Keeping Kids in Motion
Building a community where fitness and play are the foundation for all families.
APRIL’S MACARONI ISOMETRICS FITNESS CHALLENGE
For the month of April, our students will discuss and participate in isometric fitness.
See below for an editable copy of April’s Macaroni Isometric Fitness Challenge.
What are isometrics?
Isometrics are also known as static exercises. It’s a type of training where the body performs little or no movement while contracting muscle fibers. In other words, during isometric training, the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction. They are done in static positions, rather than through a range of motion like while performing concentric exercises.
Blueprint Fitness has listed 4 key benefits to isometric training as
- Increased muscular endurance
- Increased muscular strength
- Toning
- Time-saving
Fitandme.com has listed 11 benefits of isometric exercises. Click the link to find out more.
My goal is to introduce students and families to a variety of training methods in the ongoing process of promoting lifelong fitness. Isometric fitness is another way to add variety to our healthy habits. It takes up a limited amount of our precious time while using limited or no equipment.
Why the MACARONI?
In my classes, I’ve incorporated the macaroni timer. This is a substitute for the traditional Mississippi count or the “one one-thousand, two one-thousand cadences. I remember playing American football as a child. The defense could only rush the quarterback after a 5 Mississippi count. The problem was Mississippi inevitably would lose a syllable or two resulting in a Missippi or a Missip or even a Sippi count. “1 Missippi, 2 Missippi, 3 Missip..” (Oh, how I miss those days).
Often in class, our workouts challenge students to hold a static pose for a given amount of time. For example, “Complet a low plank for 15 seconds.” Without a second hand on our clock, we neede a way to count seconds independently. With the help of my first-grade students, we brainstormed words that could replace Mississippi. We finally agree on MACARONI for the following reasons.
- Fun to say
- Everybody loves macaroni
- When said slowly (1 macaroni, 2 macaroni..), each macaroni is about one second in duration.
Ever since we’ve been using what we call, the macaroni timer. Here are my first graders in action using the macaroni count.
The Isometric Macaroni Fitness Challenge includes a fitness bank with twelve different isometric exercises. Participants taking the challenge must first cut out each of the exercises into twelve separate cards. Each day turn the cards over and spread them out so you cannot see the exercises. Randomly choose at least five cards. Complete each of the chosen exercises. Hold each exercise for the “macaroni count” listed on the bottom of the card. Count slowly and clearly – “1 macaroni, 2 macaroni, 3 macaroni…” Do not rush through the macaroni count. Feel free to increase the macaroni count for each exercise as the month progresses since you WILL get stronger!
Participants color the noodle on the calendar each day the Isometric Macaroni Challenge is taken. Signed calendars are turned in at the end of the month in order to receive an award certificate and a toe token.
DO YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE CERTIFICATE FOR DOING THIS CHALLENGE THAT YOU HAND OUT??
Yes. Email me at jcahill@trinityatl.org
Actually, I just posted the award certificate to the blog post. It’s at the bottom. Let me know if you find it.
Justin https://keepingkidsinmotion.com/2019/03/25/aprils-macaroni-isometrics-fitness-challenge/
Oh THANK YOU!!!!!
I love this activity. Thanks so much for sharing!
That was a fun challenge. Just be aware that the dates are from last year! You should be able to easily update it with the editable version. Let me know if you have formatting issues.