April in Review...

Are you checking in for the first time?  Here is quick reference of the various things we've been doing this month. 

April's Daily Family Fitness Calendar 

New Morning Routine 

Challenge 1 - Wall sit

Challenge 2 - Crow Pose

Challenge 3 - Headstand

 2min Plank Challenge -  with Guest Appearances!  

30-Day Plank Challenge

We hope that you stick with us to help maintain your physical and mental well-being during this pandemic.  Also keep this in mind - practice mindfulness and take deep breaths, stretch or meditate. Try to eat healthy meals, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep.  Check back every Monday for a new Challenge.

Friday Morning Pick Me Up!

Mr.Farquharson - this is fantastic! Thank you for sharing your musical talent with us all.  This song rocks, just like you.   

2 MIN Plank Challenge Accepted! Who's In?!

Who's going to join us?  We took on Mrs.Carson's challenge to hold a plank for 2min.  

Mlle. Bauman has accepted our challenge!! 

Mr.McGilvray and Fam are in on it too! Take a look...

Following this plank challenge, Mme Trott and family attempted the 2minute challenge and it was a huge SUCCESS! Bravo!

Mrs.David accepts the 2min Plank Challange...except...she turns it into 2min 30 sec!

Mrs.Callahan and son Cal --- Thanks for joining the challenge!

Plank Pics...

We know a lot of you will be joining us in the 30day Plank Challenge - so send in your pictures to jessica.lowen@tdsb.on.ca OR jason.church@tdsb.on.ca and have them added to this post!

Anyone up for a 30-day Challenge?

So we've got our weekly challenges on the go, and now we're going to throw something else out there. It would seem that we all have a little extra time on our hands these days so we thought why not 'do' a little extra? We are feeling that we could certainly be doing more when it comes to being active, so we're going to give the 30-day Plank Challenge a try --- Will you join us?

Planks are popular for many reasons, including engaging multiple muscles at once, therefore benefiting the core strength of our body. A strong, stable core is the foundation we need to not only prevent injury but to move freely and strongly in every activity -- especially when attempting those crow poses and headstands...and who knows what else is in store! 

Take a look at the 30 day challenge below. Each day, we get a new plank workout move that builds upon the last, leading to new challenges at the end of each week.

BEFORE you start, it's important that you visit the link below for an explanation of how to properly perform each new move and for how long. It is not stated how long you wait in between sets but anywhere from 1-2 minutes is acceptable. 
Important to note: this challenge was created for an adult - if you are in grades k-3  and finding 45 seconds to much, cut that in half (22sec-23sec). 

30-Day Plank Challenge Break Down

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Challenge 3

Headstand Challenge

10 Awesome Benefits to the Headstand

• Relieves Stress
• Increases Focus
• Improves Blood Flow To The Eyes
• Increases Blood Flow To The Head And Scalp
• Strengthens Shoulders And Arms
• Improves Digestion
• Helps To Flush Out The Adrenal Glands
• Decreases Fluid Build-Up In The Legs, Ankles, And Feet
• Develops Strength in Core Muscles
• Stimulates the Lymphatic System

IMPORTANT - please make sure you are attempting this pose with an adult supervising you. To get started, make sure you protect your head with a thin pillow or mat and clear the space around you. Start off using the wall as support, making sure you leave a few inches between your head and the wall. Seek out someone to hold your legs if you're unable to hold them on your own in the beginning. Lastly, watch Ms.Purvis' awesome video below to be inspired!  Thank you Ms. Purvis, your headstand is impressive!

Headstand Challenge!

Hey Team!  I miss you all so much.  Ms. Lowen and Mr. Church have been doing an amazing job at posting fun challenges for us.  My Crow Pose is bad.  It's really, really bad.  However, I'm not going to give up.  I'll keep practicing!

For now, I'm going to focus on the positive.  I learned how to do a headstand when I was in grade 4.  I remember it took a lot of time and perseverance.  These days, they're not so hard (unless the floor is hard, then it's really hard).

Let's see yours and thanks for the challenge, Ms. Lowen!

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1 week later.....
Hi everyone..Ms.Lowen here.  I'm so excited to tell you that after a few days of practice I finally got into and held my headstand for quite sometime.  I made sure I followed the guidelines in the challenge and I was successful. The videos below are from some of our own Clairlea students - they're Pros! 

Take a look at Mlle. Jang-Narus in her impressive headstands!