PHYSICAL EDUCATION (P.E.) DEPARTMENT

I.E. S. DIONISIO AGUADO

1° E.S.O.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (P.E.) DEPARTMENT

I.E. S. DIONISIO AGUADO

1° E.S.O.

WARM-UP

INTRODUCTION TO THE FOUR BASIC COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL

FITNESS. BASEBALL

1ST TRIMESTER

WARM-UP

UNIT 1:

WARM-UP

If you watch any athlete, soccer players, tennis players, etc., during practice or a game, you will see that before they start, they do a series of exercises. No athlete ever begins a game or a practice cold. Before they play, they do what we call a warm-up.

We can define warm-up as a set of exercises that are done before doing a physical activity with the objective of physical and psychological preparation before the activity.

What do we get from a warm-up?

When warming up, we have three main objectives:

1. To prepare our muscular, skeletal, nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems. That is, making our body (the muscles, tendons, bones, joints, nerves, heart, and lungs) ready to do some type of activity

2. To prevent injury 3. To psychologically prepare the athlete before a match, game, practice, etc.

When should we do a warm-up?

The warm-up is always done before the physical activity takes place. It makes up part of a practice, a competition (game, match), or a PE class. First, we do the WARM-UP, and then the main activities will take place, which could be working to improve a component of physical fitness, a game of a specific sport, or a made-up game, etc. Once the main activities are over, the athletes do not go straight home. Instead, they do a COOL-DOWN, which consists of a series of exercises to return the body to a state of rest following the athletic activity. Normally they are low-intensity and/or relaxation exercises that help the body to recuperate.

1st: Warm-up 2nd: Main Activities 3rd: Cool-down

Remember that the purpose of the warm-up is not to improve physical fitness (that is what the main activities are for), rather, it prepares our bodies to be able to handle, without injury, the stress that an athletic event or physical activity requires.

What effects does a warm-up have on our body?

When we do a warm-up, our bodies go through a series of changes.

Body temperature rises. (The muscles will not be “cold”, which will help to prevent many injuries and assist in bodily movement.

Muscles contract and relax more quickly. This allows the body to move more easily. Heart beat increases. (You will notice your pulse quickening.) The heart will beat faster

and harder, circulating more blood through the blood vessels and moving more oxygen to the muscles.

Increases respiratory frequency. Breathing will occur more rapidly and deeply. This allows us to take in more air from outside, from which we can extract oxygen that our body needs while exercising.

Improves athlete concentration before the athletic event begins.

How long should we warm up, and how intense should the warm-up be?

The duration and intensity of a warm-up will depend on the main athletic activity to be performed. A swimmer does not warm up the same as a soccer player, or the same as a student in P.E. class. Additionally, within the same activity, the duration might vary due to other causes, such as the intensity of the game (it is not the same to jog slowly for 20 minutes as it is to run a 100 meter race at maximum speed), the temperature (the warm-up will be longer and the athlete will be more active when it is very cold, and it will be shorter during summer months) or the personal needs of the athlete (some people need more time to warm up than others to receive the same benefits).

As a general rule, a warm-up should generally last between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the above-mentioned factors, although in certain sports, warm-ups could last up to one hour.

During warm-ups, a person should not do many repetitions of each exercise to avoid exhaustion; 8 or 10 will be sufficient, although this can vary, if desired. The intensity of these exercises should be progressive. An athlete should start slowly and with a low number of repetitions, then increase both little by little.

How should a warm-up be done?

We have already seen the importance of warming up, when, for how long, at what intensity, and the positive effects it will have, the only thing left for you to know is how to actually do the warm-up, that is, which activities are best in preparation for the athletic activity you will do.

Although warm-ups will usually vary, the most common activities are:

A light run (jog) of low intensity to “wake up” the body. Joint Mobility Exercises: waist turns, arm circles, ankle movements, etc. Such

exercises can be performed while an athlete is stationary (static phase) or while an athlete is moving (dynamic phase), for example, walking while doing waist turns. By doing these joint mobility exercises, athletes can avoid possible injuries such as sprains, strains, etc., making it possible to do much larger movements.

