Minds On
Let’s get active!
Being active is a great way to keep your body and mind healthy!
Being active
Being active relieves stress, makes you feel happy, helps you sleep better, boosts your energy, and the best part is, it is all for free!
Try It
Let’s try getting active
Play your favourite song, if possible, and move any way you can for the duration of the song. A song usually lasts from anywhere between three to five minutes. During this time, try your best to remain active. Take needed breaks when necessary.
Here are some movement suggestions:
Dancing, jumping jacks, arm circles, jog on the spot, pretend to play a sport, push-ups, squats, shake your arms, shake your legs, stretch, or any moves of your choice!
Action
Having fun with exercise
Now that you are all warmed up, and hopefully feel energized and happy, let’s check out a video and meet Akin, a TVO ambassador!
How can exercise give our brains, bodies, and even our feelings a lift when we need it?
Explore the following video entitled “Exercise” to learn more about exercise.
In the video, Akin shared how being active and doing things he enjoys help him stay positive!
Sometimes, when we do not get our bodies moving enough, we may start to feel a little down and sluggish.
This is a great reason for why we should exercise. Being active not only makes our bodies feel good, but also our minds.
What are endorphins?
When we exercise, our brain releases something called endorphins.
Endorphins are like a feel-good chemical in your brain. When you exercise, this chemical is released and makes you feel better and happy. Endorphins definitely put you in a better mood.
This is why after playing in an activity or doing a sport, you might feel happier and you can manage your feelings better.
We can choose from so many diverse activities and movements.
Movements can include dancing, jumping jacks, arm circles, jog on the spot, pretend to play a sport, push-ups, squats, shake your arms, shake your legs, stretching, or any other activity or movement of your choice.
If you are ever feeling anxious about something, get active! It will distract you from negative thoughts and release endorphins to help you get in a better mood.
Exercising and being active should be fun! So, pick some activities that are fun for you!
Consolidation
Setting active goals
Take some time each day and move around to get your heart beating faster.
You can walk, clean your room, dance – anything!
It’s best to be active for 150 minutes each week.
One easy way to reach this goal is to set aside 10 to 15 minutes a few times each day to be active. You don’t have to do the same things all the time, do all sorts of activities! The important thing is to just keep moving!
Take every day at a time. When you wake up in the morning, schedule some movement time (10-15 minutes) for yourself thought the day.
When you are ready, fill out the chart below in a method of your choice, or in the organizer provided.
Complete the following Movement Breaks Chart in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
| Movement Breaks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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I am going to schedule two movement breaks throughout my day. My movement breaks will be 10-15 minutes in length. |
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| Time of day | Type | Length | |
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First movement break: |
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Second movement break: |
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Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Movement Breaks Chart.
If possible, share your movement break ideas with a partner.
Have fun and keep moving!
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.