8th Grade Fitness

General Fitness Information

-As you become more familiar with the exercises and equipment, you will have more freedom to work towards your own personal fitness goals.  Start thinking about what your goals are, and how I can help you achieve those goals during the year!

The one question I get asked prior to the start of the year is, "is resistance training safe for middle school aged children?"  Below I have outlined a few of the ways that we ensure each student's safety.

-Injuries from resistance training typically occur due to two factors:  too much weight and incorrect form.

-Students are constantly monitored during class to make sure that they are lifting weights with correct form and with the correct weight.

 -The main focus of the course is to show students how to correctly perform different exercises.  Form for different exercises will be constantly monitored to ensure safe lifting.

 -The weight that is being lifted will be developmentally appropriate for all students.  In order to make these exercises safe, the students will try to aim for 12-15 repetitions.  This means that each time they perform an exercise, they should be able to do it 12-15 times.  If they are unable to do that, they need to lower the weight.  We will NEVER have students trying power lifts or heavy lifting, as it places too much stress on the developing adolescent.  

When you are not in fitness, there are still ways that you can work towards your goals.  Here are some ways for you to reach 60 minutes of physical activity at home or outside - 

-Jog the track during recess or after school

-Go for a bike ride

-Perform body weight exercises at home (requires NO equipment!)

    -Squats

    -Pushups

    -Situps

    -Planks

    -Lunges

    -Dips

    -Stretching

-Yoga!

-Any activity that gets you moving is going to benefit you!  Get outside and play a game with friends, or take 10 minutes before you go to bed to do some body weight exercises.

We have done all of these in class!  If you would like to create a video on one or more of these videos to show how to perform each exercise, please see Mr. Priban!