My kids joined me for a workout video, and we hope that you enjoy it and move with us!
I'm still talking about the Seen and Unseen (see my post from earlier this week) in this workout video. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, "We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
Do you know the benefits of crossing the midline?
You can easily google crossing the midline and learn a lot! Here is one site of information: https://ilslearningcorner.com/2016-01-crossing-the-midline-learning-delays-when-your-child-cant-cross-the-midline/
Crossing the midline is helpful even for impulsivity and hyperactivity! It also boosts concentration and speeds up processing! https://sascentre.com/bulletin/185-midline
Crossing the midline is SO simple, and it improves academic success! https://llatherapy.org/crossing-midline-a-simple-move-that-could-impact-academic-success/
Do you know the brain benefits you gain from exercise?
Here is a a great link that is incredibly full of amazing information, TED talks, and show you SO MANY benefits: https://positivepsychology.com/exercise-neurological-benefits/
Here is a great podcast from Alisa Keeton, "Exercise Makes You Smart!": https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revelation-wellness-healthy-whole/id671958238?i=1000405503523
This workout will especially help your kids get their minds going, energy levels up, and there are many unseen benefits to exercise! Exercise is a part of therapy for the mind, body, and soul! This video is more of a functional/practical occupational therapeutic workout! Read more below to learn why.
Years before I actually became a fitness instructor, I was leading my kids in working out...
HERE IS A LITTLE MORE OF THE BACKSTORY!
In early 2016, after an occupational therapist evaluated one of my kids, she told me he would benefit from therapy. It wasn't his first evaluation or plan for therapy, it was just as he was getting older, the therapy he most needed at this age was physical--we had overcome a lot of the fine-motor, speech, and other needs for school. The particular therapeutic focus he needed now was especially to help him get his mind going for the day, focus/refocus during the middle of the day, and to help him with muscle tone so he would have more strength--especially his functional core strength (i.e. for functional posture at school) that would affect his learning and his whole body. Whew!
She was so kind to give me list of things to do with him, show me (and him) those movements, and give us other resources that would be helpful as well. I went home and between google, pinterest--here is my pinterest OT page as a result, her specific exercises, and kids' OT videos I watched (also on pinterest page), I finally developed a list of exercises we would do!
Here they are (in the video and in the printable below)! It is my hope and prayer especially if you are an overseas mama that is learning, implementing, and leading some "occupational therapy" with your kids that this will especially be helpful for you. If you have a kid with sensory processing needs, attention/focus needs, or muscle tone needs, give it a try!
But, I promise, it will benefit every kid--and even adults too!
When we first started doing these, I told the kids we were going to be doing PE, when really, it was a tailored OT plan especially for this one kid. My sweet boy still was not aware, and I did not tell him or any of his siblings (and actually very few other people knew for that matter) that this was especially for him. I figured that being active together would benefit all of the kids! So, I did "PE" with all of my kids pretty consistently for a while after that evaluation. We were living in Mumbai, India at the time, and there is also a monsoon season. During monsoon, it rains a good bit and even when it isn't raining, it is SO muddy and quite a mess. So, PE continued to be a regular thing in our home! And, when I didn't want to do PE with them or I had to give my time to other things, they watched these wonderful videos from Core5Fitness, and sometimes they did Just Dance on the Wii and we called that PE.
Here we are--more than 4 years later, and Jackson, is now fully aware of the benefit of occupational therapy for him! He read and approved this post!!! He actually is meeting with the same specialist weekly (teletherapy even during social distancing). She continues to show him good exercises, help him schedule his day, and help him discover his best way to navigate some special things that will help him live life at his best. He does these on his own, and it is a beautiful thing to see him learn about himself, how he functions at his best, and how to be independent! He is growing into a fine young man! And, I am a happy mama!!!
I hope this workout will be fun for any of you and your kids! Everyone will benefit, and for some of you, you might even make some of the OT connections in some of the special movements!!!