Lesson video

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Hi there, I'm Mr. Swaithes, and welcome to today's lesson.

So we're going to be looking at completing a flexibility training session today, so working on that joint mobility and flexibility and certainly something that all of us need to be mindful of and try to improve.

So today's lesson is called "Types of training: can you complete a flexibility training session?

" and it comes from the Remote learning: health and fitness unit.

For this lesson, you will need access to a safe space and ideally a mat or towel to lie on, a timer or a stopwatch, and you might be able to use your phone for that.

By the end of today's lesson, you should be able to complete a flow training session to improve flexibility, mobility, and mindfulness.

Let's look at a few of the keywords from today's lesson then.

So flow, that means moving smoothly and continuously from one position to another with control and awareness.

Mindfulness, well, that means paying full attention to the present moment with awareness and calm.

And then flexibility, well, that's the ability to move joints and muscles through their full range of motion.

Let's get going then into a warmup.

So show me what you know already about preparing the body for a stretching and mobility session.

Try the following sequence: jogging on the spot, moving into high knees, arm circles followed by some leg swings, and then some torso twists.

Let's take a quick look at a video to show you what that could look like.

Well done.

So hopefully you've increased your pulse.

Do you feel warm and ready for exercise now?

If not, then I suggest you press pause and do a bit more warming up or continue to warm up whilst you listen to me.

Make sure that you've mobilized your major joints and worked muscles through their full range of movement.

And also make sure you're in a safe space, ideally with a mat or a towel to lie on.

So today's lesson is broken up into two parts.

We're going to look at safe movement and injury prevention, and then into the art of being present with a mindfulness flow.

Let's get going then.

So why should you develop your flexibility?

Well, Aisha is telling us that learning about flexibility, mindfulness, and flow provides essential physical and mental tools for managing stress, improving performance, and developing self-awareness throughout your life.

Absolutely, Aisha.

So flexibility training is not just for gymnasts then.

And Sofia says that it's especially important for teenagers because your bones often grow faster than your muscles and tendons, which can lead to tightness and a higher risk of injury.

So regular stretching improves your posture and enhances your athletic performance as well, doesn't it?

So flexibility is important for all of us, and it requires a bit of a daily commitment really.

Let's do a quick check.

True or false?

Only sports like gymnastics require good flexibility.

What do you think?

Is that true or false?

That's right.

It's false, isn't it?

And can you tell me why?

Yeah, good flexibility is essential for all of us, isn't it?

So it helps improve our posture and our suppleness, as well as performance in a wide range of activities, due to the ability to move joints through their full range of motion.

I wonder, what stretches do you know for the lower back?

Here I am sat recording this lesson and it's important that I get good posture in the chair, but I also get up regularly and do some stretches.

So Izzy's saying, "Can you perform the cat-cow stretch using good body awareness to achieve smooth transitions between each position?

" Now the cat-cow position is like this.

So you get on all fours on the floor and you arch your back to make that almost dome shape there, and then you push up to make a higher arch in your back.

So moving from that position that looks a bit like a cow to one that looks a bit like a cat and back and forth.

Now, should you always stretch in the same way?

Well, no.

So dynamic stretches are best before activity or when your muscles are cold.

So that's why during these warmups we do some dynamic stretches.

But then once you are warm, static stretches can also be used.

Now stretching should feel like a kind of a gentle tension, but not painful.

You should never bounce into a stretch, and you should listen to your body and focus on breathing out as you go deeper into the stretch.

Let's do another quick check.

So when is the best time to do static stretches?

Is it A, anytime you feel stiff, regardless of whether you've exercised or not?

Is it B, before warming up to get maximum stretch on cold muscles?

Is it C, during the middle of a jog to take a break?

Or is it D, immediately after a cooldown or a period of activity when the muscles are warm?

What do you think?

That's right.

It's D, isn't it?

So static stretches are a really good thing to do, but only when your body and your muscles in particular are fully warm.

So let's move into the first task of today's lesson then.

So I'd like you to work on some joint mobility and active stretching.

You're going to perform safe, controlled movements to improve the range of motion in the hips, the back, and the shoulders by doing 10 repetitions of each of the following.

So a chin to chest roll down to your feet.

A cat-cow pose, which we've already practiced today.

Hip circles from that tabletop position.

We'll see in a moment how you can do those.

Threading the needle.

Again, we'll see in a moment how to do that.

Kneeling hip flexor stretch.

Again, we'll see it in a moment.

And then the child's pose, where you get on your knees and you stretch back into that position on the floor.

So Jun's just got a quick reminder to remember to complete each action slowly and to move through your full range of motion and focus on controlled breathing.

Okay, welcome back.

So hopefully you've been working on some smooth transitions between those different body positions, and that relies on good body awareness, doesn't it?

Jun says that he had to really concentrate on reaching steadily into each position.

Joints and muscles need to be warm before working them through their full range of movement.

So Izzy says, "I know that my body and muscles need to feel warm before starting any sort of flexibility training and kept warm throughout the session.

" So you want to make sure that you are, if you are sat watching this bit of video, you keep moving or you rewarm up before you do the next part of the flexibility training.

Okay, let's move into the second part of today's lesson then, where we're looking at being present with a mindfulness flow.

Now, I wonder, have you ever heard that term mindfulness?

Do you know what it means?

Aisha says that mindfulness is the practice of paying full attention to the current moment, without judgment.

So it's about being really present.

Izzy says it's a skill that is powerful tool for reducing stress, improving focus, and especially when managing school, social pressure, and a busy mind.

So there's different strategies we can use to support managing our stress, and these include practicing mindfulness, mindful breathing techniques, the 5-4-3-2-1 technique.

And by practicing these, we will then be able to use them in everyday life when things feels quite stressful or overwhelming.

