Let’s learn why moving your body makes you healthier and how your body should feel while you’re being active.

It can be fun to be active and move your body. Did you know that by being active and moving your body, you’re helping it to be stronger and healthier?

For instance, when the muscles in your arm are strong, they can help you throw a ball or lift heavy things. But muscles don’t get strong all by themselves. You need exercise to make them strong!

Did you know that your heart is also a muscle? Our heart’s job is to pump blood and oxygen throughout our body, and it never stops, even when we’re sleeping. By moving your body and being active every day, you can help your heart to be a stronger muscle when your heart is strong and healthy.

GO activities

In CATCH kids’ club, we talk about GO activities, which help our hearts and muscles get stronger and healthier.

As we exercise, we might notice these four body cues, which are normal and healthy responses to exercise:

• Faster heartbeat
• Sweat
• Harder breathing
• and a warmer face

Try to exercise for at least 60 minutes each day. Yes, a whole hour, but you don’t have to exercise 60 minutes all at once. For example, on a Saturday, you could play hopscotch for 20 minutes in the morning, run races for 20 minutes in the afternoon, and go on a fast walk with someone for 20 minutes in the evening.

Grab a pen and paper and think of a GO activity you can do, either by yourself or with others. Some ideas may include doing jumping jacks, yoga, or playing in the snow if you are by yourself. If you are with others, hide and seek, tag, or soccer are some possibilities.

Here is a song from Erica to sing while you exercise. It goes with the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider”:

Itsy-bitsy Misty climbs up a little slide
Next on her little bike, she takes a ride
Then on some tiny wheels, she goes to skate
‘Cuz Itsy-bitsy Misty thinks moving is great!