Joey The Kangaroo

Dear boys and girls: Try some of the exercises on this page. They are all part of my exercise adventure through my town. I hope you can do these exercises everyday. Just click the arrow to the right to get started. Thanks for visiting.

Dear parents and teachers: Under each image gives a short description of how to perform each exercise. Use your best judgments to how many your children should perform. The images will help show you the proper range of motion. Please allow a couple of seconds for the page to load properly.

Have your child balance on one foot. They should bend one knee so their leg is at a 90-degree angle. Next, they should bring their arms up so they also form a 90-degree angle to assist with balancing. After a few seconds, have them switch to the other leg and try again.

Your child should stand in a split stance (one leg forward, one leg back). Next, they should bend their knees and lower their body into a lunge position, keeping the front knee and back knee at 90-degree angles. Keeping the weight on their heels, they should push back up smooth and slow to the starting position. They should never lock their knees at the top and should not let their knee bend past their toes.

A curl-up is an exercise from the sit-up family. Many experts state a curl-up is less harmful for a child to perform than a traditional sit-up. Basically, a curl-up is a sit-up with the arms crossed in front. The child starts by laying on the mat, knees bent, and arms crossed in front. The child rises up and forward until their chest touches their raised (bent) knees. Once this occurs, the child must then go back to the starting position. A child may have a partner hold their feet in place if they would like. A child can rest at any time. Please remember, children should perform this skill on a soft surface.

Standing in the upright position, the child should stand with their legs about shoulder width apart, hands at their sides. Without bending their knees, the child stretches downwards extending their right hand down to their left foot. Once this is accomplished, they should return to the starting position, and repeat the process using their left hand to their right foot. Have them repeat the entire process a few times.

Choose the correct rope appropriate to your child's size. With the rope folded in half, it should reach up nearly to their shoulders. Have your child grab the jump rope by its handles, one hand for each handle. Put the jump rope behind their back resting on the heels of their feet. Next, they should throw the jump rope over their head and when it heads to their feet, they should jump over it. They should try their best to not bend their knees. Have them repeat the process as many times as they can without losing their rhythm. If your child has trouble performing this, try the same movements without a rope.

Running is an activity that children love to do. It is an important part of many sports such as basketball, softball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, or football. It is a part of our everyday life. Always teach your children it is important to be careful where they run. Remind them not to run near a busy road or in a dangerous area.

Many children confuse a pull-up and a chin-up. A pull-up grips the bar with the palms facing out (picture above), while a chin-up grips the bar with the palms facing in. The child starts by hanging on the bar with arms fully extended, feet not touching ground. The child must pull their self up until their chin is slightly above the bar. Once this is accomplished, the child must then go back down to the starting position. The child must try to keep the legs straight at all times. Parents and teachers should always supervise their children doing this skill, as well as place a mat on the floor beneath them.

Your child should stand in an standing position, with their feet about shoulder width apart. Their arms should come up to form a 90-degree angle. They should begin to move their arms slowly creating small circles. After a short while, have them try to the same motion backwards.

Your child should stand in an standing position, with their feet about shoulder width apart. They should begin walking in place extending their knees up towards their chest, alternating legs. As their knees come up, they should also alternate their arms reaching up as high as they can. When their right knee comes up, they extend with their right arm. When the left knee comes up, they extend with their left arm.

Sitting on the floor, your child's legs should be extended forward, so their body creates a 90-degree angle, bending at the waist. They should take a deep breathe, then extend the hands to their feet exhaling. Their objective is to touch their toes without bending their knees, holding the stretch for 5 seconds.

Your child begins in the starting position arms to their sides, feet closed together. Your child starts this exercise by jumping in the air, bringing their arms up from the side position directly above their heads with the arms fully extended. Without resting, your child jumps again bring their arms and legs back to the starting position. Repeat the process as many times as you see fit.

The child begins in the starting position lying on their back with their legs straight, about 6 inches off the ground. The child slowly lifts their knees towards their chest. Once their knees make it to the chest area, the child then returns to the starting position. Repeat as many times as you see fit. Children should perform this skill on a soft surface.

Walking is a very good exercise for young children. It is also a safe exercise. Walking is actually safer when the parent or guardian is available to join the child. Walking is a great exercise to help make their hearts stronger. Try to walk for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week as a family.

Jumping is a lot of fun. As with running, it is an important part of many sports such as basketball, soccer, and even track. Have your child try to jump in the air 10 times without resting.

The child starts in the elevated push-up position. The body must be perfectly straight, head facing forward. The child proceeds to lower to the down position by bending at the elbows. Once the chest touches the ground, without resting on the ground, the child then proceeds back up to the starting position. The child should not bounce off the floor in an effort to gain momentum back to the up position. A child may not have their knees touch the ground. A child should be allowed to rest at any time.

Hula Hoops are a fun way to exercise a child's mid-region, and easy to do inside. This skill becomes easier with practice. A child can also try to jump rope with a hula hoop, spin it on their arm, or even practice jumping in and out of it. The child should be carefully supervised with the jumping in and out of the hula hoop. It is much safer on a soft surface where the hoop is secured.