So Aisha says, "Shall we have a good at practicing mindfulness?

" "Let's notice the sights, sounds, smells, thoughts, and feelings without trying to change or judge them.

If a thought comes into your mind, then let it gently return or gently pass through you almost so that you can return to the present.

" Thanks, Lucas.

Let's have a go.

What about practicing mindful breathing?

So sit comfortably, place one hand on your stomach.

Inhale slowly and deeply.

Let your stomach rise like a balloon, and then exhale slowly too.

Could you pause the video now whilst you do that for 60 seconds?

That mindful breathing, just focusing on your breath and not letting your mind race away, thinking about other things.

Have a go at that now.

What about that 5-4-3-2-1 technique then?

What does that look like?

Well, can you name five things that you can see, four things that you can feel or touch, three things that you can hear, two things that you can smell, and one thing that you can taste?

It's a really good way about focusing in on the present and your awareness and what's around you.

Pause the video now whilst you have a go at that.

Okay then, well, what about getting in the zone?

Have you ever heard that term?

Well, Alex is telling us that flow is that feeling of being totally absorbed in the activity.

You almost lose track of time, forget your worries, and the task feels effortless and enjoyable.

That state is often called being in the zone, and it's something that I really chase after.

I really like that sense of feeling in the zone.

Let's do a quick check then.

So what's it called if you inhale slowly and deeply and then exhale slowly and repeat for 60 seconds?

Is that A, practicing mindfulness?

Is it B, mindful breathing?

Or is it C, the 5-4-3-2-1 technique?

Which do you think?

That's right, it's mindful breathing, isn't it?

And something that you should do regularly.

You can do it when you wake up in the morning even, or perhaps before you go to bed at night, and it really helps calm your mind.

Well, what about that flow state then?

Aisha's telling us it's that mental state of deep focus and enjoyment where action and awareness merge.

The activity is intrinsically rewarding.

And one of my big heroes in sport is a guy called Jonny Wilkinson who in 2003 dropped or kicked the drop kick in the Rugby World Cup final.

And he often talks about how he got in a flow state and he wasn't worried or nervous in the moment, he almost just relaxed and let his body take over and perform that movement.

He almost could envisage himself doing it.

So can you get in a flow state then by drawing or rock climbing or skateboarding, maybe playing football you get into a flow state, or perhaps gardening or even stretching, getting into that place where you're just 100% present and focused on what you are doing.

Can you show me a movement between the downward dog, which is that position on the left, and the child's pose, which is the position on the right, whilst just focusing in on your breathing and a smooth transition between them?

So pause the video now whilst you have a go at that.

Get in the downward dog position, have your hips to the ceiling, and then move into the child's pose by sitting back on your heels with your chest down and your arms stretched out in front of you.

Pause now whilst you have a go at that, and then come back to me when you are ready.

Okay, let's progress that a little bit further into the second task of today's lesson then.

So this time we're going to aim for a five-minute flow routine.

You're going to move into the following positions, focus on five deep breaths in that position before moving smoothly into the next position.

So we're going to have the cat-cow pose.

Then moving into the warrior and into the warrior 2 position.

We're going to have the triangle pose, the downward dog to child's pose, and then you're going to repeat those movements.

So here we can see the cat-cow, the warrior 1 to warrior 2, the triangle pose, and then you can alternate to touching the opposite hand to the opposite leg.

And then finally, we've got the downward dog to child's pose.

And once you've perfected each of them in isolation, could you string them together into one routine like we'll see now in the video?

Well done.

So hopefully you enjoyed that and those smooth transitions between different body positions that really rely on body awareness.

And as Sofia reflects, she says, "Concentrating on slow movement into the correct position before holding that stretched position really helps.

" Remember to think that your joints and your muscles, they need to be warm before working them through their full range of movement.

So it's important you're in a warm space wearing warm clothing and that you have done a pulse raiser and got up to temperature first.

Izzy said that she needed to do a bit more of a pulse raiser and complete the routine and the warmup and do it in a warm room.

Then I'm wondering, are you comfortable and calm?

And when you do that, does that promote relaxation, which leads to a smoother, more fluid movement?

Well, Lucas says that he focused on his breathing and that helped when counting the five deep breaths out loud once he was in each position, and then moving slowly into the next position.

Well done, Lucas.

And then also, have you shared your learning with somebody else to help reinforce your understanding?

Sam says that they enjoyed talking to friends and family about how relaxing it felt after just five minutes of focusing on nothing but a sequence of body positions.

I wonder, could you do that?

Okay, let's just cool down from today's lesson.

Going to get you to perform the following sequence of exercises with your feet shoulder width apart.

So reach up towards the ceiling with both arms and then swoop wide and back together, almost like you are doing a breast stroke in swimming.

Then roll your chin down to your chest, reach down to touch your feet, and walk out into that press up or front support position.

Hold there, and then fold back into that child's pose position, and hold that position whilst we reflect together.

You could then stand up and repeat that whole sequence of movements five times.

But reflecting on whether you feel better now in comparison to how you felt at the beginning of the lesson, and how well, I wonder, did you tune into the different exercises and stop your mind from drifting into other things to do with your day and your life?

I want you to set a commitment to leave this lesson and do a short flow sequence to start and end every day and see how that makes you feel.

Well done.

Okay, so just a little bit of time to summarize today's lesson.

We've been working on smooth transitions between different body positions and the fact that that relies on good body awareness.

We've been understanding that joints and muscles need to be warm before working them through their full range of movement.

I've been helping you get comfortable and calm to promote relaxation and lead to smoother, more fluent movement.

And then hopefully you've learned that by sharing with others, you can help reinforce your own understanding.

Well done today.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson and to see you again soon.