Middle School PE

Physical Activity
You may be facing all sorts of new challenges right now – learning online, missing friends and social activities, and trying to stay active during quarantine. Sometimes, everyone needs a little encouragement to keep going! Who is your cheerleader? Think of someone who is always in your corner, will motivate you to keep working hard, and help you celebrate all the small wins. Connect with them today!

Workout of the Day (WOD)!
• Use this A-B-C exercise guide (with video demonstrations)
• Using the associated exercises, spell “ENCOURAGE”. Social support helps you to start and continue exercise. Have a friend join you in your exercise!

Your ‘yellow’ challenge today is to extend the WOD:
• Use this A-B-C exercise guide:
• Using the associated exercises, spell “ENCOURAGEMENT”

Today’s “red” activity involves encouraging your friends to be physically active with you! Can you set up a group video call to exercise together? Or text each other with healthy tips? Having a workout partner helps motivate you and makes it more fun!

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Healthy Snack Hack- Hummus
Today, we’re serving up an easy hummus dip in honor of National Hummus Day (who knew?!). The main ingredient in hummus is chickpeas, which pack a serious punch of plant-based protein so they are an excellent meat replacement. They are also filled with fiber, so this snack is sure to fill you up and keep you satisfied. Our easy recipe swaps some ingredients you may not have on hand (like tahini) with some simple spices so you can whip this up anytime.
Hummus Dip
· 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas),
drained and rinsed
· 2 to 4 tbsp. water
· 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
· 1 tbsp. lemon juice
· 1 garlic clove, minced
· 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
· 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions:
• Add the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of water, the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy. If needed, add additional water to thin out the hummus and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to taste.
• Enjoy with veggies or whole grain crackers or pita.

Physical Activity
An important part of keeping your body healthy is to mix up the types of exercises you do. A varied workout routine will get your heart pumping, build your cardiovascular endurance, emphasize flexibility, and work to strengthen your muscles and bones. Today’s combo of yoga and high-impact exercise will check all the boxes of a balanced workout!

Today’s yoga, the Body Awareness Flow, from the Kids Work It Out program teaches us to tune in to how our body feels and the way it moves. The poses encourage strength, focus, and flexibility

• Video: https://youtu.be/MgUjrvC9wqg (Time: 12:02)

• Handout: Body Awareness Flow
This HIIT workout from PopSugar will get you moving! The fun, upbeat combination of cardio and body-weight strength exercises will keep you motivated through the burn!

• https://youtu.be/GOyhgv6SA1k (Time: 29:45)

Today’s “red” activity involves combining the yoga activity with the HIIT workout. Are you up for the challenge?

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Healthy Hydration- Fruity Ice Cubes
We know that the best way to stay hydrated is to drink water, right?! Yet as the weather heats up- the water in our water bottle may too. Save yourself from having to slurp warm water (ugh!) with this week’s fruity ice cubes, a fun and refreshing way to infuse your water with flavor.
To Make:
• Choose your favorite fruit/s (canned, frozen, or fresh)
o Try some of our favorites- canned pineapple, frozen berries or fresh oranges
• Chop them into small pieces
• Drop into each cube of the ice tray
• Pour water over the fruit
• Freeze for six hours or overnight
Enjoy your fruity ice cubes in your water bottle!

Physical Activity

You know that good-feeling sensation you get after doing something physical? It’s like a “happy pill” with no side effects! Regular physical activity can help relieve stress, anxiety, depression and anger. So, exercise isn’t just good for you – it’ll help you feel good too!

Today’s TikTok dance tutorial is for Benee’s “SupaLonley.” It’s a slow tutorial for a long dance! If you’re feeling ‘supalonley’ there are lots of ways to get help. Be sure to connect with friends and family!
• https://youtu.be/6AsivadBupo (Time: 15:17)

Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise that packs a big workout punch. It involves slow, precise movements and breath control which isolates and strengthens your muscles. Give Pilates a try today with this workout!
• https://youtu.be/6cJHYTWwbGo (Time: 55:04)

Feeling up to the challenge today? Do both the dance and the Pilates workouts! Post your dance to Tik Tok or Instagram and use the #healthykidsquarantined

• https://youtu.be/vI1Yf-MBczI (Time: 32:20)

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Protein is one of the 5 essential food groups from MyPlate. It is helpful to think of protein as a building block that helps us BUILD our muscles, bones, skin and blood. When you feel hungry, grabbing for a snack full of protein is a great way to feel fuller, longer.

