Tuesday, March 24, 2015


http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2012/04/06/female-runner.jpeg

 

4th Grade Run Club

In fall of 2014, TheraCORE launched our first ever 4th Grade Running Club at Butler school. 4th graders participated in Run Club 2 days a week during their recess time, completely voluntary. I am very excited to announce that Jen Bazan, DPT and I will return to Butler in March 2015 for the spring session of run club.

Run club focuses on introducing kids (specifically 4th graders) to structured exercise. Kids participate in a number of different running activities to help them build cardiovascular strength and endurance. The importance of a warm up and cool down is taught, and performed during every session. Not all runs are focused on endurance. Some days consist of longer, continuous running, while other days focus on sprinting and improving speed. Over 60 kids participated in the fall session, more than we ever could have hoped for.  At the end of the fall session, a small group of students from the club participated in a local 5K, the Mike Hike.

 It was overwhelming to see the enthusiasm and motivation of such young athletes. The kids demonstrated comradery, cheering each other on during every session, and determination to push themselves during the 25 minutes that would normally be spent on a playground.

Spring’s session will continue to focus on building cardiovascular strength and endurance, while including exercises to improve strength in muscles that work in different planes of motion to avoid injury.

While your child’s school might not have a run club or track team, you yourself can involve them in exercise. Spring is a great time to plan family bike rides, hikes, and other outdoor activities. Take advantage of local 5K’s and 10K’s, most of them donate all of the proceeds to charity. Plan a road trip to Starved Rock and spend the day outside.  Showing your child how to stay fit and active is important,  showing them that they can have fun doing it is even more important.

  • Heather Finnegan, PT, DPT