Health & Growth - Activity for Health and Fitness
Exercise for Fitness
Bouncing Ball. When performing this exercise, remember to keep your body rigid and to support your weight on your hands and toes. For variety you can clap your hands each time you have pushed your body into the air.
Team Activity
Foot Volleyball. This game is a variation of regular volleyball. You can play the game with a soccer ball or a regular football. Older boys play the game on a field that is 100 feet by 200 feet. Younger boys and girls can play the game on a field that is 95 feet long and 40 feet wide.
Look at the illustration to see how the field is divided into two playing courts and a neutral area. Notice that there is no net and that the neutral area is 15 feet long.
The object of the game is to kick (punt) the ball into the opponent’s playing court so that no one can catch it and kick it back. A team scores a point when its opponent allows the ball to touch the ground or when its opponent punts the ball out of bounds, into the neutral zone, or into its own court.
The serve is made by punting the ball into the opponent’s playing court from the middle of the server’s playing court. The serving team continues to serve as long as it continues to make points. A team can only score when it has the serve.
When a ball is served into the proper court, a player must catch it and kick it back to the server’s playing court. The serving team tries to catch it and return it in a like manner.
Seven to fourteen players make up a team. They rotate in a clockwise direction each time a serve is made so that each player assumes a new position. Only the serving team rotates before each serve. In this way, each team member is given a chance to serve.
Part of the skill involved in playing foot volleyball is the ability of the team members to play their own positions and not interfere with each other’s actions.
You will find that this game is fast-moving. It requires skill, but it can be played by anyone.
Safety & First Aid - Activity for Health and Fitness
Do you realize that you can exercise many muscles in your body without moving them? You can if you use a system of exercises called isometrics. Isometrics is a method of exercising the muscles by pushing or pulling hard against a stationary object or against another part of the body. The exercises you will learn from this book will help you strengthen the muscles of your legs, neck, chest, and shoulders. You will find that daily practice is very helpful. From time to time you will be able to review these exercises so that you will continue to perform them properly.
Front and side neck muscles. This exercise will help you to strengthen the front and side neck muscles that rotate and nod your head.
Position. Turn your head to the right. Place the palm of your left hand on the left side of your head.
Action. Press your hand against your head as you press your head against your hand. Hold it for ten counts. Repeat the action on the right side. Repeat the exercise.
The chest. These exercises help to develop various muscles in your chest.
Position. Sit on the floor in the middle of a doorway. Extend your legs and keep your back straight.
Action.
1. Place your hands on the sides of the door frame at hip level, palms outward. Press hard against the frame with both hands. Hold this pressure for ten counts. Repeat the exercise five times.
2. Place the palms of your hands on the sides of the door frame at shoulder height. Press hard for ten counts. Repeat this five times.
3. With arms fully extended above your head, place the palms of your hands against the door frame and press hard for ten counts. Repeat this five times.
Elbow and shoulder muscles. The purpose of this exercise is to increase the strength of the muscles that help to bend and flex the elbows and shoulders.
Position. Lie face down with your legs fully extended. Place your hands at the hip-waist level with your palms against the floor. Your elbows will be bent and your fingertips placed at about your hips, fingers pointing towards your feet.
Action. Press your hands hard against the floor. Hold this position for ten counts. Repeat the exercise.
Inner and outer thigh muscles.
Position. Sit on the floor in front of a straight chair. Extend your legs toward the chair and place the inside of your ankles against the outside of the chair legs.
Action. Keep your legs straight and attempt to close them against the chair leg. For your outer thigh muscles, place your ankles inside the chair legs and push outward. Do each exercise for ten counts. Repeat this exercise five times.
Personality & Family - Activity for Health and Fitness
Is your body as healthy as you would like it to be? You can help keep it healthy by eating a variety of foods, getting the rest you need, and by exercising regularly. Here are a few good exercises that will help strengthen your body. After you have learned them try to practice them daily. You will be able to review them from time to time in other Activity for Health and Fitness pages.
Tortoise and Hare. This exercise will assist you in developing a more agile body.
Position. Stand at attention.
Action. Jog slowly in place. On the command, "Hare," double your pace, lifting your knees high and pumping your arms vigorously. On the command, "Tortoise," slow the tempo to the original slow jog. Alternate between the tortoise and the hare for one minute. Practice daily and slowly increase your time to two minutes.
Bouncing Ball. This exercise will challenge your coordination and strength. It is an excellent conditioner for many sports.
Position. Assume the pushup position by lying face down and extending your arms straight out with your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Keep your body straight and rigid, and support your weight on your hands and toes.
Action. Bounce up and down by a series of short upward springs with your arms and legs. Try to clap your hands while your body is in the air. Repeat this exercise five times.
Leg Extension. The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen your abdominal and trunk muscles.
Position. Sit on the floor with your legs extended and your feet together. Keep your body erect and place your hands on your hips.
Action. On the count of one, raise and flex your knees with a quick vigorous motion. Slide your toes back along the floor as far as you can. On the count of two, extend your legs back to the starting position. Repeat this exercise five times.
The Coordinator. This exercise is a difficult one. It will develop your coordination and body control.
Position. Stand at attention.
Action. On the count of one, hop on your left foot, swinging your right foot forward and touching your toe to the floor in front of your left foot. At the same time, bring both arms forward and upward to your shoulder level.
At the count of two, swing your arms to the sides at shoulder level, and hop once again. At the same time swing your right foot out to the right
side and touch your toe to the floor.
On the count of three, hop again on your left foot and return your foot and arms to the position taken on the first count.
On the count of four, return your foot and arms to the starting position. Repeat the exercise by hopping on the right foot. Alternate feet and increase the tempo. Repeat the exercise ten times.