Stretching. Stretches help athletes avoid injuries and perform exercises more easily.

Important: Stretches should be done slowly and smoothly, and painful movements should be avoided.

Are all warm-ups equal?

There are two types of warm-ups: GENERAL and SPECIFIC.

In general warm-ups, exercises non-specific to a particular sport are performed. The whole body gets warmed up, from the feet to the head, preferably in that order so that nothing is forgotten.

In specific warm-ups, as the name indicates, exercises particular to a certain sport or activity are performed. Although the general warm-up of a basketball player and a handball player might be very similar, the specific parts will be different. The basketball player will shoot baskets, lay-ups, etc., while the handball player will shoot at the goal, etc., each of them with different equipment and conditions.

Remember: The specific warm-up will always take place after the general warm-up is complete.

BASIC COMPONENTS

OF

PHYSICAL FITNESS

UNIT 2:

BASIC COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

In order to do any physical activity (run, swim, lift an object, write, etc.), we need, to a greater or less extent, strength, endurance, speed, and flexibility. These are what we call BASIC COMPONENTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS and they are directly related with what we commonly understand as ¨being in shape¨ or “being fit”. Adequate development of each of these components will improve our physical condition, and at the same time, our health.

ENDURANCE

Endurance allows us to exercise for an extended period of time. One clear example of an activity that requires endurance is marathons. For many hours, an athlete does an activity, in this case, run a race, without stopping. But, we can also talk about endurance when we ride a bicycle, when we hike in the mountains, when we go for long swims in the pool, etc. All of these activities have something in common: They take place over a long period of time.

An athlete doing a long bike ride in the mountains.

But at what intensity should endurance exercises be done? The answer is simple. You can only do the previously mentioned activities during long periods of time if we do them at a medium or low intensity. Imagine running the 42km of a marathon at the same speed as a 100 meter race. It would be impossible! But, if the athlete runs more slowly and controls his/her pace, running such a long distance can be possible!

Important: One of the best ways to control the intensity of the exercise is to take your pulse throughout the exercise. To improve endurance, the pulse should not go above 150-160 beats per minute (bpm). By following this, you will maintain a pace that allows you to do the exercise over an extended period of time. Another simple way to ensure that you are exercising at the right pace is to do the activity that you have chosen at a speed which still allows you to talk with a friend/workout buddy.

Remember: To improve endurance it is necessary to do exercises of medium or low intensity for a certain amount of time 3-4 times each week.

STRENGTH

When we lift up an object, push an object, or simply hold an object, we need the strength to do so. A basic definition of STRENGTH is the ability to use, maintain, or stop resistance. It has to do with our muscular system because many muscles contract to produce strength.

One clear example of a sport where strength is predominant is weight lifting. But, in almost every sport, strength is very important. A wrestler needs strength to pin his opponent; a basketball player needs strength in his legs to jump high enough to make a basket; a gymnast needs strength to hold himself up on the rings. But in many situations there are a number of examples where strength is required. To lift a backpack full of books, we are using strength. When we climb the stairs or jump to place an object on a shelf, or when we pass a medicine ball to our workout buddy in P.E., we are using strength.

Important: There are many ways to develop strength. The most common is weightlifting. To be able to work with weights it is necessary that our body is completely developed, that is, that growing has been completed. This can help us to avoid injuries, namely in the spinal column. For this reason, some specific weight training programs do not begin until a person is 18-20 years old.

We can also gain strength by using the resistance of our own bodies by doing exercises alone (jumps, pushups, abs, etc.), with a workout buddy (pushing or pulling against him/her) or with certain objects like medicine palls, light weights of 1Kg, etc.

SPEED

When we do any activity, like run a race on foot or ride on a bicycle, swim, throw an object, move a part of our body, etc., and want to do so quickly, or in as little time as possible, we are talking about SPEED. While in endurance training we try to prolong the activity for as long as possible, in training to improve speed we try to do the activity in as little time as possible. Doing an activity for only a short time lessens how strenuous the activity will be. It is impossible to run 10,000 meters at the same speed as an athlete running 100m. Therefore, the activities that we do last a short time, do not cover much distance, and can not be repeated many times without a significant break between each series.

