routine. If you must touch your eyes for any reason - even to administer eye medicine - wash your hands first with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then wash them again afterwards.

5. Practice safe hygiene and social distancing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer these general guidelines to slow the spread of disease:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

You should especially wash your hands before eating, after using the restroom, sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.

If you can't get to a sink, use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid touching your face - particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth.

If you cough or sneeze, cover your face with your elbow or a tissue. If you use a tissue, throw it away promptly. Then go wash your hands.

Avoid close contact with sick people. If you think someone has a respiratory infection, it's safest to stay 6 feet away.

Stay home when you are sick.

Regularly disinfect commonly touched surfaces and items in your house, such as doorknobs and counter tops.

Download the PDF version of this article in English or in Spanish.

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Experts say guarding your eyes - as well as your hands and mouth - can slow the spread of coronavirus. Here's why it's important to protect your eyes during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and five ways you can help yourself and others. Coronavirus causes mild to severe respiratory illness.

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Playworks wants to help make sure kids still get to play every day.

School closures are significantly changing day-to-day life for kids across the country and the world. Families are looking for ways to keep their kids engaged, active, and having fun. And teachers are looking for support interacting with students virtually.

Playworks is here to help!

We're providing free video tutorials of games that follow CDC guidelines and can be played at home with little to no equipment. Families can also download a printable Play at Home Playbook that features these games.

You and your family can play along during a free virtual recess with Playworks on Facebook. what the experience feels like for children who play along.

Find video tutorials for games you can play at home anytime on Youtube:

Unable to tune in to our Play at Home Live Recess segments? Our Youtube channel features several videos that provide demonstrations of games, such as Popcorn featured below, that can be played at home.

Share these games and challenge your friends to participate in the Popcorn Challenge.

Take the Popcorn Challenge

How many claps can you reach? After you learn how to play Popcorn, record your family playing and upload the video to social media, then challenge friends to play along!

Share your post by tagging @Playworks and #PlayworksAtHome.

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Playworks wants to help make sure kids still get to play every day. School closures are significantly changing day-to-day life for kids across the country and the world. Families are looking for ways to keep their kids engaged, active, and having fun. And teachers are looking for support interacting with students virtually.

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HomeCourt is a mobile app that uses AI to record and track basketball shots, makes, misses, and location.

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Free Tools from Leading Education Organizations to help students learn through the COVID-19 Crisis

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Remote learning with Khan Academy during school closures

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Updated March 27, 2020 Read this post in another language: Հայերեն, Bahasa Indonesia, हिन्दी (इंडिया), български, 简体中文, čeština, Deutsche, Ελληνικά, English (India), Español, Español – EEUU, Français, ქართული, italiano, 日本語, 한국어, Magyar, po polsku, Português (Brasil), Português (Portugal), Српски, svenska, русский, Türkçe Resources for schools, teachers, and parents ... Read more

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Raise Funds for Unicef by doing physical activity videos

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Free Brain Breaks That Make Real-World Impact

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Playworks wants to help make sure kids still get to play every day.

School closures are significantly changing day-to-day life for kids across the country and the world. Families are looking for ways to keep their kids engaged, active, and having fun. And teachers are looking for support interacting with students virtually.

Playworks is here to help!

We're providing free video tutorials of games that follow CDC guidelines and can be played at home with little to no equipment. Families can also download a printable Play at Home Playbook that features these games.

You and your family can play along during a free virtual recess with Playworks on Facebook. what the experience feels like for children who play along.

Find video tutorials for games you can play at home anytime on Youtube:

Unable to tune in to our Play at Home Live Recess segments? Our Youtube channel features several videos that provide demonstrations of games, such as Popcorn featured below, that can be played at home.

Share these games and challenge your friends to participate in the Popcorn Challenge.

Take the Popcorn Challenge

How many claps can you reach? After you learn how to play Popcorn, record your family playing and upload the video to social media, then challenge friends to play along!

Share your post by tagging @Playworks and #PlayworksAtHome.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Playworks wants to help make sure kids still get to play every day. School closures are significantly changing day-to-day life for kids across the country and the world. Families are looking for ways to keep their kids engaged, active, and having fun. And teachers are looking for support interacting with students virtually.

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The humble push-up is one of the greatest general conditioning exercises for the outdoor athlete, and you can do them anywhere, no equipment required. "You always have ground," says Steve House, co-founder of mountain athlete training program Uphill Athlete. Push-ups target the chest, shoulders, and triceps and work your core, back, and legs. They pack a serious punch for such a seemingly simple exercise, but you aren't doing yourself any favors if your form isn't dialed.

Great push-up form starts with a rigid plank. Your arms should be fully extended, with your hands, elbows, and shoulders all in line, and your feet should be no more than 12 inches apart-the closer together, the more difficult the push-up, because it requires more core activation for stability. Throughout the push-up movement (unless otherwise specified by a variation), your spine should be neutral, so that your body forms a straight line from your feet to the crown of your head. Remember to engage your core and thighs to keep your hips flat and level.

You can bend your elbows out to the side in a T formation, which fires up your pecs, or keep them tucked in along your rib cage, which biases the triceps, says Jared Vagy, a doctor of physical therapy and a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist. House coaches his athletes to always keep their elbows tracking back in the more triceps-oriented position. As an outdoor or endurance athlete, he says, "You've got to carry the engine. You don't want unnecessary weight." For functional movements, you rarely need bulging pecs, but the triceps are important-think poling when skiing, mantling when climbing, and maintaining balance as you move through uneven terrain. The elbows are also sensitive, especially for climbers who are prone to elbow pain, so having them track backwards can reduce the stress on the joint.

To protect your shoulders, Vagy recommends that you lower your chest just past the level of your bent elbow so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Dropping any farther increases stress on the anterior capsule of the shoulder.

As for speed, there's no reason to pound out 30 fast ones. Proper form is much more important. Always move slowly and in control. Make it meditative, and focus on your breathing: breathe in when lowering; breathe out when pushing back up.

Once you've perfected your form, push-ups are an excellent way to warm up at the crag, and they're great mixed into workouts for general conditioning. Plus, there are endless ways to modify them for your own specific needs. Here's a guide to the classic push-up and our 12 favorite variations, in more or less ascending order of difficulty.

Strict (Military) Push-Up

What It Does

Strengthens the upper body-primarily the chest, shoulders, and triceps-as well as the core and back muscles.

