Health and Fitness

Good health is about being well and feeling good. Your health depends on the foods you eat and the amount of exercise you do. You can keep your body healthy by eating the right foods and getting plenty of exercise.

Exercise builds and strengthens your body and helps to keep it working well. When you exercise your muscles work hard which makes them grow and become stronger. Bones also become stronger when you exercise.

Types of Exercise
Walking, cycling, swimming and playing all kinds of sports are good ways to exercise your body. Choose the ones you enjoy.
Different types of exercise strengthen the body in different ways.

Aerobic exercise builds strong muscles. Aerobic exercise makes you breathe faster then normal. This makes your heart pump faster and your lungs work harder. As they are doing this they get stronger and healthier and better at doing their jobs.
Swimming, basketball, jogging, walking quickly, inline skating, bike riding, skateboarding, and jumping rope are all forms of aerobic exercise.

Weight-bearing exercise helps build strong, healthy bones. The weight of your body is carried by your feet and legs. Walking, climbing stairs, hiking, skating and dancing are all weight- bearing exercises. So too are team sports such as soccer, baseball, Aussie Rules football and volleyball.

Exercise for a flexible body.
Being flexible means being able to move your body. A fit person should be able to bend and stretch without their muscles hurting. Yoga, dancing, gymnasium, and martial arts such as judo and tae kwon do will all help you to keep flexible.

Remember too
Rest and relaxation are also important for a healthy body. While you rest, your body recovers from the day's activity and gets itself ready for the next day. You muscles, skin and bones grow and repair themselves as you sleep. Rest during the day is also important. Sitting still and breathing deeply for a few moments at lunchtime and at recess times will help rest your body. After a break you will feel fresher and be able to go back to your work or play with more energy.

Dancing builds healthy bones and keeps you flexible

Here are some links for more information about fitness and good health
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopic
DetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=285&id=1519#1

http://www.kidshealthandfitness.org.au/ includes information for kids and teachers (lesson plans too)

This one is about some exercises you can try for muscle strength and endurance
http://www.responsivehealth.com/Children-Fitness/Muscle-Strength-and-Endurance-Kids.aspx

Look here for a fun dancing video. Try it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhDOq5mkS8o

If you use any of this information in your own work acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Thomas, Ron. & Sydenham,Shirley. Health and fitness [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2010)

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updated March 2010 (copyright kidcyber)