Add different kinds of sports to your rotation. For example, one week you focus on learning the rules and skills of basketball. Begin by explaining the formal rules and objectives of basketball and leading students in basic warm-ups and stretches. Spend a lesson in the basketball unit focusing on different kinds of basketball techniques and skills such as dribbling and shooting. Organize a class tournament at the end of the unit. Choose a different sport, such as tennis or soccer, for the next unit. Find a wide variety of free sports-based lesson plans online at Web sites such as PECentral.org.
Show teenagers how they can use favorite games and recreational activities as part of a healthy, active lifestyle. For example, assign students the task of figuring out the jump rope technique that involves taking the most steps, using pedometers. Or have students use heart rate monitors to figure our how many jumps per minute they need to complete to stay in their target heart rate zone. You can also have students play active video games such as Dance Dance Revolution. Active games can engage students not normally interested in sports or other physical activities.
Teach your students a variety of dances during one unit of your physical education course. In addition to promoting physical fitness, dancing helps students develop rhythm, coordination, and musicality. You can teach students the basic steps from different kinds of ballroom dances such as the waltz. You can also focus on dances from different world cultures, or teach aerobics-style line dancing. Use instructional DVDs and books to assist you. Along with dance steps, teach students about the history behind certain kinds of dances and the types of music used to accompany the movements. At the end of the unit, let students have a "dance party" to review and practice all the dances they learned.
Introduce students to basic weight lifting techniques to help them build muscle tone and strength. Begin by having students use light hand weights appropriate for their level. Lead students in different kinds of movements, such as bicep curls and triceps extensions. Include other weights such as kettle bells, medicine balls, and weight machines to challenge different muscle groups such as the back, shoulders and legs, and prevent students from growing bored. Encourage students to set goals for themselves, such as increasing their resistance level by 10 percent by the end of the unit.
Mat exercises, such as yoga and Pilates, improve overall body strength, posture, and flexibility. These exercises are optimal if your class has limited equipment, because students only need a mat or towel to complete the movements. Pilates exercises concentrate primarily on strengthening the body's core muscles -- the abdominal muscles and back. Yoga emphasizes stretching and holding poses. Choose one kind of workout for a single lesson, or alternate between the two for a multiple-lesson mat exercise unit. School teachers can order free yoga DVDs and resources for physical education classes through Yoga-recess.org.