How to Do It

Start in a standard push-up position (as described above), with your feet together or no more than 12 inches apart, hands flat on the ground below your shoulders, and arms straight. Breathe in as you bend your elbows-keep them tracking back alongside your body-to lower your chest to slightly below the level of your bent elbow, and then breathe out as you push back up to the starting position for one repetition.

Wide Hands Push-Up

What It Does

Strengthens the upper body and core, with more focus on the pectoral muscles.

How to Do It

Do a strict push-up, as described above, but with your hands farther out to each side, roughly 2.5 to three feet apart (the farther apart, the more difficult). Keep your elbows tracking back throughout the movement.

Triangle (Diamond) Push-Up

What It Does

Strengthens the upper body and core, with more focus on the triceps.

How to Do It

Begin in a plank position, with your hands together and angled inward at 45 degrees so that your index fingers and thumbs touch to form a triangle (or diamond). Keep your elbows tight to your body and bend them to lower your chest toward the triangle. Reverse the movement to the starting position for one repetition. Keep the triangle directly below your chest throughout the movement.

Pike Push-Up

What It Does

Strengthens the upper body and core, with more focus on the shoulders.

How to Do It

Begin in a downward dog yoga position, with your feet and hands just wider than shoulder width. Keep your hips high, heels low, and maintain the inverted-V position as you bend your elbows and lower your head toward the floor between your hands. Reverse the movement to the starting position for one repetition.

Super (Hindu) Push-Up

What It Does

Works the shoulders, triceps, and core and improves flexibility.

How to Do It

Slowly swoop from downward dog to cobra pose: from the downward dog position, bend your elbows and lower your nose to the floor between your hands, like a pike push-up, but then, without rising, continue moving your torso forward to slide your chin, chest, and then rib cage between your hands. As your ribs meet your hands, begin to arc your head and torso upward. Continue this upward arc until your arms are straight, hips are pressed toward the ground, and your back is hyperextended in cobra pose. Reverse the movement exactly until you're back in downward dog.

Staggered Hands Push-Up

What It Does

Trains the push-up muscles asymmetrically across the body and requires more core activation for stability.

How to Do It

From a standard push-up position, move one hand forward and the other backward so they're offset by about six to 12 inches (the farther, the more difficult). Bend your elbows to lower your chest until it is slightly below the level of your bent elbow, and then extend your elbows to push back up to the starting position. Keep your elbows tight to your body throughout the movement. After one or more repetitions, switch the fore and aft positions of your hands to work each side evenly.

Sphinx Push-Up (Triceps Extension)

What It Does

Strengthens the upper body and core, with more focus on the triceps.

How to Do It

Start in a plank position, with your forearms flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart and parallel. Push up with your triceps to lift your elbows off the ground; continue until your arms are fully extended, then lower your elbows until just above the ground (don't weight your forearms again) for one repetition. The farther forward you place your arms, the more difficult.

Spiderman (Side Kick) Push-Up

What It Does

Strengthens the core in addition to the typical push-up muscles.

How to Do It

Assume a standard push-up position. As you lower yourself toward the ground, simultaneously bring one knee out to the side and up to touch your elbow, with your leg parallel to the ground. Your knee should touch your elbow at the lowest point of the push-up. Reverse the movement to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Cross-Body Push-Up

What It Does

Strengthens the upper body, with more focus on the core, hip flexors, and shoulders.

How to Do It

Assume a standard push-up position. As you lower yourself to the ground, simultaneously pick up one leg and cross it beneath your body as you rotate your hip toward the ground. Reverse the movement to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Archer Push-Up

What It Does

Applies a higher percentage of body weight to a single arm, while the opposite arm assists (a good way to build up to a one-arm push-up).

How to Do It

Assume a push-up position, with wide hands angled outward at about 45 degrees. Lower yourself at an angle to one side so that you bring your shoulder down to your hand of the same side, while the other arm stretches to become fully extended. (It's okay if your hands pivot during the movement.) Push back up to reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Repeat to the other side. It might help to keep your feet wider.

Typewriter Push-Up: This variation is similar to the archer, but instead of returning to the starting position between every push-up, move your chest from side to side horizontally along and just above the ground, while fully extending the opposite arm each time.

Power and Clap Push-Ups

What It Does

Develops power in the chest, triceps, and shoulders.

How to Do It

From a standard push-up position, lower your chest until it's slightly below the level of your bent elbow, and then push upward with enough force so that your hands leave the ground by a few inches. Land with soft elbows in push-up form and continue the lowering motion toward the ground. Repeat. Make sure to keep your back flat and hips level throughout the movement.

Claps (Harder): Once you get a handle on power push-ups, you can progress the exercise by adding in claps, which require more power to achieve the necessary airtime. For regular clap push-ups, perform a power push-up but with even more upward force. While your hands are in the air, clap below your chest. Like before, land with soft elbows in push-up form and continue lowering until your chest is slightly below the level of your bent elbow. Repeat.

Behind-the-Back Claps (Even Harder): Do the same exercise, but clap behind your back instead of below your chest. Be careful not to bend at the hips (cheating), and watch your face on this one.

Triple Claps (Hardest): Do the same exercise, but clap under your chest, then behind your back, and then under your chest again, all before touching the ground.

Flying Push-Ups

What It Does

Develops even more dynamic power.

How to Do It

Like with claps, start in a standard push-up position and lower your chest until it's slightly below the level of your bent elbow. Then explode upwards and lift both your hands and feet off the ground. Try to keep your back as flat as possible, but you may need to lift your hips slightly to generate momentum. It also helps to keep your feet wider. Land with soft elbows in push-up form and continue lowering toward the ground. Repeat.

Clapping Jacks (Harder): Do the same exercise, but clap your hands and feet together while in the air. Requires more airtime and power.

Superman Push-Up (hardest): Do the same exercise, but while in the air, fully extend your arms in front of you so that your body is in a single plane, parallel to the ground, like a flying Superman. Requires even more airtime and power.

One-Arm Push-Up

What It Does

Doubles the weight on a single arm and further activates the core for stability.

How to Do It

Just like it sounds-perform a push-up with one arm centered below your chest and the unweighted arm behind your pack. This one takes a bit more balance; it helps to keep your feet wider. Maintain a flat back and level hips (don't let them twist one way or the other) throughout the movement. If you want an added challenge, opt for a two-point push-up: assume a standard push-up position with wide feet, then raise the opposite hand and leg to form a two-point plank. While maintaining a rigid plank, perform a push-up. Keep your back flat and hips level throughout the movement.

