Monthly Brain Breaks

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Brain Break calendar for the 2024-25 school year (PDF)

Thank you for joining our October BFit challenge. This month we are working on squatting. Squatting is important because it helps develop proper knee alignment and is the is the base movement for all jumping and landing skills. Each week we will build on the base movement, week 1.

Tips:

1. Keep your knees as wide as your feet.
2. Keep your back straight and don’t lean over.

Base movement week 1: Squat and touch your chair. Try to do 5-10 of these in a row. Rest breaks are OK!

Progression week 2: Squat and hover over your chair, hold position for 10 seconds. Try to keep you bottom from touching the chair.

Progression week 3: Squat up and down 10 times.

Progression week 4: Squat up and down 10 times with a book or water bottle over your head. Keep your arms straight.

Your thighs may get sore. That feeling is from your muscles working and getting stronger! If you have any question reach out to Kyla Russell at [email protected]

Planks help improve balance and strength through your entire body! The goal is to keep ALL the muscles tight in the center of the body or waist. This can be a hard movement to understand so holding your breath may help tighten these muscles. Planks use the same core muscles that athletes or dancers use when performing. We want you to learn how to do a plank but then try to use these muscles when you run, jump or squat too!

Tips:

1. Keep your back straight.
2. Try to stay very still like a table.
3. Don’t wobble from side to side, stick your hips in the air or drop your belly to the floor.

Base movement week 1: Plank on toes or knees. Try to hold your abdominal muscles tight and keep your back flat.

Progression week 2: Plank on toes. Hold for 10 seconds.

Progression week 3: Plank with alternating leg lift.

1. Start in the plank position on your toes. Keep your core muscles tight the whole time!
2. Lift right leg up in the air just a few inches off the ground and hold for 3 seconds. Lower right leg back to the ground.
3. Lift the left leg up in the air and hold for 3 seconds. Lower left leg back to the ground.

Progression week 4: Side plank

1. Start on your left side, stack your hips and feet on top of each other with your left elbow bent and area between your elbow and your hand touching the ground.
2. Push yourself up in the air and hold your abdominal and bottom muscles tight. Hold for 10 seconds.
3. Rotate onto your right side and repeat steps 1 and 2 for the side plank.

This month we are combining the previous 2 months activities for our shuffle movements. Do you remember the knee positions we learned doing squats? Can you keep ALL the muscles tight in the center of your body like you did in a plank? Let’s do these movements together as we step side to side and forward and backward! It takes a lot of focus to know what your knees are doing while you try to keep your core muscles tight. You can always repeat squats and planks as a reminder about the proper form.

Tips:

1. Keep your knees as wide as your feet and your kneecaps pointing forward.
2. Keep your back straight and don’t lean over.
3. Don’t wobble your shoulders from side to side as you take steps.
4. Move slowly to start.

Base movement week 1: Shuffle

1. Before you start to move, try to hold your abdominal muscles tight and keep your back flat.
2. Keep your knees pointed forward as you step to the right and back to the left. Repeat this movement for 10x in a row or for 20 seconds.

Progression week 2: Zig zag shuffle

1. Take a step forward first with one leg and then the other.
2. Take a step backwards with one foot and then the other.
3. If you have room around you, you can take more than one step forward and you can angle the movements in a diagonal like the video.
4. Switch legs after 5 repetitions so you are starting with the other foot.

Progression week 3: Box shuffle

1. Take one step to your left and then step your feet together.
2. Take one step forward then step feet together.
3. Take one step right and then step your feet together.
4. Take one step backward and then feet together. You should be back to your starting spot!
5. Repeat this 3 times.
6. Change direction of your Box Shuffle starting with a step to the right. Repeat 3 times.

Progression week 4: Speedy side shuffle

1. Tighten your muscles, keep your knees as wide as your feet, step to the right and left at a fast pace 3 times each direction. Rest. That is 1 repetition. Try this exercise for 10 repetitions.

Bonus exercise: Do 10 squats fast in a row keeping your muscles tight, back straight and your knees as wide as your feet.

Balancing on one foot requires leg strength, hip and trunk stability! We have been working on leg and trunk strength and now we are adding in a balance challenge. The goal is to be able to stand on one foot really still without falling over. Tightening your trunk muscles that we learned about during our Plank Brain Break will help to keep your body straight while you stand on one leg. Try to keep a small bend in your knee so that you feel your thigh muscles working. We already learned about one of our thigh muscles called our quadriceps during our Squat Brain Break. Once you can stand still on one leg you can add more challenging moves like bending over or picking up a water bottle or bag from the floor. Balance will be important in our future Brain Breaks when we are jumping and hopping so let’s practice this now!

Tips:

1. Keep the muscles in the center of your body tight.
2. Look at one spot on a wall in front of you to help you keep your balance.
3. Don’t wobble from side to side.
4. Keep a small bend in your knee so you don’t “lock” your knee joint.

Base movement week 1: Balance on one leg.

Use your core strength and stand on one leg. Keep your hands on your hips and look at one spot in front of you. Try to balance for 10 seconds without falling over or wobbling from side to side. Switch legs and try balancing on your other leg for 10 seconds.