Speed appears constantly in sports and in daily life: in fencing, trying to strike the opponent with the sword in a rapid movement, a shot on goal in handball, in a 50m swimming race, etc. But we are also using speed when we run to catch the bus, to swat a fly that is bothering us, or even to respond quickly to a question.

Important: Remember that we control the intensity of an exercise that develops endurance by taking our pulses, which should remain fairly low. However, when doing an activity where speed is the focus, you will observe that your pulse will shoot above 180 bpm. It is important at your age not to continue these exercises for more than a few seconds at a time because your body is not yet prepared for this type of force.

Two speed-skaters racing. A swimmer swimming in a race.

FLEXIBILITY

Have you seen a gymnast doing his/her stretches? Surely you will notice certain movements that stretch their bodies to incredible limits. We can define FLEXIBILITY as the ability to move our bodies as far as they can go.

Flexibility allows us to make fluid and complete movements, making it one of the best ways to avoid injury. Imagine throwing a ball to a partner who is quite a long distance from you and only being able to bring your arm back halfway before releasing. Surely, the ball would not make it the whole way to your partner. Or, imagine doing the stretching exercise called “the butterfly” (touching both knees to the floor while sitting down) is the muscles in your legs were not flexible enough.

Flexibility is necessary to do any type of exercise without feeling tension. As you will see, flexibility is a part of every session of physical activities, including practices, competitions of any sport, or even physical education. Stretching is fundamental to the warm-up for preparing our muscles and joints before the main activities or athletic event, and also at the end of the session, during the cool-down because it helps the body to recuperate after physical activity.

What does flexibility depend on? Flexibility depends mostly on the JOINT in question (not all joints have the same mobility—the shoulder is much less flexible than the finger) and the ELASTICITY OF THE MUSCLE. The muscles are capable of stretching and returning to their normal position, similar to a rubberband, so that we can perform certain movements. If the muscles remain rigid when we try to move them, they will tear.

Important: When we do exercise to improve flexibility, we reach and stretch in positions that do not hurt. This pain would mean that we have surpassed the elongation limit of the muscle and like a rubberband, if we stretch too much, we can break.

Similarly, it is important to be careful when bouncing in certain positions, avoiding the ones that hurt us, because performing a stretch incorrectly can lead to serious injuries.

A young soccer player stretching before a game. Workout buddies stretching before a run.

HEART RATE: Taking your pulse

What changes do you observe when you do a physical activity? Surely you will notice that your heart beats more quickly. This is because the muscles that you use to do physical exercise need to receive a higher quantity of oxygen, which is transmitted by blood. To achieve this, your heart beats faster, increasing the heart rate.

How fast should my heart be beating?

At rest, a person should usually have around 70 beats per minute (bpm), but in more intense situations, it can raise to more than 200 bpm.

Why should I know this?

Thanks to the relationship between intensity and heartbeat, we can maintain fairly good control of the pace at which we are doing an activity.

What interests us the most is improving endurance. To do this, we should do an activity without stopping at a pace of about 60-80% of our maximum heart rate.

To find our maximum heart rate, we can apply this general rule:

For boys: 220 – your age = maximum heart rate (For example, for a boy who is 11 years old: 220 – 11 (years old) = 209 bpm maximum)

For girls: 226 – your age = maximum heart rate

How can I check my pulse?

When your heart beats, the blood produces a kind of wave that is noticeable in certain parts of the body, which we call pulses. We can easily feel these pulses in three different places in the body by placing two fingers over one of these zones (do not take the pulse with your thumb because you might confuse the pulse in the thumb with the pulse in the place you have chosen). The three zones where you can check your pulse are:

Radial Artery Carotid Artery Heart

BASEBALL

UNIT 3:

BASEBALL

Baseball is a sport that was created in the U.S. in the middle of the 19th century. In Spain, it appeared much later, when Madrid founded the Pirates B. C. in 1927.