To get protein, you don’t have to only eat meat. Did you know that there are many plant-based protein sources that are inexpensive and easy to find? Canned beans like kidney, pinto and black beans are a great source. Chickpeas and lentils are also a great way to get some protein. Check out this protein tip sheet for suggestions on how to vary your protein, and track your weekly servings using this protein tracker!

Bonus Recipe: Black bean and corn salsa (with protein-packed beans!)
· 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
· 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
· 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
· 2 tablespoons chopped onion
· 2 tablespoons lime juice
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 teaspoon chile pepper
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Friday, May 8 – Activity & Nutrition

Physical Activity
It’s National Virtual Field Day! Field Day is a fun tradition for many schools that we don’t have to miss out on just because we’re not physically together. A Virtual Field Day is a unique way that we can stay connected as a community and support one another in a fun and meaningful way! Our friends at the Online Physical Education Network (OPEN), have been working hard to put together resources for families to run their own Field Day at home. They’ve created event cards and plans for a range of activities! Choose at least four (4) activities from their plans and fill out a score card.
• Field Day Plans and Scorecards: https://openphysed.org/nationalfieldday
• Field Day Example Videos: https://openphysed.org/fielddayvideos
Be sure to share your Field Day pictures on social media using #NationalFieldDay and #HealthyKidsQuarantined! Don’t forget to tag your school too!

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
What goes better with Field Day than popsicles? A fun way to get your servings of fruits and veggies is to turn your smoothies into frozen treats! Yesterday, we learned that Vitamin D provides many benefits like keeping out bones strong and even giving us a mental boost. So, today, let’s try this green smoothie that not only tastes delicious but it’s chocked full of the good stuff to keep you healthy.
Ingredients:
• 1 chopped banana (frozen)
• 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup of spinach or kale
• ½ cup low fat yogurt
• 1 cup water or milk (low-fat or almond)
• 1 cup Ice
• Small paper dixie cups
• Popsicle sticks (or plastic spoons if you have them!)
Directions:
Mix in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour your smoothie into a small dixie cup and freeze it for ½ hour. Once it starts to firm up, stick in your popsicle stick and freeze for several more hours until it’s solid. Tap them on a counter to loosen the popsicle and it will pop out of the cup! Share your smoothie-popsicle creations by posting it online, using #healthykidsquarantined!

Physical Activity
Today’s workout involves yoga and a Throwback Dance Party. which use a variety of exercises to improve coordination, balance, and flexibility. Flip the coin to determine your exercise in each round.

Today’s KWIO yoga sequence is the “Inner Warrior Flow.” This fast-paced yoga flow focuses on powerful warrior poses that help to develop strength, concentration, and balance.
• https://youtu.be/WgEAKOdfX6g (Time: 14:47)
• Handout: Inner Warrior Flow
It’s throwback Thursday! This dance-themed workout will have you working up a sweat to some great old-school tracks.
• https://youtu.be/Y1l7DviqEp0 (Time 25:22)
Today, combine the yoga flow and practice the dance video until you’ve got the moves down! Work up a sweat and keep your body strong and healthy!

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Have you ever heard someone say that if you want strong bones and teeth, you need to drink your milk? This is because milk (and other dairy foods like yogurt and cheese) are good sources of Vitamin D which is needed to build and keep strong bones and muscles. But did you know that you can also get Vitamin D is through exposure to the sun?! Vitamin D also protects us from illnesses like the flu, gives us a mental boost, improves sleep, and even helps us build muscle and maintain a healthy weight.
Try one of these foods to get your daily dose of Vitamin D:

• dairy, like low-fat milk

• almonds

• spinach

• whole-grain cereal

• mushrooms

• eggs

• orange juice

• fish (like salmon)
Bonus! Take a walk outside and soak up some sun – and Vitamin D! Check out this guide that can give you some cool spots! Family Hiking Guide

Physical Activity
Today, work towards your 60 minutes of physical activity by trying out the A-B-C workout of the day, or challenging your friends to be physically active on Social Media!

Workout of the Day (WOD)!
• Use this A-B-C exercise guide (with video demonstrations)
• Using the associated exercises, spell “FRIEND”. Social support helps you to start and continue exercise. Have a friend join you in your exercise!