Progression week 2: Balance on one leg and tilt forward.

1. First hold your balance standing on your right leg with your hands on your hips.
2. Slowly, tilt your trunk forward while still looking at the spot in front of you.
3. Return to your starting position while still balancing on your right leg. Repeat 5 times.
4. Switch legs and try this again on your left leg.

Progression week 3: Balance on one leg and pick up an object from the floor.

1. First hold your balance standing on your right leg.
2. Slowly bend forward and pick up a water bottle or backpack from the floor with your right hand without losing your balance.
3. Stand back up holding your water bottle or backpack in your right hand, then tilt forward again and touch the water bottle back to the floor. Repeat this 3-5 times on your right leg.
4. Keep a small bend in your knee the entire time.
5. Now balance on your left leg and try to pick up the object with your left hand. Repeat 5 times.

Progression week 4: Balance on one leg and pass object back and forth.

1. Balance on your right leg while holding your water bottle.
2. Pass the water bottle back and forth between your right and left hand without losing your balance for 10 seconds.
3. For more challenge you can tilt your trunk forward like we did in week 2 and 3 and pass the water bottle in this position.
4. Switch legs and repeat for 10 seconds.

We are jumping this month! Remember your squat? We need to use our good squatting technique and be aware of our knee positions when we jump and land. Landing is just like squatting!  Bend your knees when you land and don’t let your knees come together, keep your knee caps pointed forward and your back straight. It is ok to bend at your hips and lean forward a little. Remember your plank? Tightening the trunk muscles that we found during our plank month will help us have good form during our jumps. Remember our balance exercise? We want to keep equal weight on each leg when you jump up and land. Do not lean to the side or put more weight on one leg.

Tips:

1. Keep your knees bent when you land, do not land with straight knees!
2. Keep your knees pointed forward when you jump and land, don’t let them wobble.
3. Keep your trunk muscles tight so you keep you balance.
4. Keep your back straight like a pencil.
5. You can use your arms to help you jump up in the air.
6. Land softly!

Base movement week 1: Jump on two legs

Using both legs, jump up in the air and land in your squat. Try to land in the same place you started. Do not make noise with your feet. Hold the landing position then stand up. Try jumping 10 times.

Progression week 2: Jump forward

1. Squat down, then jump forward, landing in your squat.
2. Turn around and repeat the jump forward.
3. Repeat 10 times.

Progression week 3: Jump forward 2 times

1. Squat down, then jump forward 2 times in a row.
2. Stand up and turn around.
3. Remember your knee positions from Week 1 and 2!
4. Repeat the 2 forward jumps 10 times.

Progression week 4: Jump forward and backward (no video available)

1. Squat down, then jump forward, landing in your squat.
2. Facing the same direction, jump backward and try to land where you started. Repeat this forward and backward jump 10 times

Get ready to lunge this month! Our knee position is really important, we want to keep our front knee pointing forward in line with our toes.  Remember to use your trunk muscles and keep your back straight. The lunge requires balance, so move slowly and focus on your form. Try to keep equal weight on each leg as you bend your knees and lower your back knee to the ground.

Tips:

1. Keep your front knee pointed forward and don’t let it wobble or turn in.
2. Keep your trunk muscles tight to help keep your balance.
3. Keep your back straight like a pencil and do not lean forward.

Base movement week 1: Lunge in place

1. Take a step forward with your right leg, this will be the starting and ending lunge position.
2. Bend both of your knees to 90 degrees lowering your back kneecap towards the ground.
3. Keep your back straight and don’t let your trunk lean to the side.
4. Straightening both legs to stand back up. Finishing in the lunge position.
5. Repeat 5-10 times in a row with your right leg forward.
6. Switch legs and perform 5-10 lunges, up and down, with your left leg forward

Progression week 2: Alternating forward lunges

1. Take a step forward with your right leg.
2. Bend both knees to perform the lunge.
3. Stand back up while stepping backwards with your right leg.
4. Now switch feet and step forward with your left leg.
5. Bend both knees to perform the lunge.
6. Stand back up while stepping backwards with your left leg.
7. Alternate your forward leading leg each time you lunge.
8. Perform 10 lunges total.

Progression week 3: Forward walking lunges

1. Step forward with your right leg, lunge down and up.
2. Now step forward with your left leg and lunge down and up.
3. Switch leading leg every time you stand up by taking a step forward with the rear leg.
4. Perform 6-10 walking lunges.

Progression week 4: Lateral stepping lunge

1. Start with your feet together.
2. Take a big step to the side with your right leg. Bend your right knee and lunge down.
3. Push up with your right leg and return to the starting position so that your knees are straight and your feet are together.
4. Repeat 5 lateral lunges with your right leg leading, return to the starting position after each lunge.
5. Switch leading legs.
6. Take a big step to the side with your left leg. Bend your left knee and lunge down.
7. Push up with your left leg and return to the starting position so that your knees are straight and your feet are together
8. Repeat 5 lateral lunges with your left leg leading, return to the starting position after each lunge.

