In the era of tablets and intellectual development, the topic of children's physical activity is especially acute. But it is in the preschool period that the foundations of health and proper physical development are laid, motor abilities are formed, interest in physical education and sports is formed, and personal qualities and creative abilities are nurtured. In kindergartens at the moment, in addition to traditional methods of physical development, non-traditional approaches are also used. The latter includes fitball gymnastics - gymnastic exercises on a fitball ball.
This miracle ball appeared in the 1960s as part of preventive sports. Why a miracle? Because at the beginning of its journey, it was used to treat cerebral palsy and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system by employees of medical institutions in Europe. Now it is used at home, fitness centers, and children's development studios.
The ball is popular due to its healing effect. A number of domestic authors studying the effect of fitball gymnastics on the body have come to the conclusion that it develops the vestibular apparatus, improves coordination, stabilizes balance, and also activates metabolism. By influencing the spine, joints and intervertebral discs, the ball has its preventive and therapeutic properties.
Exercises with fitballs allow you to:
- learn to sit correctly on fitballs;
- learn to sway and bounce on fitballs;
- learn to perform exercises in different starting positions;
- strengthen various muscle groups;
- to form and consolidate the skill of correct posture;
- train the ability to maintain balance;
- learn to perform exercises in pairs with peers, dance movements;
- Encourage children to demonstrate independence, creativity, and activity.
You can do fitball gymnastics even with children under one year old, but in general it is useful to have such a ball at home and not be afraid to conduct classes yourself, because this does not require special medical education. However, there is a set of “golden rules” that you need to know:
- the angle formed by the torso and legs in a sitting position should be greater than 90°;
- during classes it is necessary to use stable, properly inflated balls;
- it is necessary to regularly check your posture, especially the “S‑shaped” shape of the back and correct fit;
- The occupant's feet must always be in contact with the floor, the body (arm or buttocks) must be constantly supported by the ball;
- it is necessary to constantly monitor physical effort and, most importantly, enjoy the activity;
- Avoid using a ball that is too small for the child - this can cause poor posture and even cause pain;
- an insufficiently inflated ball leads to an incorrect “suspended” landing;
- Sudden, uncontrolled muscle movements must be avoided. “Both feet should touch the floor at all times and at the same time throughout the entire training session with the ball”;
- When working with the ball, quality must prevail over quantity.
Also, do not forget basic things, such as: there should be no sharp objects in the room where classes are held, clothes and shoes (you can practice barefoot) should be such as not to hinder the child’s movements, the room should be well ventilated.
How to conduct classes?
Children are active, restless creatures, and even bright fitballs cannot always influence their desire to give up everything and start practicing. It is advisable to start by telling children about the fitball; you can get to know it in a playful way. Then you need to teach the correct landing on the ball and belay techniques. It would also be a good idea to learn the basic initial movements with the ball (throws, catching, hitting the floor, exercises in pairs with rolling and throwing the ball).
The time for one lesson with children 5–6 years old is 30–35 minutes, with younger children 15–20 minutes is enough. As with any type of physical activity, fitball gymnastics has three main parts:
- introductory part or warm-up, the tasks of which include the development of all types of attention, perception and memory, spatial orientation based on the material of basic movements;
- the main part is the exercises themselves on the ball;
- the final part is active play and relaxation.
In order for a child to love classes, and they are for his benefit, they must be interesting, emotionally and musically rich. This is not difficult to achieve: we select rhythmic music, the colors of the balls are bright. By the way, different colors have different effects on a person’s mental state and physiological functions.
Warm color (red and orange) - increase the activity of the autonomic nervous system, stimulate, tone the immune system, strengthen memory, vision, give vigor, improve skin color.
Cold colors (blue, cyan and violet) - normalize cardiac activity and worsen speed and strength qualities.
Yellow and green colors - normalize cardiac activity and the central nervous system, stabilize blood pressure, relax, relieve tension, help with diseases of the spine and metabolism.
Moreover, there is such a wonderful phenomenon, described in the manual “Motor Game Training for Preschoolers,” as fitball fairy tales.
Fairytale therapy is the most ancient psychological and pedagogical technique. Many people think that it is addressed only to children, but the age range covered has no boundaries. It is turning to a fairy tale that allows you to remember simple truths, rediscover them, and create a spiritual resource for resisting evil. Fitball fairy tales can be an independent activity, used as “invigorating gymnastics” after a nap, or in free activities in a group, children can repeat and reproduce the fairy tale. Each fairy tale has exercise diagrams (the so-called mnemonic tables), showing which children can tell the fairy tale while doing the exercises at the same time. Movement fairytale therapy is represented by various easy-to-follow plots. The fairy tales themselves are adapted to suit different age groups and abilities of children.
