Monthly Fitness Challenge (March Muscle Madness Fitness Challenge)

Challenge your students or school to participate in a month's worth of fitness activities at home. One of my struggles as a Physical Education teacher is how to bridge the gap from physical activity in physical education class to getting kids to be active at home with their families. Present your students with a monthly fitness challenge with built in incentives (small raffle prizes) to encourage student participation throughout the whole month. Students get excited to exercise outside of school, parents can make it a family activity and the exercises are easy to do at home for all fitness levels.

Bulletin Board/Door Board Picture

Variations:

Plug in different exercises or physical activities from month to month to create new challenges and themes that fit the needs/wants of your physical education program and goals. The options are endless with this kind of fitness challenge set-up.

Teaching Suggestions/Tips:

Communicating the rules/expectations of the challenge to students and families is key to its success. I suggest starting with exercises or activities that your students participate in during physical education class so they know how to perform the activities correctly and safely. Also, provide a "how to" exercise resource for families so they can help lead their children and perform the exercises along with their student. For example, post the directions to your school webpage, email parents to inform them of the challenge, and explain in detail to your students showing passion and excitement. Most of all, make it achievable for all students.

Have them take pictures of themselves being active at home and post them at school.

Adaptations for Students with Disabilities:

Fitness calendar exercises can be adapted for any and all students with disabilities to participate. Just change the exercises to suit a student’s specific needs and they can participate.

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