The rules are fairly simple, as are the materials used, although it can seem quite complicated because it is much different from many “more European” sports.

The equipment used includes a wooden or aluminum bat, a leather ball, and a leather glove used to catch the ball. Players often wear ball caps to shield the sun and cleats to give them traction on the dirt and grass field.

The field is shaped like a diamond and is therefore called a diamond. Four bases (three called bases, and one called home plate) are situated at the corners within the diamond, which the players have to run around after they have hit the ball. There are nine defensive positions on the field, labeled in the picture on the right.

A baseball glove, ball, and bat. A baseball diamonds, with positions labeled.

The object of the game of baseball is to score the highest number of runs (Runs are scored by making it all around the bases, back to home plate). To do this, follow these basic rules:

There is an offensive team, who bats, and a defensive team, who tries to stop the offense from scoring runs.

The teams switch from offense to defense when the defensive team gets three outs A defensive player, the pitcher, pitches the ball to the batter. Good pitches, called

strikes, are in the “strikezone” (above home plate between the knees and shoulders of the batter). The batter has three chances to hit balls that are thrown as strikes. If the pitcher throws three strikes before the batter hits the ball, the batter is out.

If the pitcher throws four pitches out of the strikezone, pitches which are called balls, the batter may go to first base. This is called a base on ball, or a walk.

When the ball is hit, the player must run around the bases, touching each one only once, and attempt to make it to home plate, scoring a run.

After a batter hits the ball, the defensive players can make outs in three ways: While the batter is running, the defensive players will attempt to field the ball and throw it to the next base to which the batter is running before the batter arrives to the base; they will try to touch the runner with the ball while they are between bases; they will catch the ball in the air before it touches the ground. These three actions, in addition to a strike out, can constitute an out. The defensive team should know where the best place will be to get an out so that they save time when the ball comes into play so that they can save time and stop the batters from reaching further bases.

The strike zone. Defensive player fielding a groundball. Defensive player tagging out the runner.

Duration of the game. The official games do not have a time limit, but the games last nine innings. When both teams have batted, one inning has been completed. At the end of nine innings, the team that has the most runs is the winner.

PREBASEBALL

The rules above are the official rules of baseball. However, the rules and equipment can be adapted so that the game can be played all over the world, regardless of the age of the players, the equipment available to them, or the space where the game could be played. Baseball can be played without a bat, hitting the ball with a hand or a foot. Baseball played by kicking the ball is called “kickball”, and is enjoyed in many countries, especially in Central and South America.

Prebaseball can be played anywhere, in a park, on the playgrounds in school, etc., and different equipment can be used, such as a tennis balls, plastic bats, or homemade equipment made from wood or even tree branches.

At school you’ll play PREBASEBALL. In Prebaseball, Baseball rules are adapted to students and school spaces. In Prebaseball you might kick the ball instead of hitting it with a bat, use bigger and softer balls, use a batting-Tee to hold the ball, etc. Even number of players could be different, or new rules could be created.

1° E.S.O. WORKSHEET 1° TRIMESTER

Name: ________________________________________________ Class: ____________

1. Mark whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F). A warm-up should be always be performed before and after physical exercise. The intensity of a warm-up should be progressive. We know that we are stretching well when we feel pain in our muscles. Specific warm-ups are the same for all sports. The purpose of a warm-up is to improve basic physical qualities.

2. Explain or draw two activities (that have not already been mentioned in the book) where the main physical characteristic is…

Endurance Joint mobility Lower body stretches Strength Speed

3. Take your resting pulse (after recently getting out of bed) during three days. 1st day: ___________ 2nd day: ______________ 3rd day: ___________

4. Complete the following crossword puzzle: a. The physical quality that is most important in cycling b. The physical quality needed to do an activity in as little time as possible c. A type of warm-up that reaches every part of the body d. The ability to stretch the body to its maximum e. The physical quality that is most important while weightlifting

5. On the back of this page, draw 4-5 exercises that might be used in a general warm-up.

a

b

c

d

e