Even More Modifications

Many of these moves can be made easier or harder with these modifications, although not every modification will work with every type of push-up.

Make It Easier

Knees: Perform push-ups on your knees instead of your feet to ease the difficulty on your upper body. This is a great way to build up to more difficult variations.

Incline: Elevate your hands on a bench, chair, or table-the higher above your feet, the easier.

Negatives: Utilize the lowering phase of a push-up (when muscle fibers elongate under load). "Muscles can handle a heavier load under eccentric contraction than they can under concentric contraction," says Scott Johnston, a master coach at Uphill Athlete and the co-author of Training for the New Alpinism and Training for the Uphill Athlete. Therefore, he says, "[Negatives] are able to stress the muscle to a much higher degree, so you get a bigger strength-training effect." In other words, if you're not yet strong enough to do some of these push-up variations with proper form, perform only the eccentric phase (the lowering half) to build up strength for the concentric phase (the pushing-back-up half), when muscles shorten under load.

Make It Harder

Feet Stacked: Cross one ankle over the other so only one foot is on the ground. This requires more core activation for stability.

Decline: Elevate your feet on a box, bench, or step to increase the activation of the upper chest muscles and the front of the shoulders (anterior deltoids). The higher your feet, the more difficult.

Weighted: Wear a weight vest or have a friend place a weight plate on your back for an added strength challenge.

Eccentric Push-Ups: The benefits of the eccentric muscle phase are twofold. First, as stated above, negatives are a good way to build up to more difficult exercises. But because you can handle a heavier load under eccentric contraction, you can lower yourself slowly (over three to five seconds) to milk the eccentric phase for added training effect.

Weighted Negatives: You can also add external weight during the eccentric phase for a greater strength-training effect. Start in a standard push-up position and have a friend place plate weights on your back. Lower yourself until your chest almost touches the floor (eccentric phase), and then have your friend remove the weight (or some of it) before you push back up (concentric phase).

Plyometric Combinations: Transition between different types of push-ups. For example, go back and forth between narrow and wide hands or the fore and aft positions of staggered hands. Get creative.

Lead Photo: Kkgas/Stocksy

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The Complete Guide to Every Single Kind of Push-Up

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The humble push-up is one of the greatest general conditioning exercises for the outdoor athlete, and you can do them anywhere, no equipment required. "You always have ground," says Steve House, co-founder of mountain athlete training program Uphill Athlete. Push-ups target the chest, shoulders, and triceps and work your core, back, and legs.

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Make your own workout! The kid one is free.

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Sworkit | At Home Workout and Fitness Plans

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Sworkit | At Home Workout and Fitness Plans

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Sworkit allows you to customize and play personalized video workouts that fit into your life. Never get bored, never have an excuse. Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, and web.

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Why we need to stay home...

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Current Situation: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‑19) Outbreak

A novel (new) coronavirus was recently detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and is causing an outbreak of respiratory disease. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization named the disease coronavirus disease 2019 (abbreviated "COVID‑19").

Chinese health officials have reported tens of thousands of cases of COVID-19 in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person in parts of that country. COVID-19 illnesses, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, also are being reported in a growing number of international locations, including the United States. Some person-to-person spread of this virus outside China has been detected. The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on January 30, 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed three cases of novel coronavirus 2019 in people under federal quarantine at JBSA-Lackland in San Antonio. The first was a traveler who returned on a U.S. State Department-chartered flight from Wuhan City, China. The others returned on a State Department flight for passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. The individuals are currently isolated and receiving appropriate care at medical facilities.

There are no other cases in Texas, and these cases do not change the risk of infection for people in San Antonio or other parts of Texas because the patients have been under federal quarantine since their return and have not interacted with the public in Texas communities. The risk for all Texans remains low.

Information for the Public

How does COVID-19 spread?

Current understanding about how the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads is largely based on what is known about similar coronaviruses.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person:

Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).

Via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest). Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Early on, many of the patients in the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. However, it is now clear that person-to-person spread is occurring. There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19, and investigations are ongoing.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Patients with COVID-19 have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness. Symptoms can include:

At this time, CDC believes that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS coronaviruses.

How can I prevent COVID-19?

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to take precautions to avoid exposure to this virus, which are similar to the precautions you take to avoid the flu. DSHS always recommends these everyday actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Follow the CDC's recommendations for using a facemask:

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

What do I do if I think I may have COVID-19?

If you are experiencing fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and you have traveled to China, been exposed to a sick traveler from China, or been exposed to a person with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, you should contact your healthcare provider. Be sure to call ahead before going to your doctor's office or emergency department to prevent any potential spread.

Where can I learn more?

See the CDC's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to learn more about COVID-19.

Information for Travelers

With the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in China, the State of Texas encourages everyone to heed the advice of the CDC and U.S. State Department and avoid travel to China. Companies, universities, and others with personnel there should make arrangements to return their people to the United States or move them to another area without ongoing COVID-19 spread.
CDC Travel Health Notices
U.S. State Department Travel Advisory

Information for Hospitals & Healthcare Professionals

DSHS has compiled the following resources to assist hospitals and healthcare providers in the evaluation of patients who may be ill with COVID-19 or who may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus:

For disease reporting and/or local assistance, see the listing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Local Health Entities.

Notice Regarding Testing and Submission of Specimens for COVID-19

ALL specimens for COVID-19 virus testing require preapproval. Contact your Local Health Department or DSHS Public Health Region to ensure patient meets Person Under Investigation (PUI) criteria for testing and to obtain DSHS approval to test. Specimens MUST meet PUI criteria for testing prior to shipping and WILL NOT be tested without prior approval. Please DO NOT ship specimens prior to receiving this approval.

Posted 2/10/2020

Information for Laboratories

(See also the Notice Regarding Testing and Submission of Specimens for COVID-19 for healthcare professionals, above.)

