Youth Health Lesson Series
Facilitators Guide
Stretch It Out
Objective:
This lesson will educate children on the importance of including stretching and flexibility exercises
into their physical activity routines.
At the End of This Lesson Participants Will Be Able to Answer the Following Questions:
♦ Why is it important to stretch our muscles and joints?
♦ How often should you stretch? How long should you hold the stretches?
♦ What kinds of fitness classes involve flexibility exercises?
Key Teaching Points:
♦ Stretching does not have to be an addition to an exercise routine. It can be incorporated into the
warm up or cool down, or it can be done in a fitness class such as martial arts or yoga.
♦ Only stretch when your muscles are warm, hold the stretches for 20 to 30 seconds each, and don’t
bounce.
♦ Stretching should not be painful. There is sometimes mild discomfort when trying to increase the
flexibility of a joint or muscle, but if it hurts, stop.
Lesson Preparation and Suggestions:
♦ The flexibility lesson is a section of the youth health lessons that can easily be integrated into one of
the other health lessons such as Making Muscles.
♦ For more information on the stretching and flexibility exercises, as well as visual aids, read Get Fit!
A Handbook for Youth Ages 6-17 from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services available online at http://fitness.gov/getfit.pdf
Materials Needed:
Lesson Activity
♦ A large open area where children have room to stretch is needed for this lesson.
Handouts
Stretching Sense
Stretch It Out Take-home Handout
Evaluation Answers
1) T 2) F 3) T 4) T 5) T
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Stretch It Out Lesson Evaluation
Mark the following statements as True or False.
Please give this form to your lesson leader when you are finished.
___ 1) You should hold stretches, without bouncing, for 20 to 30 seconds.
___ 2) Stretching is not important so it should only be done one time per week.
___ 3) Yoga and martial arts classes are good examples of activities that involve stretching and
flexibility.
___ 4) Stretching improves the range of motion of your joints.
___ 5) Stretching can help to relieve stress and relax you.
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Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
Youth Health Lesson Series
Stretch It Out
Stretch It Out
Youth Health Lesson
Have you ever experienced how great a good stretch can be? Think about waking up first thing in the
morning. It feels so good to put your hands over your head and reach to the ceiling. This movement
that makes you feel so good and wakes you from your rest is great for your body too. Your muscles
and joints have what is called a range of motion. For example, when you move your arm around in a
big circle your shoulder joint and all the muscles and fibers connected to it are moving through their
range of motion. Stretching your body or doing flexibility exercises helps to improve this range of
motion, making it easier for you to move around and do everyday activities. Stretching can also
decrease your risk of injury when you do physical activity. It can even relieve stress and help you feel
more relaxed.
There are easy ways to get in some good stretching and flexibility exercises to increase your flexibility
and keep your body moving smoothly. Try to stretch at least 2 to 3 times per week. You should hold each
stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Remember not to bounce. You should hold the stretch and keep your body
still. Bouncing during your stretch could cause injury to your muscles. Before you stretch, make sure
your muscles are warm. Your muscles warm up as your body moves around, so if you stretch as part of
your warm up before a physical activity session move around some before doing so. Try some light
marching in place. It is OK to get in a good yawn and stretch first thing in the morning, but if you plan
to do some intense stretching that involves your whole body first thing in the morning, get out of bed
and move around a little to warm your muscles before you begin. Stretching should never be painful.
There might be just a little discomfort as you try to lengthen your muscle, but if it hurts, stop.
Make It Part of Your Routine
One of the easiest ways to get your stretching in is to add it to your warm up or cool down. If you
know you are going to be doing a physical activity, start your warm-up by marching in place. Once
your muscles are warm, you can begin stretching. Stretch all your major muscle groups, especially
focusing on the ones you will be using for the activity. For example, if you are going to play soccer,
concentrate on really stretching out your legs. If you’d rather stretch after your workout, simply do it
after your cool down.
Flexibility Classes
There are many physical activity classes that involve a lot of stretching and flexibility exercises. Many
martial arts classes involve lots of stretching and movements that require your body to be very
flexible. Yoga classes also focus on flexibility. Some fitness centers have these classes especially for
kids. Ask your parents to help you look into these types of classes at your local fitness or recreation
center.