Your ‘yellow’ challenge today is to extend the WOD:
• Use this A-B-C exercise guide:
• Using the associated exercises, spell “FRIENDSHIP“

Today’s “red” activity involves challenging your friends to be physically active with you! On social media (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook), post how long you can hold a plank, and then challenge 5 of your friends to do it too! To tag us, use #healthykidsquarantined

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
A healthy diet contains whole-grain carbohydrates which can sometimes be tricky to locate. One way to tell if a food is a whole grain is to look to see if the word “WHOLE” is on the food label. Some food packages may have a “whole” grain stamp on the package instead that says, 100% of the food is made of whole grains. This week check the food labels on your carbohydrates to see how many say WHOLE or have a 100% whole grain stamps. Compare the whole grains you found in your house to the ones listed in this WORD SCRAMBLE.
For a tasty and healthy whole grain snack try our Healthy Whole Grain Trail Mix
• 1 cup chopped nuts – try walnuts, almonds, or pecans
• 1/4 cup raisins, Craisins, or other dried fruit
• 3 1/2 cups unsweetened whole-grain cereal (try Chex or Cheerios)
• 1 cup popcorn
• Add in 1 cup broken pieces of dark chocolate
• Mix together and enjoy!

Physical Activity
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Starting your day with some exercise will offset the tacos and guacamole you may eat later! Today’s combination of gentle yoga and a HIIT workout is a great balance of exercises to help you get stronger and more flexible.

Today’s yoga, the Flexibility Flow, from the Kids Work It Out program focuses on poses that lengthen and stretch the muscles, prevent injury and improve athletic performance. Stretching with yoga is a great way to get you moving in the morning or a way to relax after a long day.
• https://youtu.be/9HswrvWMgNc (Time: 15:50)
• Handout: Flexibility Flow
A vigorous workout gets your heart pumping, builds your cardiovascular endurance, and can improve your muscle and bone strength. Today, try this Cinco de Mayo themed HIIT workout that will challenge every muscle group!
• https://youtu.be/dZiKHFAT5F0 (Time: 20:06)
Today’s “red” activity involves combining the yoga activity with the HIIT workout. Are you up for the workout fiesta!?

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
As the weather warms up it’s even more important to stay hydrated – when you sweat, you lose valuable water from your body. But, be careful of hydrating it in a smart way! Sports drinks may seem like a good hydration option BUT they are loaded with sneaky sugar. Some sports drinks have as much sugar as a regular soda! The next time you find yourself grabbing for a sports drink why not try coconut water instead? Coconut water is a great lower-sugar, lower calorie alternative to sports drinks.
Try this Citrus Coconut water recipe this week:
• 1/2 lemon, lime or both washed and sliced
• Fill a large cup or water bottle with ice
• Squeeze and drop in lemon and lime slices
• Pour in 2 cups of coconut water
• Serve and enjoy!
Use this worksheet to track what you drink and how much sugar you’re consuming.

May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month. May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month! The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition is excited to encourage everyone to #MoveInMay, but remember to continue to practice social distancing while you’re being active.

Physical Activity
May the 4th be with you! It’s National Star Wars Day! Today we’ll train with some Jedi, the Sith, and Obi Wan to get a great Star Wars-themed workout! Don’t have a light saber handy? You can use whatever you may have handy, like a broom or a mop – but don’t worry, these exercise work just as well if you don’t have one.

These are short videos from Get Kids Moving – so combine a few of your favorites and get your Star Wars training on!
• Jedi Light Side HIIT Workout: https://youtu.be/kAUMHws2ap0 (Time: 3:46)
• Star Wars ‘SITH’ Workout: https://youtu.be/2Ofwpt59eQU (Time: 4:18)
• Obi Wan Star Wars Workout: https://youtu.be/OHOTNEtC3Rc (Time: 4:19)
• Star Wars Light Saber Tabata: https://youtu.be/3h9am97W4Rc (Time: 4:22)
#
BONUS: Challenge your friends on social media (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook), to work it like Obi Wan too! To tag us, use #healthykidsquarantined.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating
Eating fruits and vegetables can help you “fuel your force!” Starfighter Pilots must keep their energy up when headed into battle, and these fruity TIE tributes are just the snack they need when fighting against the Rebellion!

Fruit TIE Fighter (find this recipe – and pictures! – on the Star Wars website)
Ingredients:
• ½ a banana
• 2 apples
• 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter
Directions:
• Slice the banana into rounds
• Slice the apples into rounds, then trim the edges to form a hexagon (see a picture)
• Use the nut butter to secure the apple ‘wings’ to the banana
• Stand them upright to serve – and don’t play with your food too much before you enjoy!
Want to see how fruit, like in these TIE Fighters, fits in with a healthy diet? Check out the Star Wars Check for an easy guide for families to identify healthier food and beverage options!