Information for Public Health

DSHS has provided the below resources for public health professionals investigating possible cases of COVID-19:

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 14-Day Symptom Monitoring Log (XLSX, V.1.0, posted 2/14/2020)

Interim Guidance for Persons Being Monitored for Potential Exposure to COVID-19 (DOCX, V.2.1, updated 2/20/2020)

Interim Guidance for Health Departments for Monitoring Healthcare Personnel Possibly Exposed to COVID-19 (PDF, V.1.0, posted 2/14/2020)

Interim Exposure Risk Categories for Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure to COVID-19 (PDF, V.1.0, posted 2/14/2020)

Interim Guidance for Health Departments for Monitoring Persons Possibly Exposed to COVID-19 in Travel-Associated or Community Settings (PDF, V.2.0, posted 2/14/2020)

Interim Exposure Risk Categories for Travelers, Flight Crews, and Contacts in Community or Household Settings for COVID‑19 (PDF, V.2.0, posted 2/14/2020)

DSHS Testing Algorithm (PDF, updated 2/06/2020)

DSHS Criteria to Guide Evaluation of Patients Under Investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 (PDF, updated 2/03/2020)

DSHS Interim COVID-19 PUI Form (DOC, V.1.3, updated 2/03/2020)

CDC Specimen Submission Form & Instructions

Information for EMS Systems

Information for Other Specific Groups

Businesses

Schools

DSHS distributed the below guidance to Texas higher education institutions and school districts:
Letter to TX Higher Ed Institutions, School Districts, State Agencies (PDF)

Pregnant Women

Printable Materials

The following materials can be printed for display and/or distribution to communicate key information to the public about COVID‑19:

Coronavirus Alert for Healthcare Settings

Symptoms of Coronavirus

Stop the Spread of Germs

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like more information about the content on this page, contact by email or by phone:

Email: coronavirus@dshs.texas.gov

DSHS COVID-19 Call Center: 1-877-570-9779
Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Monday - Friday

For local assistance, see the listing of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Local Health Entities.

This page is being updated as new information becomes available.

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coronavirus; coronavirus; novel coronavirus; novel coronavirus; coronavirus texas; texas coronavirus; covid-19; 2019-ncov; coronavirus texas; texas coronavirus; 2019 novel coronavirus; 2019 novel coronavirus; sars-cov-2; sars-cov-2; covid-19

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Texas Department of State Health Services

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A new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was recently detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and is causing an outbreak of respiratory illness. The 2019-nCoV outbreak began in December 2019, and Chinese health officials have reported thousands of 2019‑nCoV infections in China, including some that resulted in death.

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World Health Organization Explains where Covid-19 came from

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Who.org on COVID-19

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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) - World Health Organization

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Information on COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus.

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There are 2 types of tools on this page. On the left, you'll find games and calendars for families to use to make their home an Active Home. On the right, you'll find resources to help teachers and parents partner together to provide meaningful movement opportunities that progress students toward physical education and social & emotional learning outcomes. Check back often for updates.

Created by: Nick Kline, Aaron Hart, Rich Wiles, Brian Devore, Brandon Herwick, Jim DeLine, Lynn Hefele, Tanner Roos, Will Potter, Ross Chakrain, Michael Utz, Ben Pirillo, Christina Courtney, Shannon Maly, Ashely Sharp Special Contributions: Lori Rose Benson, Deedi Brown, Jennifer Truong, Asia Kehl

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There are 2 types of tools on this page. On the left, you'll find games and calendars for families to use to make their home an Active Home.

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Their PE today was swimming. 🙂

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Learning about Coronavirus and COVID-19

Slide decks and materials created by San Francisco Unified School District to help students understand #COVID19.

There are materials in English, Spanish and Chinese for these levels:

Preschool

Pre-K-1st grade

2nd-5th Grade

Middle School and High School

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Explaining to children with ATS

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Many children are worried about the Coronavirus (also known as Covid-19), and as parents, other family members, or children's and youth workers we are likely to be worried about how to keep them safe. Much of the information circulating at the moment is scary and over-hyped and sensationalised and this can really upset children, especially children with additional needs who may struggle to comprehend what they are seeing and hearing. Image what they are thinking when they see people fighting over toilet rolls!

Here are some resources that you can use to help the children that you are in contact with, as well as some information that as adults gives you some background data.

For children (1):
A really helpful social story* resource has been put together by the Triple A Alliance (@TripleAAlliance), a social story that helps us to explain more about how to stay safe from Coronavirus to children:

* As with all social stories, those that have been written by others should only be used as a template. Every social story should be personalised for the people they are being written for if possible. If you want to find out more about how to create social stories, visit my friend Lynn McCann's site here: https://www.reachoutasc.com/resources (scroll to the bottom for links to info on social stories).

For children (2):
For some really great and useful information, social stories, and symbols/graphics from the Widget website about Staying Safe from Germs and Washing Your Hands, click here for a free printable .pdf download: Widget washing-your-hands

And now that children are mostly home from school, here's a resource to help parents to plan each day with their children through a visual timetable/planner. You can download the And here's a great Widget resource to help children understand about school being closed:
For children (3):
free printable .pdf download here:
Our day at home

For children: (4)
A great social story resource from MindHeart (@mindheart.kids) about the coronavirus that helps children to get to know about the virus a little bit.
You can download the free printable .pdf download social story here: Hello I'm Coronavirus

For adults supporting children (1):
There are inspirational lesson plans, schemes of work, assessment, interactive activities, resource packs, PowerPoints, teaching ideas at Twinkl. Now Twinkl are offering free access to their site and resources to support you as you work with children at home:

For adults supporting children (2) (data updated 19-03-20):
There is so much hysteria and scaremongering going on at the moment, both thorough mainstream media channels bit especially on social media. As adults we need some facts that can inform and help us to help the children we are caring for, and so the folk at https://informationisbeautiful.net have put together a coronavirus infographic data pack, gathering the best scientifically-sourced charts in one place (all sources provided) and adding some of their own. This information is dated 19th March but updates are available from their website:
https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/covid-19-coronavirus-infographic-datapack/

For adults supporting children (3):
These are some really helpful resources from the Council for Intellectual Disability in Australia, and are a great way of explaining coronavirus/covid-19 to teenagers or young adults with intellectual/learning disability:

Staying safe from Coronavirus (free printable .pdf download):
Staying-safe-from-Coronavirus-council-intellectual-disability-Mar2020

Viruses and Staying Healthy (free printable .pdf download):
Viruses-staying-healthy-Council-Intellectual-Disability

For adults supporting children (4):
There is also an excellent prayer/office including Widget symbols provided by our friends Disability and Jesus, which you might like to look at and use at this time, especially if you are unable to get to church: http://anordinaryoffice.org.uk/index.php/covid-19/

I hope these resources and infographics help you to stay informed about coronavirus and to be able to inform and support the children you are engaged with, either as family or as children's/youth workers, to stay safe and healthy. Let's keep aware of the facts and look for more ways to protect and help rather than stockpiling toilet roll!

