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