Develop strength from childhood or physical education for preschoolers

That Children benefit from physical exercise, almost every parent knows. But can children do and do they need strength exercises? And how much time should they be given for physical education? At what age should they be performed?

I believe that not all parents will be able to give the correct answer to these and other similar questions, because knowledge will be required, at least in general terms, age-related physiology of the child.

“Rot the tree while it is young, teach the child before it grows.”

Old Vietnamese proverb.

As is known, from birth to 2-3 years, a child successively acquires the ability to hold his head, sit, stand, turn his body in a lying position, then crawl on all fours, then stand up and finally walk; at this age, of course, there is no point talk about any strength exercises: the baby needs special gymnastics, water and hardening procedures, massage - and all this under the watchful eye of a specialist or parent.

Developmental physical education for preschoolers

Another thing is children who have reached the age of four, or, as is commonly called in pedagogy, preschool age (age range: from 3.4 to 6.7 years), which is popularly called figuratively golden. By the age of 4, a child can already freely perform the simplest movements, confidently walk, run, speak, think, and orient himself in space. During this period, children surprise their parents by trying to help them with their work and imitate almost everything.

It is at this age that they intensively go processes of growth and weight gain (height increases by about 6 cm, and the child’s body weight increases by 2 kg per year), movements are improved, the muscular system is strengthened, as a result of which children become noticeably thinner, differing in this from children under 3 years old. However, we must not forget that during this period preschoolers still have limited, poorly developed motor capabilities. Basically, they are dominated by movements in which mainly large muscle groups are involved. A heavy load for them is the same type of movements, which cause increased fatigue in the child’s body, as well as long-term preservation of one stable, fixed position. Taking this into account, do not forget to alternate exercises with rest when conducting classes, especially those involving strength elements.

Physical developmental activities for preschoolers are recommended to be carried out several times during the day in the form of imitative movements and games lasting from 15 to 30 minutes (for children 4 years old: 15-20 minutes; for children 5-7 years old: 20-30 minutes) . The selection and dosage of exercises should depend on the age characteristics of the children. Thus, it is recommended to include from 6 to 15 exercises in a lesson with children aged 4-6 years. It is advisable to repeat each exercise from II to VI times.

The variety of motor abilities of children requires an individual approach to them on the part of parents and teachers, which is especially important when engaging in physical exercise.

As you know, children at this age spend most of their time games. Therefore, physical education and sports development activities for preschoolers should be structured in the form of a game. Exercises can consist of a variety of imitative movements. It is desirable that each exercise has its own fairy-tale or humorous name and is easy to remember. For example, “Cheburashka”, “Locomotive”, “Bunny”, etc. Such exercises are interesting and not tiring for children.

If you decide to compose for your child sets of exercises, then they must be selected so that, in addition to strength, they develop other qualities, such as coordination of movements, speed, agility, endurance, flexibility. Exercises should also cover the child's different muscle groups. It is unacceptable that during classes, exercises are performed, for example, only for the muscles of the lower or upper extremities.

An equally important condition for the effectiveness of physical education classes with children is gradualism (start with a small number of exercises and add one or two from session to session). The sequence of performing exercises is also necessary - from simple to more complex. After all, the nervous regulation of a child’s heart is imperfect, and therefore the rhythm of his heart contractions quickly becomes confused, and the heart muscle, with inadequate physical influence, gets tired quite quickly. Moreover, for a preschooler, almost any elementary exercise, repeated many times with changes in the pace of execution, in itself contributes to the development of strength in the preschooler.

Before starting a lesson with a child, it is advisable to explain to him the content of the exercise, then show it and only then let him try it. Try not to make the explanation long, since the perseverance and attention of children, especially at the age of 4, can be unstable, and they are actually unable to concentrate on a long explanation.

We remind you once again that any exercise performed by a child many times, is already unbearable for him. At the same time, other motor qualities develop. All these simple exercises are convenient to do in your apartment.

So, do not forget the following rules for conducting classes with kids:

1. The duration of classes with children 4 years old should be 15-20 minutes, respectively with children 5-7 years old - 20-30 minutes.
2. It is recommended to include from 6 to 15 exercises in one lesson.
3. Each exercise must be performed from II to VI times (repetitions), depending on the age characteristics and motor readiness of the child.
4. Remember to alternate exercise with rest.
5. Exercises (including strength exercises) should be taught to the child in the form of imitative movements and games.
6. Give each exercise a funny name.
7. The complex should consist of exercises for various muscle groups that develop various physical qualities.
8. Follow the rule of gradualism and consistency.
9. Consider the individual characteristics of the child.