Challenge: Rear stepping lunge

1. Start with your feet together.
2. Take a step backward with your right leg, lunge down and up.
3. Return to your starting position by stepping forward with your back leg.
4. Repeat rear stepping lunge 10 times by stepping backward with your right leg.
5. Repeat rear stepping lunge with your left foot leading.
6. Return to the starting position with feet together after each lunge.
7. Perform rear stepping lunge 10 times by stepping backward with your left leg.

We keep jumping into April! Let’s work on bigger jumps from side to side. Jumping is more powerful than hopping but we have to remember the form we have been working on with all of our movements. We should keep our trunk muscles tight and think about what our knees are doing when we land. Again, it is really important to not land with your knee straight like a stick.

Tips:

1. Keep your knees pointed forward and don’t let them wobble or turn in.
2. Keep your trunk muscles tight to help keep your balance.
3. Bend your knees when you land, don’t land with straight knees!

Base movement week 1:  Jump with 2 legs, sideways over a line.

1. Find or pretend there is a line on the ground. Stand with both feet on one side of the line, so that the line is along the outside of your foot.
2. Tighten your trunk muscles and bend your knees.
3. Jump up and over the line, landing on the other side.  Bend your knees when you land.
4. Jump back over the line again using the same form. You are back to where you started!
5. Jump sideways over the line 4 times. Every time you cross the line it counts as one jump.

Progression week 2: Jump with 1 leg, sideways over a line.

1. Find or pretend there is a line on the ground. Stand on one leg on one side of the line, so that the line is along the outside of your foot.
2. Tighten your trunk muscles and bend the leg you are standing on.
3. Jump up and over the line, landing on the other side.  Bend your knee when you land.
4. Jump back over the line again using the same form. You are back to where you started!
5. Jump sideways over the line 4 times on one leg. Each time you cross the line counts as one jump.
6. Switch jumping legs and repeat steps 1-5 again with your other leg.

Note: If your knee hurts or you can’t keep your balance on one leg, then jump with 2 legs.

Progression week 3:  Zig-Zag jumps with 2 legs

1. Find or pretend there is a long line on the ground. Stand with both feet on one side of the line, so that the line is along the outside of your foot and traveling forward, away from you.
2. Tighten your trunk muscles and bend your knees.
3. Jump sideways and forward crossing over the line on each jump. Switch between landing on the right and left side of the line each time you jump. You will also be moving forward, away from where you started. Zig-zagging over the line.
4. Remember to bend your knees when you land.
5. Try to zig-zag over the line 6 times.

Progression week 4: Zig-Zag jumps with 1 leg

1. Find or pretend there is a long line on the ground. Stand with one foot on one side of the line, so that the line is along the outside of your foot and traveling forward, away from you.
2. Tighten your trunk muscles and bend the knee you are standing on.
3. Jump sideways and forward crossing over the line on each jump. Switch between landing on the right and left side of the line each time you jump. You will also be moving forward, away from where you started. Zig-zagging over the line.
4. Remember to bend your knee when you land. Don’t let your knee wobble!
5. Try to zig-zag over the line 6 times with one leg.
6. Turn around or walk back to your starting spot.
7. Switch legs and repeat steps 1-5 with your other leg.

Note: If your knee hurts or you can’t keep your balance on one leg, then jump with 2 legs.

We are hopping into May! Hopping takes strength, power and balance. Hopping is usually faster than jumping. We have been building up our leg muscles to help us get ready to hop. Once again, we should think about what our knees are doing when we land. Your knee is like a spring or a shock on a bike.  When you hop your knee should bend and straighten, it is really important to not land with you knee straight like a stick. If hopping is hard on one leg, then hop with both legs to start.

Tips:

1. Keep your knee pointed forward and don’t let it wobble or turn in.
2. Keep your trunk muscles tight to help keep your balance.
3. Bend your knee when you land, don’t land with a straight knee!

Base movement week 1: Hop in place

1. Start by standing on one leg.
2. Hop up in the air and land on the same leg with your knee bent.
3. Try to balance on one leg after landing and don’t let your body wobble.
4. Repeat the hops 3 times in a row.
5. Switch legs and hop 3 times in a row on your other leg.

Remember: If you can’t keep your balance on one leg, then hop with 2 legs.

Progression week 2: Hopping forward and backward

1. Stand on one leg.
2. Tighten your trunk muscles.
3. Hop forward and then backward quickly.
4. Remember to land with your knee bent.
5. Perform 5 hops on each leg. (Forward then backward equals 1 hop.)
6. Switch legs and hop 5 times forward and backward on your other leg.

Remember: If you can’t keep your balance on one leg, then hop with 2 legs.

Progression week 3:  Hopping side to side

1. Stand on one leg.
2. Tighten your trunk muscles.
3. Hop to the left then back to the right quickly.
4. Remember to land with your knee bent and keep your balance.
5. Perform 5 hops on each leg. (left then right equals 1 hop.)
6. Switch legs and hop 5 times left then right on your other leg.

Progression week 4: Quick hops

1. Start by standing on one leg.
2. Hop up in the air 10 times in a row. Try do small, quick hops.
3. Switch legs and do 10 small, quick hops on your other leg.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 530-550-6719.