Mark
The Additional Needs Blogfather
11th March 2020, data updated 13th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 20th March 2020

Further resources are available on the Additional Needs Alliance website. Click here: https://additionalneedsalliance.org.uk/information/ then choose 'Resources' and 'Our Time At Home'

Image rights © HeartMind, Triple A Alliance, Widget, Twinkl, informationisbeautiful.net, Council for Intellectual Disability (Australia) and Disability & Jesus

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Coronavirus - Helping Children To Stay Safe

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Many children are worried about the Coronavirus (also known as Covid-19), and as parents, other family members, or children's and youth workers we are likely to be worried about how to keep them safe. Much of the information circulating at the moment is scary and over-hyped and sensationalised and this can really upset children, especially...

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Executive Summary

During the global pandemic, a palpable sense of collective grief has emerged. Grief expert David Kessler says that grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview with HBR, he explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to manage the anxiety. Those include balancing bad thoughts with good; focusing on the present; letting go of things you can't control; and stocking up on compassion. Kessler also talks about a sixth stage of grief: meaning. After acceptance, he says, we will find meaning in the hard-to-fathom events and we will be stronger for it.

HBR Staff/d3sign/Getty Images

We've made our coronavirus coverage free for all readers. To get all of HBR's content delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Daily Alert newsletter.

Some of the HBR edit staff met virtually the other day - a screen full of faces in a scene becoming more common everywhere. We talked about the content we're commissioning in this harrowing time of a pandemic and how we can help people. But we also talked about how we were feeling. One colleague mentioned that what she felt was grief. Heads nodded in all the panes.

If we can name it, perhaps we can manage it. We turned to David Kessler for ideas on how to do that. Kessler is the world's foremost expert on grief. He co-wrote with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief through the Five Stages of Loss. His new book adds another stage to the process, Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief. Kessler also has worked for a decade in a three-hospital system in Los Angeles. He served on their biohazards team. His volunteer work includes being an LAPD Specialist Reserve for traumatic events as well as having served on the Red Cross's disaster services team. He is the founder of www.grief.com, which has over 5 million visits yearly from 167 countries.

Kessler shared his thoughts on why it's important to acknowledge the grief you may be feeling, how to manage it, and how he believes we will find meaning in it. The conversation is lightly edited for clarity.
HBR: People are feeling any number of things right now. Is it right to call some of what they're feeling grief?
Kessler: Yes, and we're feeling a number of different griefs. We feel the world has changed, and it has. We know this is temporary, but it doesn't feel that way, and we realize things will be different. Just as going to the airport is forever different from how it was before 9/11, things will change and this is the point at which they changed. The loss of normalcy; the fear of economic toll; the loss of connection. This is hitting us and we're grieving. Collectively. We are not used to this kind of collective grief in the air.
You said we're feeling more than one kind of grief?
Yes, we're also feeling anticipatory grief. Anticipatory grief is that feeling we get about what the future holds when we're uncertain. Usually it centers on death. We feel it when someone gets a dire diagnosis or when we have the normal thought that we'll lose a parent someday. Anticipatory grief is also more broadly imagined futures. There is a storm coming. There's something bad out there. With a virus, this kind of grief is so confusing for people. Our primitive mind knows something bad is happening, but you can't see it. This breaks our sense of safety. We're feeling that loss of safety. I don't think we've collectively lost our sense of general safety like this. Individually or as smaller groups, people have felt this. But all together, this is new. We are grieving on a micro and a macro level.
What can individuals do to manage all this grief?
Understanding the stages of grief is a start. But whenever I talk about the stages of grief, I have to remind people that the stages aren't linear and may not happen in this order. It's not a map but it provides some scaffolding for this unknown world. There's denial, which we say a lot of early on: This virus won't affect us. There's anger: You're making me stay home and taking away my activities. There's bargaining: Okay, if I social distance for two weeks everything will be better, right? There's sadness: I don't know when this will end. And finally there's acceptance. This is happening; I have to figure out how to proceed.

Acceptance, as you might imagine, is where the power lies. We find control in acceptance. I can wash my hands. I can keep a safe distance. I can learn how to work virtually.
When we're feeling grief there's that physical pain. And the racing mind. Are there techniques to deal with that to make it less intense?
Let's go back to anticipatory grief. Unhealthy anticipatory grief is really anxiety, and that's the feeling you're talking about. Our mind begins to show us images. My parents getting sick. We see the worst scenarios. That's our minds being protective. Our goal is not to ignore those images or to try to make them go away - your mind won't let you do that and it can be painful to try and force it. The goal is to find balance in the things you're thinking. If you feel the worst image taking shape, make yourself think of the best image. We all get a little sick and the world continues. Not everyone I love dies. Maybe no one does because we're all taking the right steps. Neither scenario should be ignored but neither should dominate either.

Anticipatory grief is the mind going to the future and imagining the worst. To calm yourself, you want to come into the present. This will be familiar advice to anyone who has meditated or practiced mindfulness but people are always surprised at how prosaic this can be. You can name five things in the room. There's a computer, a chair, a picture of the dog, an old rug, and a coffee mug. It's that simple. Breathe. Realize that in the present moment, nothing you've anticipated has happened. In this moment, you're okay. You have food. You are not sick. Use your senses and think about what they feel. The desk is hard. The blanket is soft. I can feel the breath coming into my nose. This really will work to dampen some of that pain.

You can also think about how to let go of what you can't control. What your neighbor is doing is out of your control. What is in your control is staying six feet away from them and washing your hands. Focus on that.

Finally, it's a good time to stock up on compassion. Everyone will have different levels of fear and grief and it manifests in different ways. A coworker got very snippy with me the other day and I thought, That's not like this person; that's how they're dealing with this. I'm seeing their fear and anxiety. So be patient. Think about who someone usually is and not who they seem to be in this moment.
One particularly troubling aspect of this pandemic is the open-endedness of it.
This is a temporary state. It helps to say it. I worked for 10 years in the hospital system. I've been trained for situations like this. I've also studied the 1918 flu pandemic. The precautions we're taking are the right ones. History tells us that. This is survivable. We will survive. This is a time to overprotect but not overreact.

