Get Moving With Fruits and Vegetables! Part III: Flexibility

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Get Moving With Fruits and Vegetables!Part
III Flexibility
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OBJECTIVES

• You will learn the benefits of stretching and
  yoga for yourself and your students
• You will learn how to implement a basic yoga
  lesson plan in the classroom
• You will have tools to conduct basic Nutrition
  Education in your classroom
• You will learn the tools to conduct a cooking
  lesson in the classroom

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Flexibility

• Flexibility refers to the absolute range of
  movement in a joint or series of joints that is
  attainable in a momentary effort with the help of
  a partner or a piece of equipment.
• Flexibility in some joints can be increased to a
  certain degree by stretching.

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Stretching (Flexibility Training)

• Allows greater freedom of movement and improved
  posture
• Increases physical and mental relaxation
• Releases muscle tension and soreness
• Reduces the risk of injury

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Warm-Up!

• Before stretching, always take a few minutes to
  warm up.
• Stretching cold muscles can cause injury!
• Begin with a low-intensity warm-up.
• Walking for 5-10 minutes
• while moving arms is
• sufficient.

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How to Stretch

• Start each stretch slowly!
• Exhale as you gently stretch the muscle
• Hold each stretch for at least 10 to 30 seconds

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Things to Avoid!

• Dont bounce a stretch
• Dont stretch a muscle that is not warmed up
• Dont strain or push a muscle too far!
• If a stretch hurts, ease up!
• Dont hold your breath

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How Often?

• Ideally, one should stretch at least three times
  a week for 30 minutes!
• Try yoga, Pilates, or tai chi
• Scheduling a class will help you stick with a
  regular stretching program
• Source for Flexibility slides ACE
• American Council on Exercise

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Time to Warm-up!
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Hurdlers Stretch

• This is a Hamstring stretch.
• Sit on the floor with one leg extended
• The other foot is touching the inner thigh
• Lean forward over your leg until you feel a
  stretch

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Standing Hamstring Stretch

1. Stand with your legs hip distance apart
2. Gently fold forward
3. Keep your legs straight as you bend forward
4. Try to touch your fingers to the floor
5. Relax your neck
6. Hold for 30 seconds

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Calf Stretch

• This is a very important stretch for running.
• Stand with your hands against the wall
• Lunge one leg back
• Bend your front leg until you feel the stretch in
  your calf

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Hip Flexor Stretch

1. Kneel with one leg forward at a 90 degree angle
2. The other leg from the knee to the toes are on
   the ground
3. Keep your torso upright
4. Press gently forward with your hips
5. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds

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Thigh/Quad Stretch

1. Start by standing while grabbing onto the foot
2. Gently pull your foot toward your glut
3. Balance on one foot, hold onto a chair, or wall
4. Keep your knee close to your leg, pointing down
   toward the floor

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Glut and Hamstring Stretch

1. Start by lying down on the ground
2. Lift one knee toward you
3. Hold onto the knee with a tight grip
4. Pull your knee gently toward your body
5. As you pull, pull to the side of your ribs,
   toward your shoulder
6. Hold for 20- 30 seconds

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Groin Stretch

1. Sit on the floor with your lower back straight
2. Touch the soles of your feet together
3. Using your hands or elbows, press your knees
   toward the ground
4. Do this gently
5. To increase difficulty, lean forward

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Back/Rhomboid Stretch

1. Sit cross legged on the floor
2. Make sure you are not leaning to one side
3. Cross on arm in front of your body
4. Use the opposite hand to gently pull the arm
   toward your body
5. Hold your arm above or below the elbow joint
6. Switch arms

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Triceps/Lat Stretch

1. Raise both arms overhead
2. Grab on arm at the elbow
3. Carefully pull your arm towards your back
4. Your arm will be reaching down your back
5. Hold

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Neck Rotation

• Look over your shoulder
• Slowly turn to look over the other shoulder
• Alternative
• Lower ear to shoulder
• Gently rotate to the other side
• Do not bend your head to the back!

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Yoga

• Yoga derives from the Sanskrit word meaning to
  yoke, join together, union.
• Hatha Yoga is a system of physical exercise which
  studies and integrates the mind, body and breath.

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Hatha Yoga

• Hatha Yoga pronounced (HAT-ha YOH-gah) is the
  type of yoga most commonly practiced in the
  United States.
• Hatha Yoga is an excellent fitness program.
• Hatha Yoga uses postures (asanas), breathing
  exercises (pranayama), and meditation to
  exercise, strengthen, and tone the whole person.
  (body, mind, and spirit)

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Types of Hatha Yoga

• Ashtanga (power yoga) a series of postures that
  flow together, the emphasis is on muscular
  endurance and flexibility
• Bikram developed by Bikram Choudhury, this
  class is conducted in a room heated between 90 to
  100 degrees, there are 13 standing and 13 floor
  asanas
• Iyengar developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, this type
  focuses on skeletal alignment with static poses
  and props
• Kundalini focuses on ones energy force or
  chakras
• Vinyasa this class will start with Sun
  Salutations to warm up and then continue into
  more intense stretching

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Yoga Benefits

• Strengthen the body
• Align the body
• Improves balance
• Soothes the nervous system
• Develops breath
• Improves focus, concentration
• Develops personal awareness
• Improves overall health

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• Yoga Ed. is an educational program that combines
  science-based exploration of the body, mind, and
  the self with the exercise system of yoga to
  support and enhance learning, health, and
  personal responsibility.

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Goals of Yoga Ed.

1. To inspire students to establish and maintain a
   lifetime of wellness.
2. To provide the tools to develop self-awareness
   and enhance social, physical, mental, and
   emotional health and well-being.
3. To develop focus and concentration in order to
   enhance learning and achievement.
4. To support children in finding enjoyment and
   success in physical activities.
5. To facilitate the transference of yoga skills and
   outcomes to other academic and social situations
   and environments.

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Physical Education Standards

• The Yoga Ed Program is in alignment with the
  California Physical Education Standards!

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Yoga Dos

• Wear comfortable clothing (remind students)
• Establish a special place for yoga.
• Keep the floor clean!
• Remove shoes
• Practice on an empty stomach
• Bring own mat or towel

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Components of a Yoga Lesson

• Breath
• Games
• Yoga
• Time-In

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Breath

• Yoga and breath are one
• The primary focus in yoga is always smooth, deep
  breathing.
• How we breath has a profound impact on our whole
  mind-body system.
• The more your fuel the brain and the body with
  oxygen, the better it functions.
• Knowing how to control ones breath is a valuable
  life skill.
• Being conscious of our breath gives us the
  opportunity to make behavioral choices in a
  non-reactive manner

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Games

• Games release mental tension
• Non-competitive exercises enhance fitness,
  teamwork, and creative thinking skills
• Games can be used as warm-ups, energizers,
  rewards, organizers, or just for fun!
• Children learn through play!

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Yoga

• Yoga poses help everyone! (teachers, students,
  parents etc)
• Yoga releases tension and stress
• Yoga activates the whole brain and stimulates
  every system in the body!
• Start slowly, teach what you know!
• Chair yoga works too!

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Time In

• Focuses on the internal rather than the external
• Includes visualization, imagery
• Encourages personal responsibility by giving the
  student a chance to breath and reflect
• Use before a test, a speech, a performance

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• Time to Practice!