It is in your hands to make your child strong, physically and emotionally developed! Fitball gymnastics is one of the most enjoyable ways to achieve this goal.
How animals treated eagle owls
One day an eagle owl decided to find out who was his friend in the forest and who was his enemy. He lay down in his nest, hung his head and groaned as if he was very sick. A bear was walking past and heard an eagle owl groaning throughout the forest (the bear) .
- What's wrong with you, owl? - asks. - Why are you moaning so much?
“Yes, I’m sick, I’m dying,” the owl answers.
“Wait to die,” says the bear, “I’ll cure you now,” and he left.
And the eagle owl moans even louder. The hare heard him. I was scared at first, and then I approached the tree - I need to find out what happened! (bunny)
- Hey, owl, what happened? - asks.
- Oh, I'm completely sick. I’ll probably die soon,” says the owl.
- No, owl, no! Wait a little, I'm coming now! - And running. “Well,” the eagle owl thinks, “everyone has left me, and they’re still called friends!” And he groaned more than ever from insult. Even the snake heard him, raised its head, looked sympathetically and crawled away (the snake) . And then the moose galloped past. They stopped under a tree and listened to the owl groan. They lowered their heads and thought. Then they quietly consulted and galloped off in different directions, only the dust rose behind them (horse) . And the eagle owl groans.
He even woke up the bat, which usually sleeps during the day. She flew to the eagle owl's nest and began asking questions (the bat) . A bat sits in an eagle owl’s nest and consoles him:
“Only you are my friend,” says the owl, “and everyone else has abandoned me.”
Suddenly they hear brushwood cracking on the path. An eagle owl looked, and the bear had brought him a whole basket of nuts .
“Heal yourself,” he says, “Filya, eat nuts, they are your strength.”
All the animals in the forest had already heard about the owl’s illness, they hurried to him, carrying what they could. The fox came running: “The snake sent me to you. She crawls slowly, and she’s very old. So I told you to bring some dry raspberries. Drink raspberry tea, Filya, it helps a lot.” And she twirls her tail - she can’t wait to cure the owl as soon as possible (fox) .
Then the bunny arrived and brought a carrot:
– Eat, Filya, it contains a lot of vitamins! - And he just jumps up and down, watching how the owl will gnaw the carrot.
The moose rushed after him, and they carried the lizard from the other end of the forest so that it could examine the patient. She was already old, but all the animals were treated by her. The lizard raised its tail, greeted the patient (the lizard) , and then gave him a medicinal root.
Even a small spider ran up to the eagle owl and began to treat him with a fly (spider) . And the owl realized how many true friends he had in the forest. And he even felt ashamed that he had disturbed so many animals. And the animals arranged a real feast in the clearing in honor of the owl’s recovery.
Fitball gymnastics in kindergarten
- January 26, 2013
Competition “My Pedagogical Initiative - 2012”
Nomination “Methodological work in preschool educational institutions”
Experience working with fitballs in the educational activities of preschool educational institutions. Peculiarities of learning and development of children with hearing loss in physical education and health activities.
Fitballs are considered non-traditional equipment in kindergarten, but at the same time they have a good therapeutic effect.
Fitballs strengthen the muscles of the back and abdominals, create a good muscle corset, develop coordination and a sense of balance, but most importantly, they form the skill of correct posture, which is difficult and time-consuming to develop under normal conditions. In addition, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are trained, endurance develops, and the mobility and flexibility of the spine increases.
Exercises on the ball help develop strength, energize, and increase blood circulation and metabolism.
Since 2009, our kindergarten has been attended by children with hearing impairment (hard of hearing and after cochlear implantation). For preschoolers with hearing loss, physical education plays an even greater role than for their normally developing peers, because they are characterized by a variety of changes in the motor sphere. The most characteristic and pronounced include:
- insufficiently precise coordination and uncertainty in movements,
- difficulty maintaining statistical and dynamic equilibrium,
- relatively low level of development of orientation in space.
Such features in the development of children are associated with disruption of the vestibular apparatus. Therefore, now in classes, special emphasis is placed on the development of the above physical qualities.