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______________________________________________________ Youth Health Lesson
©
Once you have covered the lesson body in a manner that meets the specific needs of your group,
move on to the activity lesson. The lesson handout can be sent home with the children.
The lesson evaluation can be used to assess how well the children retain the information taught from
the lesson body. Depending on the age of your group, the evaluation can be filled out by the children,
or the questions can be asked verbally by the instructor and answered by the children as a group.
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Sources:
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Get Fit! A Handbook
for Youth Ages 6-17, available online at http://fitness.gov/getfit.pdf.
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. United States Department of Agriculture. Putting the Guidelines into Practice.
October 2003.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
284 ______________________________________________________________________________________
The development of the HEEL program was made possible by Senator Mitch McConnell with funds earmarked for the University of
Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Lexington, KY and budgeted through the CSREES/USDA Federal Administration.
Youth Health Lesson _____________________________________________________________
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Youth Health Lesson Series
Stretch It Out
Lesson Activity
Group Stretch
For this activity you will simply be leading the children in a stretching activity. Begin with everyone
standing in a group and facing you. March in place for about three to five minutes to warm up the
muscles. Perform the stretches below together. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Instruct the
children not to bounce during the stretches and to breathe normally.
The Giraffe - Full Body Stretch: Raise arms over the head. Clasp hands together and reach towards
the ceiling/sky. Focus on stretching the whole body from the feet to the finger tips. The hands are the
giraffe’s head trying to reach the leaf at the very top of a tree.
The Chicken Wings - Chest Stretch: Reach hands up to gently touch the sides of your head at about
ear level. Keeping your hands there, concentrate on pressing your elbows back, stretching your chest.
Your arms look like raised chicken wings.
The Bear Hug - Back Stretch: With your arms extended out in front of you, clasp your hands together.
Make a circle with your arms as if you are bear-hugging a tree. Concentrate on stretching your upper
back and shoulders.
The Cat – Lower Back Stretch: Bend at the knees into a squat position. Place your hands on you knees.
Contract your stomach muscles and round the back, stretching your lower back as if you were a scared
cat with an arched back.
The Unicorn – Triceps Stretch: Extend your arm over your head. Now bend at the elbow and reach
one hand behind your head and down your back as far as comfortable. Use your other hand to gently
press down at the elbow to stretch the triceps muscle on the back of the arm. The point your elbow
makes at the top of your head is the unicorn horn. Repeat the same stretch on the other arm.
The Sleepy Flamingo – Quadriceps Stretch: Stand with your feet together. Bend your right knee,
raising your heel up to your bottom. Grab your right foot with your hand at the laces of your shoes.
Concentrate on stretching the front of your leg by pressing the laces against your hand. Keep your
knees together, and don’t bend over while stretching. Standing on one leg resembles flamingos as they
sleep. Repeat the stretch on the other leg.
The Bowing Horse – Hamstring Stretch: Stand with your feet together. Extend your right leg out in
front of you and rest your heel on the ground with your toe up. At the same time, bend the left leg that
is supporting you. Lean forward as you reach towards the toe of your right foot, stretching the back of
your leg. Your legs look like the front legs of a horse that bows like what you sometimes see in the
circus. Repeat the stretch on the opposite leg.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
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Youth Health Lesson Series
Stretch It Out
Handout
Stretching Sense
Test what you know about stretching and flexibility by filling in the crossword puzzle!
7
1
2
4
8
9
3
5
6
11
10
Down
1. Stretching improves a joint’s range of ______.
2. The Chicken Wings stretch stretches this part
of your body.
3. The Bear Hug stretch stretches this part of
your body.
4. You can stretch before or ______ your
physical activity.
5. Don’t do this when you hold a stretch.
6. _____ is an activity that involves stretching
and flexibility.
Across
7. Your muscles should be ______ before you
stretch them.
8. If the stretch hurts, _____!
9. This is an important part of all physical
activity programs.
10. Stretching can help to relieve _______.
11. You should stretch at least this many times a
week.
Check your answers on the back of this page!