And, I believe we will find meaning in it. I've been honored that Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's family has given me permission to add a sixth stage to grief: Meaning. I had talked to Elisabeth quite a bit about what came after acceptance. I did not want to stop at acceptance when I experienced some personal grief. I wanted meaning in those darkest hours. And I do believe we find light in those times. Even now people are realizing they can connect through technology. They are not as remote as they thought. They are realizing they can use their phones for long conversations. They're appreciating walks. I believe we will continue to find meaning now and when this is over.
What do you say to someone who's read all this and is still feeling overwhelmed with grief?
Keep trying. There is something powerful about naming this as grief. It helps us feel what's inside of us. So many have told me in the past week, "I'm telling my coworkers I'm having a hard time," or "I cried last night." When you name it, you feel it and it moves through you. Emotions need motion. It's important we acknowledge what we go through. One unfortunate byproduct of the self-help movement is we're the first generation to have feelings about our feelings. We tell ourselves things like, I feel sad, but I shouldn't feel that; other people have it worse. We can - we should - stop at the first feeling. I feel sad. Let me go for five minutes to feel sad. Your work is to feel your sadness and fear and anger whether or not someone else is feeling something. Fighting it doesn't help because your body is producing the feeling. If we allow the feelings to happen, they'll happen in an orderly way, and it empowers us. Then we're not victims.
In an orderly way?
Yes. Sometimes we try not to feel what we're feeling because we have this image of a "gang of feelings." If I feel sad and let that in, it'll never go away. The gang of bad feelings will overrun me. The truth is a feeling that moves through us. We feel it and it goes and then we go to the next feeling. There's no gang out to get us. It's absurd to think we shouldn't feel grief right now. Let yourself feel the grief and keep going.

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Executive Summary During the global pandemic, a palpable sense of collective grief has emerged. Grief expert David Kessler says that grief is actually multiple feelings that we must manage. In an interview with HBR, he explains how the classic five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, sadness, acceptance) apply today, and the practical steps we can take to manage the anxiety.

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Click and spin to tell you the exercise!

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Explaining to Students with Disabilities

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Many children are worried about the the coronavirus ( COVID-19) - new-to-humans viral strain in the coronavirus family that affects the lungs and respiratory system. As parents, other family members, or children and youth workers, we are likely to be worried about how to keep them safe. Much of the information circulating at the moment is scary and sensationalized, and this can really upset children, especially children with disabilities and health conditions who may struggle to comprehend what they are seeing and hearing, what is true and what is false. Imagine what they are thinking when they see people fighting over toilet rolls or packets of pasta, or when someone tells them school is closed and they can't see their friends for weeks or even months?

Here are some resources you can use to help the children in your life understand coronavirus better, as well as why things are so different at the moment. These resources can help you to explain why school is closed, as well as what you will be doing at home each day, and a prayer you can use if your family is religious.

Social Stories

Social stories are tools to help children and adults with autism and other disabilities understand the world. They typically describe in detail how to navigate everyday situations and interact with others. They can also help to simplify abstract concepts for concrete thinkers.
MindHeart Social Story - Hello I'm Coronavirus
This free printable PDF social story resource from MindHeart helps children get to know the virus a little bit.
Triple A Alliance Social Story - Coronavirus: Staying Safe

This social story helps us explain to children how to stay safe from coronavirus.

As with all social stories, those that have been written by others should only be used as a template. Every social story should be personalized for the people they are being written for if possible. If you want to find out more about how to create social stories, visit my friend Lynn McCann's site.

Widgit Social Stories

The Widgit website has some helpful and useful information, social stories and symbols/graphics.
Staying Safe From Germs and Washing Your Hands COVID-19 Closures

Widget V isual Timetable/Planner - You can use this to plan and explain each day of the week for your child.
Prayers - COVID-19
This is an excellent prayer/daily office including Widgit symbols provided by Disability and Jesus, which you might like to use at this time, especially as we are unable to get to church.
Twinkl Home School Resources

Twinkl has inspirational lesson plans, schemes of work, assessment, interactive activities, resource packs, PowerPoints and teaching ideas. Twinkl is offering free access to their site and resources to support you as you work with children at home. Visit the Twinkl site and use the promotional code PARENTSTWINKLHELPS to get free access to the resources while schools are closed.

Resources for Teenagers or Young Adults With Learning Disabilities
The Council for Intellectual Disability in Australia has resources for explaining coronavirus/ COVID-19 to teenagers or young adults with intellectual/learning disability:

Staying Safe From Coronavirus - free printable PDF download

Viruses and Staying Healthy - free printable PDF download

I hope these resources help you to inform and support the children and young people with disabilities you are engaged with, either as family members or as children's/youth workers. Let's keep aware of the facts and look for more ways to protect and help rather than stockpiling toilet paper!
Concerned about coronavirus? Stay safe using the tips from these articles:

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How We Can Help Children With Disabilities Understand the Coronavirus

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Many children are worried about the the coronavirus ( COVID-19) - new-to-humans viral strain in the coronavirus family that affects the lungs and respiratory system. As parents, other family members, or children and youth workers, we are likely to be worried about how to keep them safe.

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WELCOME to Yoga With Adriene! Our mission is to connect as many people as possible through high-quality free yoga videos. We welcome all levels, all bodies, all genders, all souls!
If you’re brand-new to yoga, check out my Yoga For Beginners and Foundations of Yoga series. These are designed to giv…

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Shake Break Exercise Song for Kids | Pancake Manor

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Brain Breaks | Following Directions | Physical Education | Get Up To Get Down | Jack Hartmann

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Get Up To Get Down is a high energy brain breaks song that gives children an opportunity to increase their physical activity, improve listening skills and learn to follow directions while getting the wiggles out. Teachers can use this song in the classroom to refresh and re-focus the class for optimal learning.

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Lulu's Shake Break | Exercise Song for Kids | Pancake Manor

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Daily Physical Activity Log

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TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

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Brain Breaks - Action Songs for Children - Move and Freeze - Kids Songs by The Learning Station

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Journal/ Reflection - Physical/ Health Literate

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Daily Physical Activity Recommendations by age

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Regular physical activity is one of the most important things people can do to improve their health. Moving more and sitting less have tremendous benefits for everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, or current fitness level. The second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provides science-based guidance to help people ages 3 years and older improve their health through participation in regular physical activity.
Download this page [PDF-432KB]

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things people can do to improve their health. Moving more and sitting less have tremendous benefits for everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, or current fitness level. The second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provides science-based guidance to help people ages 3 years and older improve their health through participation in regular physical activity.
Download this page [PDF-432KB]

Physical Activity every day throughout the day.

Active play through a variety of enjoyable physical activities.

60 mins (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily.

A variety of enjoyable physical activities.

As part of the 60 minutes, on at least 3 days a week, children and adolescents need:

Vigorous Activity such as running or soccer.

