Selected Activities to Improve Cardiovascular Endurance and Strength and Muscular Endurance; K-3.

Activities to help the young child improve his/her physical fitness are difficult to find because of insufficient research supporting the effectiveness of proposed activities. However, several activities are assumed to improve the fitness of various areas of the body while concurrently improving cardiovascular endurance by increasing the heart rate for a definite period of time. Probably the best single activity for cardiovascular endurance is jogging at progressively longer distances and time periods. Muscular endurance is obtained through repetitive exercise of selected muscle groups. Arm and shoulder girdle strength and endurance seems to be a traditionally weak area. To increase strength in this area, exercises are needed that will get the children down on the floor supporting their bodies with their arms. The crab walk and sprinting are good activities for leg development. Another area of particular weakness in young children is the abdomen. Kindergarten children have a difficult time finding their stomach muscles and consequently have trouble doing situps. The easiest thing is to start with leg raises while hanging from a bar, or the V-sit and curl-ups. These are just a few activities that increase overall as well as cardiovascular fitness, but they give a general idea of exercise patterns that effectively increase physical fitness in children. The overall progression in children of any age can be aided through the presentation of challenge questions. (DMT)