At the beginning of the school year, and after long holidays, the development of cardiovascular endurance should start slowly, increasing as the days go by.
My students are allowed to walk or jog during this part of the class. If they walk I encourage them to walk faster than "window shopping pace", and to pump their arms vigorously. I might mention what a healthy fitness level might be for a child of his age and gender, and motivate the student to reach this standard. I also explain that we do not always reach this standard at the first try, and that consistent hard work is what will help him/her achieve the established goals.
My most used tool in this cases is self-competition (working to improve and "beat" their own previous scores). We do not mention who is the fastest or strongest. I do let students know if they are winners when they manage to improve any of their scores. This way we have a lot of champions and everyone has the chance to excel!
Another useful tool is giving them implements to use while they walk/jog. This can be a soccer ball to be dribbled, a tennis ball to be tossed between partners, a frisbee to pass back and forth, or even tossing the frisbees in different holes located around the cardio circuit for them to walk/jog and toss, retrieve, and continue. Anything to keep them moving happily and not necessarily counting laps, which can get to be quite boring for them.
My students are allowed to walk or jog during this part of the class. If they walk I encourage them to walk faster than "window shopping pace", and to pump their arms vigorously. I might mention what a healthy fitness level might be for a child of his age and gender, and motivate the student to reach this standard. I also explain that we do not always reach this standard at the first try, and that consistent hard work is what will help him/her achieve the established goals.
My most used tool in this cases is self-competition (working to improve and "beat" their own previous scores). We do not mention who is the fastest or strongest. I do let students know if they are winners when they manage to improve any of their scores. This way we have a lot of champions and everyone has the chance to excel!
Another useful tool is giving them implements to use while they walk/jog. This can be a soccer ball to be dribbled, a tennis ball to be tossed between partners, a frisbee to pass back and forth, or even tossing the frisbees in different holes located around the cardio circuit for them to walk/jog and toss, retrieve, and continue. Anything to keep them moving happily and not necessarily counting laps, which can get to be quite boring for them.