Historically, technology and physical education have not gone hand in hand. However, there are now many great digital resources that can help inspire youngsters to get moving at school and at home.
Move – Use YouTube to pull up a yoga class or 15-minute desk pilates to get your students’ day started by moving their bodies. Physical education is proven to increase alertness and focus. Need a gym class lesson idea? Find a fun virtual dance lesson or HIIT class to get your students’ heart rates up.
Challenge – Set up a challenge with your class to promote friendly competition and consistency. Commit to doing a virtual workout class or activity three times a week, or create a workout that includes competition to motivate those who are competitive. The consistency will help your class stay active in a fun way and will help develop a routine that can be carried on after the challenge is completed.
Compete – Challenge your class to increase their physical activity at home and create a challenge to hold them accountable. Use a tracking app to show statistics and increase motivation.
Connect – There are many tools that will allow you to connect and organize your class, group, or team online. Some ways of connecting your groups include creating a social media channel, using an app such as Slack or TeamSnap for communication, or simply using WhatsApp for group messages, an app that is convenient for all types of phone users.
Fun – Help your students develop a positive outlook on staying physically active for life. Incorporating technology into physical activity will get students with all interests involved. Some great options: Wii Sports, Dance Dance Revolution, Fitness Boxing or Zumba, Burn it Up.
Incorporating physical activity in our daily schedule is important to living a long and healthy life. We can use technology as a great resource to switch up the way we stay connected and active.
Written by Angela Driscoll