Activity that strengthens muscles such as climbing or push ups.

Activity that strengthens bones such as gymnastics or jumping rope.

At least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking.

At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles.
Aim for the recommended activity level but be as active as you are able.

At least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking.

At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles.

Activities to improve balance such as standing on one foot.
Aim for the recommended activity level but be as active as one is able.

Get at least 150 minutes (for example, 30 minutes 5 days a week) of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week.

And

Get at least 2 days a week of muscle- strengthening activities that include all major muscle groups.
If you are unable to meet the recommendations, be as active as you can and try to avoid inactivity.

Get at least 150 minutes (for example, 30 minutes 5 days a week) of moderate intensity aerobic activity a week such as brisk walking during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Remember, some physical activity is better than none, so do what you can.

Physical Activity every day throughout the day.

Active play through a variety of enjoyable physical activities.

60 mins (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily.

A variety of enjoyable physical activities.

As part of the 60 minutes, on at least 3 days a week, children and adolescents need:

Vigorous Activity such as running or soccer.

Activity that strengthens muscles such as climbing or push ups.

Activity that strengthens bones such as gymnastics or jumping rope.

At least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking.

At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles.
Aim for the recommended activity level but be as active as you are able.

At least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking.

At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles.

Activities to improve balance such as standing on one foot.
Aim for the recommended activity level but be as active as one is able.

Get at least 150 minutes (for example, 30 minutes 5 days a week) of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week.

And

Get at least 2 days a week of muscle- strengthening activities that include all major muscle groups.
If you are unable to meet the recommendations, be as active as you can and try to avoid inactivity.

Get at least 150 minutes (for example, 30 minutes 5 days a week) of moderate intensity aerobic activity a week such as brisk walking during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Remember, some physical activity is better than none, so do what you can.

Join CDC's nationwide initiative to help 27 million Americans become more physically active.

Connect with Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

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Recommended amounts for everyone from age 3 through 65 and older.

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Let's look after ourselves, and each other. - Calm Blog

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As days of isolation turn into weeks, many of us are feeling increasingly uprooted from our normal lives. In a world on lockdown, it isn't just our routines that are being disrupted, but our relationships too. Thankfully, distance doesn't have to mean disconnection.

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Daily YouTube Videos for PE during school closures. 9am-9:30am at TheBodyCoach

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Basketball Bounce

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Watch & Stream Free Kids Yoga Videos | Cosmic Kids

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Watch and stream kids yoga videos in a safe space on our website. Cosmic Kids’ most popular adventures can be found here as well as on our app.

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Fitness blueprints: no-equipment visual workouts, fitness programs and challenges, training and running tips, recipes and nutrition advice.

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Easy PE @Home Warm up (School Closure Playlist) - YouTube

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Activities designed to get kids moving and having fun. Each activity helps children develop fundamental movement skills, essential for physical literacy.

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Just Dance Kids is a video game for the Wii developed by Japanese studio Land Ho!, and is part of the Just Dance video game franchise. Just Dance Kids is a d...

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Balloon Challenges and Activities

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Skill Practice/Application Activities

Here you will find a variety of activities that focus on particular skills I teach based on SHAPE America's Grade Level Outcomes or GLOs. Content is added regularly, so check back often. Click on the buttons or pictures below to access the content.

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Here you will find a variety of activities that focus on particular skills I teach based on SHAPE America's Grade Level Outcomes or GLOs. Content is added regularly, so check back often. Click on the buttons or pictures below to access the content.

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PlaySport provides a wide range of physical activities as well as videos promoting healthy living and decision making, and student leadership.

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PE At Home: Activities and Resources to Stay Active at Home

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KIDZ BOP Kids - Dance Monkey (Dance Along) [KIDZ BOP Party Playlist!]

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These are the cues I would use in PE class when working on Skills

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Welcome back! First, take the short survey below (if you have already taken it, you do NOT need to take it a 2nd time!): ​

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CDC Physical Activity recommendations for Adults

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CDC Physical Activity recommendations for Adults

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. Each week adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity, according to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

We know 150 minutes of physical activity each week sounds like a lot, but you don't have to do it all at once. It could be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You can spread your activity out during the week and break it up into smaller chunks of time. See tips for getting started.

Physical activity supports physical and mental health. The benefits of physical activity make it one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Move More and Sit Less

Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity gain some health benefits.

Recommended Levels For Health Benefits

Adults should follow the exercises as specified in the following options. Check out this print-friendly age chart for a quick snapshot of the recommended amount of weekly activity for adults.

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity

(such as brisk walking) for 150 minutes every week (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week)
AND

Muscle-strengthening activities

on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity

(such as jogging or running) for 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) every week
AND

Muscle-strengthening activities

on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

An equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity

on 2 or more days a week
AND

Muscle-strengthening activities

on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

For Even Greater Health Benefits

If you go beyond 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity or an equivalent combination, you'll gain even more health benefits.

Aerobic activity or "cardio" gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. From pushing a lawn mower, to taking a dance class, to walking or biking to the store - these types of activities and more count. As long as you're doing aerobic physical activities at a moderate- or vigorous-intensity, they count toward meeting the aerobic guideline.

Intensity is how hard your body is working during a physical activity.

Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell if it's a moderate-intensity aerobic activity is that you'll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:

Walking fast

Doing water aerobics

Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills

Playing doubles tennis

Pushing a lawn mower

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. You may use the Talk Test to gauge the intensity of your aerobic physical activity. If you're being active at a vigorous level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Here are some examples of activities that require vigorous effort:

Jogging or running

Swimming laps

Riding a bike fast or on hills

Playing singles tennis

Playing basketball

If you are doing moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking or hiking, you can talk, but not sing during the activity.

Build Up Over Time
If you want to do more vigorous-level activities, slowly replace those that take moderate effort like brisk walking with more vigorous activities like jogging. Learn more about getting started with physical activity to improve health.

You can do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a mix of the two, each week. A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

Some people like to do vigorous activity because it gives them about the same health benefits in half the time. If you haven't been very active lately, however, increase your physical activity level slowly. If you have a history of a chronic disease, consider telling your doctor you are planning to increase your physical activity, including moving to more vigorous activity. You need to feel comfortable doing moderate-intensity activities before you move on to more vigorous ones. Learn more about additional types of physical activity that are right for you.

Want more tips on how you can add a variety of activities to your life? Check this out.