In the meantime, we invite you to practice the following exercises with your children...

A set of strength exercises for children 4.6 years old:

1. "Pendulum"

Ref.Pos.: stand - legs apart, fix your hands on your head. For each count, tilt your head I) to the right, II) to the left, III) forward, IV) backward.

2. "Wave"

Ref.Pos.: stand - legs apart, arms out to the sides. Alternately wave-like movements with your arms, straining your arms in the final phase.

3. "Spinner"

Ref.Pos.: stance - legs together, arms - parallel to the body down. On each count, rotate your torso first to the right, then to the left, while freely moving your arms in the direction of each turn.

4. "Mill"

Ref.Pos.: stand - legs apart wider with the body tilted forward, hold your arms to the sides. For each count, rotate the body either to the right or to the left.

5. "Crocodile"

Out.Pos.: lying position. Move forward on one hand. Avoid arching your lower back and do not use your legs to help.

6. "Scissors"

Initial position: lying horizontally on your back (resting on your forearms), legs slightly raised above the floor. Alternately make cross movements with straightened legs.

7. "Swing"

Ref.Pos.: lying on your stomach, keep your arms along your torso, legs slightly apart. Grab your shins with your hands, bend over and sway.

8. "Frog"

Ref.Pos.: crouched position, legs apart. Place your hands between your legs. Try to lift your feet off the floor while holding yourself on your hands. Hold the pose or jump.

9. "Bunny"

Ref.Pos.: crouched position, hands on the back of the head. Jumping in a crouched position, with progressive movement forward. Keep your back straight.

10. "Kangaroo"

Ref.Pos.: stance - legs together, with hands below. Push off at a pace, bend your legs at the highest point and press them to your chest. After landing, repeat the jump again.

A selection of strength exercises in pairs for preschool children:

1. "Spring"

Ref.Pos.: standing facing each other at a distance of bent arms, resting your palms on each other. For each count, flex and extend the right and then the left arm.

2. "Butterfly"

Ref.Pos.: standing on your left leg (with your right leg bent at the knee) and leaning on the shin of your supporting leg, spread your arms to the sides. While maintaining balance, make rhythmic swings with straight arms up and down. Then change and. n. legs To make it easier, you can perform the exercise with your feet apart.

Ref.Pol.: standing opposite each other and holding hands, perform alternating squats.

4. "Bicycle"

Ref.Pos.: sitting with legs bent, feet resting on the partner’s feet. For each count, alternately bend/extend your legs.

5. "Saw"

Ref.Pos.: similar. On each count, simultaneously bend and straighten your legs.

6. “On a boat”

Ref.: similar, but join hands. 1 - resting on your partner’s feet, pull him towards you, tilting the body back; 2 - the partner does the same.

7. “Caterpillar” (Who is faster?)

Ref.Pos.: sitting with legs bent. At the command “March!”, helping with your hands and feet to move forward and then back.

8. "Swallow"

Out.Pol.: standing opposite each other at a distance of a step, hold hands. Alternately, do the “Swallow” (balance) on one leg, holding it for as long as possible. The exercise can be made more difficult by performing it simultaneously.

9. "Pistol"

Ref.Pos.: similar. Count: 1-2 - both partners simultaneously squat on the right leg, left forward; score: 3-4 – return to Initial Position; count: 5-8 - the same, but changing the position of the legs.

10. “Basket” (Who takes longer?)

Ref.Pos.: emphasis lying on slightly bent arms, located opposite each other. 1-2 - bend over, straighten your arms and reach your head with your knees bent. Try to hold the pose for as long as possible.

11. "Helicopter"

Ref.Pos.: gray legs together facing each other, feet on the same line. Raising your straight legs up in a circle, bring them over your partner’s feet and lower them on the other side. Then the partner does the same. The exercise can be performed without stopping, alternately describing a circle in the air.

12. "Ball"

The exercise is performed one by one.

Ref.Pos.: stand - legs apart, keep your arms forward. The partner squats, hands on his belt and jumps up, while the person standing with outstretched arms lightly touches his head. Then switch roles.

13. "Locomotive"

I. p.: squat, arms bent at the elbows, partner behind. Simultaneously, one after another, move forward and then back on bent legs.

14. “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” (Who takes longer?)

Ref.Pos.: stand - feet together, keep your hands on your lower back. 1-2 - bend your right knee and lean on your left shin. Maintain balance for as long as possible. Then do the same on the right.

15. "Carousel"

Ref.Pos.: standing opposite each other, clasp your right hands, left hand on your belt. Circling in pairs to the right. Then change [I. P.] and similarly to the left. The exercise can be made more difficult by spinning with your back.