From three-way neck rolls to a figure-5 hurdler's stretch, this is an ultimate guide to healthy exercises. It begins with a bulleted list of general guidelines on cardiorespiratory exercise, flexibility, resistance exercises, and range...

Boost flexibility with a set of stretches designed for beginners. Pictures and descriptions guide readers through a variety of stretches while standing, sitting, and lying on the floor. 

Tootsie rolls as a teaching aid? Absolutely. Demonstrate to young athletes the importance of warmups and stretching  with an activity that asks them to try and stretch a piece of cold taffy. Class members hold the taffy in their...

In this human body worksheet, 2nd graders experiment making a full-sized human body portrait. Students discuss the human body organs and their functions. Students follow and complete 8 precise directives in making a human body portrait.

Students practice locomotor and axial movements. In this body awareness lesson, students discover freeze movement, axial movements, and locomotor movements. Students practice the movements as they maintain personal space.

Learn all about the best way to stretch your major muscle groups. Nine of the major muscle groups found in the human body are listed along with discussion points on why exercise and stretching are so important to muscle development. Two...

Before a test or quiz, warm up the brain and body with two minutes of exercise. Browse seven cards that showcase a different exercise. Each card provides a picture and a written description.

What makes an effective warm-up and cool-down activity? as well as tips for leading stretches. Find detailed activity plans, as well as tips for leading stretches, for elementary school, tag-based games (including one game called "Toilet...

Students explore the cardiovascular system. In this human body lesson, students observe blood flow and study cardiovascular diseases and how they affect the human body system.

Students demonstrate the skill of dribbling with stretching and cardio strengthening activities. In this dribbling lesson, the students use cones as boundaries to practice dribbling a basketball. During this lesson, a whistle is blown...

Second graders pretend to be pizza dough being made into a pizza pie. They listen to step by step instructions for the process of making the pizza and respond by moving their bodies as if they were the dough. Step by Step instructions...

Seventh graders build muscle strength by using elastic bands. In this elastic band exercise lesson, 7th graders do various stretches and movements using an elastic band. Students go to different stations to do different exercises....

Here is a quick assessment that you can use for your next lesson on the physical benefits of daily exercise. 

Learners in a special education class work to improve their endurance. As a class, they complete the same exercises at the beginning of each class trying to increase the number of reps. They are also introduced to healthy eating habits...

Students participate in an extra credit activity designed to keep them active over winter break.

Measure health as a triangle, with each side representing different aspects of health: physical, emotional/mental, and social. High schoolers complete a self-assessment of their health in all three areas before scoring their progress and...

What kinds of physical activity should youngsters do more of? What kind of activities should they do enough of? What kind of activities should they do less of? Studies say that children should be doing about an hour of vigorous activity...

Students divide into two groups facing each other; tossing the bean bags to each other. The teacher calls out names of unhealthy food and students start to throw beanbags back and forth to their partner. When students hear a healthy...

Students identify ways that cardiovascular fitness is achieved and maintained. In this cardiovascular health lesson plan, students discuss what aerobic exercise is and list various activities which address cardiovascular fitness....

Third graders practice exercise.  In this physical fitness lesson, 3rd graders participate in a variety of activities at fitness stations.  Students run laps, jump rope, perform chin-ups, sit-ups, etc. 

Students calculate their heart rate before and after exercise. In this health lesson, students find their resting heart rate and then exercise for 5-10 minutes. Students take their heart rate afterwards and observe the differences.

Students examine how drugs and alcohol impair athletic performance They discuss the reduction in aerobic activity through drug use and discover what is most affected by abuse. In their journals they write about how maintaining...

Students explore how interval training works by performing activities that involve alternating short bursts of high intensity with lower intensity activities.

Fourth graders, in groups, participate in a game in which they are assessed on their ability to work together to gather communication skills, leadership, trust, respect and creativity.