Therefore, in physical education classes and other forms of educational activities, it was decided to use fitballs - balls.
At the moment, the use of fitballs is especially relevant, because they have a number of advantages, among other equipment. Such balls, as a means of health-improving and corrective work, were chosen due to their specific effect on the musculoskeletal, ligamentous-muscular system. An elastic, unstable environment is necessary for the formation of the vestibular apparatus, the development of the mechanism of balance and rhythm of movements.
My experience of working with fitballs allows me to recommend them as a highly effective and affordable tool in the physical development of a preschooler.
Such balls significantly expand the possibilities of physical education and health work, and help to increase the effectiveness of psychological, pedagogical, correctional and rehabilitation support for the child.
Fitball - gymnastics in kindergarten
There are many different balls: with handles, “horns”, and oval, and with pimples. They not only have different shapes and sizes, but also bright colors. Children enjoy working out on such simulators.
Where can you use fitball balls?
Using fitball balls in classes combines the work of the motor, vestibular, visual and tactile analyzers, which are activated when performing exercises on the ball, thereby enhancing the effect of the classes.
Games with fitballs can be used not only in physical education classes, but also in everyday work:
- in classes as a physical education lesson;
- on a walk;
- in children’s independent games, relay races;
- in entertainment, holidays and leisure;
- in individual work;
- using breathing exercises,
- rhythm blocks with music;
- for mastering air traffic control and outdoor switchgear.
The use of fitballs in joint work with parents is very effective. Child-parent relationships are especially well normalized. Children feel the joy of joint physical activity, as well as the support of their parent.
Fitball – balls add variety to leisure time, holidays and entertainment. Techniques using chants and musical accompaniment help coordinate movements, breathing and speech, since the individual internal rhythm of such children is often slow. You can also combine breathing exercises with exercises on balls, using their vibration properties.
The use of fitballs increases children’s emotional involvement in the activity.
Increases the effectiveness of health-improving tasks and the absorption of material.
Also, fitballs allow you to diversify outdoor and relay games; they give children joy and health.
Stages of training
Ball training takes place in several stages.
But when starting to work on balls, you should know that the ball must correspond to the age of the child - 45 cm - 4-5 years; 50cm-5-6 years; 55cm-6-7 years. When landing on the ball, the angle between the thigh and shin should be 90*.
Oval balls are convenient because the support becomes more stable; such balls are suitable for children at the first stage of learning and for those who are afraid of falling.
And you can start using fitballs from an early age.
A ball for young children is a means of communication. It helps to quickly find contact with the child. Forces the child to be in motion all the time, thereby constantly arousing new interest. (Roll, toss, clap, jump on the ball, ride on it, lie down).
The purpose of stage 1 is:
- mastering the ball as equipment. Here you can use exercises such as any rolling, hitting the ball, patting, throwing in pairs, in a circle.
- learning how to sit correctly on the ball.
The second stage is the most labor-intensive:
Stage 2 goal:
- teach children the basic principles. There are about 7-8 such positions on the ball.
- training of major muscle groups, including respiratory ones.
Stage 3
(depends on the level of development of Stage 2 ).
The purpose of this stage is:
- teach basic dynamic movements with the ball.
Children perform exercises in groups, from any starting position, jumping on a ball in place and in motion, in free activity.
Exercises with fitballs can be carried out as part of the lesson, using them only in the main part.
You can also structure the lesson so that the balls are used throughout the entire lesson.
Therefore, to achieve a therapeutic and preventive effect, complexes with fitballs are included in the educational process regularly in courses 3-4 times a year, for 1-1.5 months. This amounts to 10-12 lessons per course.
Of course, all activities for preschoolers are structured in a playful way, since play is the leading activity of a preschooler.
What problems are solved when using fitball gymnastics?
Classes in the senior and preparatory groups, after mastering the three stages, can be carried out using balls throughout the entire lesson. In structure, it resembles a classic physical education class with a strict three-part form, where there is:
Introductory part
- development of all types of attention,
- perception and memory,
- orientation in space based on basic movements.
Main part
- mastering general developmental exercises,
- exercises on fitballs,
- main types of movements.
Final part
- outdoor game,
- relaxation.
Let's look at each part of the lesson separately. What motor tasks and exercises can be included in this part?
Introductory part 3-5 min
- Formation, different types of walking, hand movements with the ball
- Running while dribbling the ball, rolling
- Jumping with the ball between the legs, with advancement, sitting on the ball.