Answer Key
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8
s t o p
3
x i b i l i t y
a
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5
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6
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11
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t w o
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e s s
a
7
c
h
a
9
f l e
s
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2
4
s t r
10
1
Sources:
Crossword created through the help of edhelper.com online at http://www.edhelper.com/crossword.htm.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
The development of the HEEL program was made possible by Senator Mitch McConnell with funds earmarked for the University
of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Lexington, KY and budgeted through the CSREES/USDA Federal Administration.
Stretch It Out
The Family’s Part
Fun with Flexibility
Stretching and flexibility exercises are an
important part of all physical activity programs.
Staying flexible at all ages helps our body move
smoothly and can make everyday tasks easier.
Your muscles and joints have what is called a
range of motion. For example, when you move
your arm around in a big circle, your shoulder
joint, and all the muscles and fibers connected to
it, are moving through their range of motion.
Stretching your body or doing flexibility
exercises helps to improve this range of motion,
making it easier for you to move around and do
everyday activities. Stretching can also decrease
your risk of injury when you do physical
activity. It can even relieve stress and help you
feel more relaxed.
Encouraging your child to include stretching in his
or her daily physical activities will help to make it
a habit. As your child grows older he or she will
know the importance of flexibility and will be
more likely to make it a part of his or her routine.
Safe Stretching
Follow these tips to make your stretching
exercises effective and safe:
♦ Stretching can be done before or after a
physical activity session. If done before,
make sure muscles are warm before
stretching them. This can be done by
simply marching in place for three to five
minutes before you stretch.
♦ Try to include stretching and flexibility
exercises two to three times per week.
♦ Hold the stretch and keep your body still,
don’t bounce.
♦ Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
♦ You might experience mild discomfort
when you stretch if you are not very
flexible, but it should never hurt!
♦ If it hurts, stop!
Contact your local county Extension office:
♦ Stretching correctly will reduce the risk of
injury. Consult a health care provider,
coach, physical education teacher, or
certified personal trainer for instruction on
how to perform stretches correctly.
Stretch It Out
Kid’s Club
Staying Flexible
Stay Away Stress!
Making flexibility and stretching exercises a
part of your daily physical activity plan will
keep your body moving throughout life.
Being flexible allows your body to move
easily, reduces the chance of injury during
an activity, and can help you relax when
you feel stressed.
A big homework assignment, a fight with your
best friend, a hard test at school...all of these
things can cause stress. You might feel tired or
cranky and you just don’t know what to do.
Tips for stretching
Cut this card out and keep it near you when
you stretch.
These tips can help when it comes to safe
stretching.
♦ Warm up your muscles before you stretch
them.
♦ Hold still when you stretch, don’t bounce.
♦ Try to stretch at least two to three times
each week.
♦ Hold your stretches for 20 to 30 seconds.
♦ If it hurts, stop!
♦ Ask a physical education teacher what
types of stretches you can do to improve
flexibility.
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The next time you feel like this,
take a stretch break.
First put on some of your favorite slow music.
Lie on your back on the floor.
Reach your hands over your head and stretch
your body from your toes to the tips of your
fingers. Keep breathing and hold the stretch.
Now bring your knees up to your chest. Hug
your knees into your chest and stretch out
your lower back that is resting on the floor.
Now roll over on your stomach. Place your
hands on the floor under you shoulders.
Press up, lifting the top part of your body off
the floor. Feel the stretch down through your
stomach muscles.
Hold each stretch for about 20 to 30 seconds.
When you finish you will probably feel more
refreshed and relaxed.
Ask About Classes
Group classes like martial arts and yoga are
great for mixing flexibility exercises with
physical activity. Talk to an adult family
member or a teacher about where you can
find these types of classes in your area.
Sources:
President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Get Fit! A Handbook for Youth
Ages 6-17, available online at http://fitness.gov/getfit.pdf.
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. United States Department of Agriculture. Putting the Guidelines into Practice. October
2003.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
The development of the HEEL program was made possible by Senator Mitch McConnell with funds earmarked for the University of
Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Lexington, KY and budgeted through the CSREES/USDA Federal Administration.