Exercise remains as important as ever to help keep us physically and mentally fit and healthy.
At all stages of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, exercise has featured on the small list of reasons to leave home. When our students here at Melbourne Girls Grammar moved to remote learning late in term 1, we encouraged every Grammarian and staff member to “Find Your 30+*.”
To support our community in optimising their physical potential and achieve a daily training and fitness routine, we promptly shaped an inclusive dashboard of personalised and team training, sport, fitness, and play-based program options. The schedule allowed for both live and asynchronous engagement so that students and staff could regulate their own time and connect in and support one other through physical challenges and a whole school virtual move race.
One of the popular features of the program included the “Daily Fitness Sessions.” At 6am, Monday to Friday, a new session was dropped into our Learning Management System and available for students, staff and parents to follow along to in the comfort of their own home. Over 9 weeks, this amounted to a production of 45 different Fitness Sessions!
As we transition back to campus and welcome our community back to “real life” sport, training and coaching, we’d like to share a highlight package from our Daily Fitness Classes.
Scroll down to find a description and link to 5 different sessions.
STRONG BODIES WITH DAN
Strong Bodies aims to strengthen and tone your muscles using your own body-weight and some everyday implements from around the home for some added resistance. The session is structured around paired exercises, aimed to systematically work all areas of your body.
For this session you will need a yoga mat (or towel) and a water bottle.
STRENGTHEN AND LENGTHEN SESSION WITH SALLY
The Strengthen and Lengthen (SAL) session begins with a series of yoga sequences designed to cultivate length and space in your body. With full body awareness, the steady flow of movements into and out of weight-bearing shapes integrate mobility, coordination, balance and strength capacities through range.
The second part of the session targets our postural strength – or what we more commonly refer to as our “core strength.” Good postural strength and awareness – or good core strength – is foundational to moving well, holding ourselves in good positions and effectively transferring energy throughout the body.
The session finishes with a nourishing little stretch and moment to be still.
Whilst doing the class you can either pop your favourite tunes on or find the playlist created by clicking here.
BOX COMBO WITH RACHEL
Boxing combines shadow boxing (which you will learn to love), with cardio, power, strength and endurance exercises which are all important in the foundations of boxing training.
It is a full body workout, with real sweat, real breathing and real fatigue at the end.
In this 30 minute session, you only need a small space to move and no equipment* necessary. A towel and water bottle are recommended.
Let’s train like a real fighter!
*You are welcome to add dumbbells to some of the exercises.
CORE + MORE WITH CECILIA
Core + More combines body weight strength exercises with Pilates inspired movements in order to increase your strength, coordination, balance and stability. This is a 30 minute class and all you need is a yoga mat or towel and a water bottle.
HIIT EXPRESS WITH TENNILLE
HIIT – or High Intensity Interval Training – is a session where you can give an all-out 100 percent effort through quick intense bursts of exercise followed by short rest periods. It uses power, agility and explosive high-impact body weight exercises that will keep your heart rate up and improve your fitness.
The best part? All you need is high energy, a towel or yoga mat, and a water bottle.
* Find Your 30+ refers to exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day. For optimal wellbeing, The Australian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that students between the ages of 5 – 17 years should complete at least 60 minutes of MVPA every day which can be achieved in one session, or through shorter bursts throughout the day.