- Walking with breathing restoration and various types of changes in movement.
Main part 15-20 min
- strengthening the muscle corset around the spine
- increasing mobility and flexibility of the spine
- cardiovascular training
- improving the drainage function of the lungs and strengthening the respiratory muscles.
Final part 3-5 min
- restoration of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems
- includes quiet play and relaxation exercises.
List of used literature:
- 1. Correctional “Program for the education and training of hearing-impaired preschool children.” / N. D. Shmatko, L. A. Golovchits and others - Moscow: “Enlightenment”, 1991.
- Fun physical education for children and their parents. Entertainment activities, holidays, hikes. / Kazina O.B. – Yaroslavl: “Development Academy: Academy Holding”, 2005. – 140 p.
- Improvement of children's health in a kindergarten. /L.V. Kochetkova. – M: Sphere shopping center, 2005. – 112 p.
- Health-forming physical development: Developmental motor programs for children 5 – 6 years old: /I.K. Shilkova - M.: “Humanite. ed. VLADOS center", 2001. – 336 p.
- Health training system “Isoton”, “Sports technologies”
Presentation
Author: Svetlana Nikolaevna Stepanova, physical education teacher of the highest qualification category, State Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School No. 1747, preschool department “Olenyonok”, Moscow. Work experience 13 years. Awarded a Certificate of Honor from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.
Fitball for children
In pediatric practice, exercises on fitballs are even used to treat infants in their first year of life. They are indicated for children with diseases of the nervous system and musculoskeletal system. Classes are conducted with the help of an instructor or parents who hold the child by the arms or legs and roll him on the ball in a certain way. Such training is carried out daily or every other day.
Peculiarities!
Training with the use of a correction ball is safe from a technical point of view, since it is made of a very strong elastic material - ledraplastic. Even with mechanical damage, the fitball will not burst, but will slowly deflate without injuring the child.
At an older age, children do fitball aerobics themselves under the guidance of adults. Such exercises are even included in the curriculum for preschoolers in some kindergartens. Training takes place in a playful way in order to interest children and instill in them a love of physical education.
Fitball gymnastics is necessary not only for children with health problems, but also for absolutely healthy children, in order to take care of their harmonious physical development.
Methods of working with correction balls or fitballs
Different preschool educational institutions have different approaches to organizing fitball aerobics. In some kindergartens, this method is used as independent training 1-2 times a week. In others - as an element of dancing, free creative activity of children.
The training program with correction balls includes 4 areas:
- Fitball gymnastics is a general developmental technology that includes dynamic exercises and stretching tasks.
- Fitball rhythmics includes dance rhythmic elements.
- Fitball-athletics involves strength training, due to which different muscle groups develop.
- The fitball game consists of game tasks, competitions, and relay races.
Rhythm and athletics are mainly designed for children of primary school age. In kindergartens, only individual elements are usually used, and the main emphasis is on gymnastic and play forms.
Fitball-gymnastics solves health-improving, educational and educational problems
Training using a gymnastic ball not only helps strengthen the body and develop the musculoskeletal system. Thanks to game sets of exercises, you can develop the creative direction of a child’s personality. The classes use fairy tales, entertaining stories from the lives of favorite heroes, cartoons and book characters. This helps develop imagination and imaginative thinking.
Background music teaches children to move to the beat of the music, creates the right mood, and increases physical and emotional activity.
If the training is based on a fairy tale with an instructive plot, then it has an additional educational function, allowing children to understand how to act in certain situations from the standpoint of morality and ethics.
Organizational and methodological instructions for exercises on fitballs
Exercises on gymnastic balls take place in 4 stages:
- First, exercises on fitballs are given in combination with classical aerobics. The training includes 5-6 exercises using balls. At first, children need backup because they are not always able to stay on the ball.
- Then the emphasis is placed on the correct execution of tasks, physiological sitting on the ball, and maintaining balance. Gymnastics elements are performed sitting or lying on a fitball. Particular attention is paid to relaxation exercises.
- At this stage, the main task is to increase the pace so that all children learn to perform the exercises synchronously. Additionally, stretching tasks are introduced.
- After the basic program has been mastered, you can improve the technique of performing gymnastic elements and gradually complicate them.
It is advisable to practice fitball with children not only in kindergartens, but also at home. A gymnastic ball will be a useful acquisition not only for a child, but also for the whole family, since fitball aerobics has virtually no contraindications, and physical education is important at any age.