Physical activities to strengthen your muscles are recommended at least 2 days a week. Activities should work all the major muscle groups of your body-legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms. Muscle-strengthening activities should be done in addition to your aerobic activity.

To gain health benefits, you need to do muscle-strengthening activities to the point where it's hard for you to do another repetition without help. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting a weight or doing a sit-up. Try to do 8-12 repetitions per activity, which counts as 1 set. Try to do at least 1 set of muscle-strengthening activities. To gain even more benefits, do 2 or 3 sets.

You can do activities that strengthen your muscles on the same or different days that you do aerobic activity-whatever works best for you.
There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it's at home or the gym. You may want to try the following:

Lifting weights

Working with resistance bands

Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups)

Heavy gardening (e.g., digging, shoveling)

Some forms of yoga

Connect with Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

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Suggestions for how adults can get the recommended amounts of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity each week.

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Society of Health and Physical Education

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Society of Health and Physical Education

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Coronavirus Resources for Physical Education and Health

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SHAPE America Coronavirus resources help physical education and health education teachers across the country as many schools and school districts are moving to distance learning due to COVID-19.

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Mr. Eric Turrill is the Round Hill Elementary Physical Education teacher at Round Hill, Virginia. 2008 VA PE TOY. Twitter @RHEPE1 #PhysEd #PEGeeks #STEMinthe...

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Coach Bradford's playlist of workouts to choose from including kickboxing, Body Combat, Tae Bo, Zumba Strong and more

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When it comes to learning a whole lot of cool moves from dance, martial arts and yoga this class is the way to go. Each 20 or 40-minute class is jam-packed with cool music and foundation fitness moves and fun games. This is sure to leave the kids (and parents) feeling great!

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BORN TO MOVE | Free - LES MILLS ON DEMAND

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When it comes to learning a whole lot of cool moves from dance, martial arts and yoga this class is the way to go. Each 20 or 40-minute class is jam-packed with cool music and foundation fitness moves and fun games. This is sure to leave the kids (and parents) feeling great!

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John Hopkins on Practicing Wellness

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Infectious Diseases

Reviewed By:

Harpreet Gujral, DNP, FNP-BC

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are working from home these days. Under normal circumstances, telecommuting can offer a pleasant break from your daily routine. You can enjoy freedom from a long commute and the luxury of working in your sweats.

But this situation is far from normal. Harpreet Gujral, program director of integrative medicine at Johns Hopkins' Sibley Memorial Hospital, offers the following suggestions on staying centered and healthy when you're working at home during the pandemic.

Greeting the Day

If you're waking in the morning and feeling uncertain because your routine is so different, Gujral suggests a 15-minute ritual to get prepared for your day.

"First thing in the morning, I recommend spending 10 to 15 minutes on self-care. I take a moment to think about three things I'm grateful for. They can be simple things, such as a comfy blanket, a safe home, warmth, spring trees, blue sky or blossoming trees."

Many of us lunge for our cellphones as soon as we're conscious, but Gujral says she makes a point not to pick up her phone for at least 15 minutes.

Breathing for Stress Relief

Before the day's demands take over, Gujral recommends becoming centered with some stress-relieving breaths.

"Take a few minutes to really focus on your breathing. There is a technique called 4-7-8 breathing, or relaxing breath, which helps you concentrate on deep breaths. The practice is simple: Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7 and breathe out for a count of 8. Practicing this for four breaths four times each day or more can help relieve anxiety and reset the autonomic nervous system," Gujral says.

Here's how to do it:

Image courtesy of Healthy at Hopkins, an employee health resource at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Moving and Stretching, Indoors and Out

Gujral says staying active can increase immunity and boost mental health. "Stress puts us up in our head, and we forget about the rest of our bodies," she says. "Try 10 minutes of qi gong - movements that help you practice mindfulness - or use stretches and yoga poses to bring your awareness back into your body."

Even if you don't know how to practice these disciplines, she says, you can simply close your eyes and move your awareness into your feet to feel more grounded. "Concentrate on your feet and their connection to the floor and the earth to get out of your worries," she advises.

Social distancing doesn't mean you have to isolate yourself or to stay inside. Gujral says gardening and hiking outdoors, and taking notice of the natural world, helps alleviate anxiety and improve well-being.

"Home air can get stuffy," she says. Gujral suggests getting outside each day for 15 minutes of fresh air and sunshine, which helps the body make vitamin D. "Vitamin D deficiency can create vulnerability to the common cold," she notes.

Eating Well

Good nutrition is essential in stressful times. "We need the best nutrition now," Gujral notes, adding that trying to boost your immunity with supplements may not be as helpful as simply eating whole foods.

"Eat meals rich in plant-based foods, especially leafy vegetables and fruit," she says. "Work in the whole rainbow of produce colors to get all the phytonutrients."

Taking steps to cut out inflammatory foods such as sugar and bad fats is a good idea. These foods might be more tempting when you're feeling tense or worried. "Don't eat your feelings. Cook homemade foods with ginger and turmeric. A little rosemary can be good for focus," she says. Drink plenty of water, and consider green or black tea.

At Your Home Office

"Bring in something from outdoors for your at-home desk," Gujral suggests. "Rocks, branches, flowers, even a picture, photograph or screen saver depicting a beautiful, calming scene can help remind you of nature.

"And don't forget the power of music. Listening to music that inspires you can help you focus and improve your mood."

Staying Focused

Gujral acknowledges that it can be hard to concentrate on work when your daily routine is off-kilter and the future is uncertain. Consume social media conservatively.

If aromatherapy agrees with you, a little eucalyptus or jasmine can make your home office more conducive to calm productivity. Gujral says it's important to remember that essential oils are not effective treatments for disease, but they can help uplift mood or create a more relaxing environment.

Practicing Mindfulness

It's also important to keep in touch with friends, especially the ones who uplift you, and give people the benefit of the doubt during this challenging time.

Most important are mindfulness and gratitude, Gujral says. "Focus on what's at hand," she says. "When you wash your hands, take a moment and say to yourself, 'I fill my heart with gratitude for what's going well.' Sprinkle this affirmation through your day, with every hand-wash."

Coronavirus Disease 2019

What you need to know from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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Coronavirus: Practicing Wellness While You Stay at Home

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Facebook Twitter Linkedin Pinterest Print Infectious Diseases Reviewed By: Harpreet Gujral, DNP, FNP-BC In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are working from home these days. Under normal circumstances, telecommuting can offer a pleasant break from your daily routine. You can enjoy freedom from a long commute and the luxury of working in your sweats.