Unit 2 — Physical and Motor Fitness

Physical fitness is the ability to carry out daily tasks with energy and alertness, without getting tired too quickly, and still have energy left for play and emergencies. Its components fall into two families.

Health-related fitness keeps the body healthy and lowers the risk of disease:

• Cardiovascular (cardio-respiratory) endurance: how long the heart and lungs can supply oxygen during continuous activity, such as a long run or cycle ride.
• Muscular strength: the greatest force a muscle can produce once, as in lifting a heavy bucket.
• Muscular endurance: how many times, or how long, a muscle can keep working, as in many push-ups or holding a plank.
• Flexibility: the range of movement at a joint, as in touching the toes.
• Body composition: the proportion of fat to muscle, bone and water in the body.

Motor fitness (skill-related fitness) helps you perform skills well in sport:

• Speed: moving quickly from one point to another (a 50 m sprint).
• Agility: changing direction quickly with control (dodging in kho-kho).
• Balance: keeping the body steady, still or moving (standing on one foot, walking a beam).
• Coordination: using body parts together smoothly, often with the eyes (hitting a moving ball).
• Reaction time: how fast you respond to a signal (a sprinter leaving the blocks).
• Power: strength used quickly (a standing broad jump, a smash).

The two families support each other. A kabaddi raider needs endurance to last the match, strength to break free, agility to dodge, and quick reactions to escape a tackle. Every game in this unit trains several components at once, and in the final assessment you will measure most of them with simple tests.

How to use this knowledge: when you play any game, ask, ‘Which components is this training?’ When you test yourself, look for your weakest component and give it extra practice. For safety, build up gradually: endurance with a little more running each week, strength with body-weight exercises, and flexibility with gentle stretches after a warm-up. Fitness built slowly lasts; fitness forced quickly brings injuries.

Crawl to the Front is a relay in which the team moves forward by crawling under each other's legs. Teams of about ten stand one behind another at the starting line, an arm's distance apart, feet spread wide enough to make a tunnel. On the whistle, the last student drops down, crawls through the tunnel of legs to the front, stands up an arm's length ahead of the line and shouts ‘Next!’. The new last student then crawls through, and so on. Because each crawler finishes in front, the whole line creeps forward until every member has crossed the finish line. The first team across wins.

The game trains several things at once:

• Agility: dropping to the ground and getting up again quickly.
• Coordination: moving opposite hand and knee together in the crawl.
• Muscular endurance of shoulders, arms, core and thighs.
• Teamwork and communication: a clear ‘Next!’ and a steady tunnel make everyone faster.

The circle-time theme is time management, which simply means using time well. Ask: where was time lost? Usually it is not the crawling but the gaps: a slow drop to the ground, a crawler who stands up too close and blocks the tunnel, or a late start because the call was not heard. Small fixes save seconds: crawl low on hands and knees with the head down, stand up only after your feet are clear of the last person, step a full arm's length forward, and shout loudly. Your team can try two or three ways of crawling and time each run to find the best.

Safety and fair play:

• Play on grass, a mat or a clean, smooth floor; check for stones first.
• Those making the tunnel keep their legs still and wide; never close the legs on a crawler.
• Crawlers keep the head tucked to avoid bumping a knee.
• No pushing or jumping the queue.

The same idea of time management applies off the field: break a big task into steps, find where time is being wasted, and fix one step at a time.

Rock-Paper-Championship Run joins the hand game rock-paper-scissors with running. A path of hula hoops or markers is laid on the ground, straight or zig-zag, with the same number on each half. The second-to-last hoop at each end is marked with a different colour; this is the scoring hoop. Two teams line up at opposite ends.

How to play:

• On the start, the first player of each team runs forward, hopping or stepping into each hoop.
• Where the two players meet, they play one round of rock-paper-scissors (rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, paper beats rock).
• The winner keeps moving forward along the hoops. The loser runs back to the end of their own team's line.
• As soon as a player loses, the next player of that team sets off to challenge the advancing opponent.
• A player who reaches the coloured scoring hoop on the opponents' side scores a point. Both teams then reset and a new round begins.

The game develops speed, agility (feet moving accurately through the hoops), reaction time and quick decision-making. The loser's team must react instantly: the faster the next runner sets off, the closer to home they meet the opponent and the less ground is lost.

The circle-time theme is perception: noticing and interpreting what is happening. What affects the result? Some factors are under your control: how quickly you start, how cleanly you move through the hoops, how alert your team is. Some are chance: the hand game itself. Good players control what they can. They also notice patterns; for instance, some opponents repeat the same choice when under pressure.

Safety: hoops should be laid flat on grass or a non-slip floor, and players step in the centre of each hoop to avoid tripping on the edge. Leave space at the ends so that returning losers do not crash into the next runner. Keep the hand game to one quick round; no arguing over the result. Losing a round is part of the game, and running back with a smile shows good sportsmanship.

A real triathlon joins three sports: swimming, cycling and running. The school Modified Triathlon keeps the idea of three stages in one race, but the stages test skill instead of endurance.

Course: a start/finish line and a 10 m zig-zag of cones.

• Stage 1, dribble: dribble a football with the feet through the zig-zag, keeping it close.
• Stage 2, balance on the head: pick up a light object (a piece of cardboard, an old notebook or a school bag) and walk back towards the start balancing it on your head. If it falls, stop, replace it and continue.
• Stage 3, crawl: place the object on your back and crawl on hands and knees towards the finish without letting it fall.
• At the end, drop the object, pick up the football, run back and pass it to the next teammate. All teammates take a turn; the first team to finish wins.

Each stage trains a different motor-fitness component:

The circle-time theme is introspection: looking honestly at your own performance. Which of the three stages was your best? Which needs most practice? Speed matters, but so does precision: a dropped object costs more time than walking a little slower. Many students find that trying hard at every stage with full control gives them a real sense of happiness, even if they are not first.

Safety: use only light, soft objects (never anything heavy or sharp); keep the crawling area free of stones; leave space between teams; dribble with control so the ball does not fly into other lanes. Children who find crawling difficult can do the third stage walking while balancing the object on a flat palm.

Pass, Sit and Score is a fast passing game for teams of six. Each team has a small goal (two cones or a mini goal) at its end of the field.

How to play:

• Five players stand in a straight line, an arm's distance apart. The sixth, the passer, stands in front facing them with the ball, with the goal behind the passer.
• The passer throws the ball to the first player, who catches it, returns it and immediately sits down.
• The passer then throws to the second player, who returns it and sits, and so on down the line.
• When the last player returns the ball, the passer turns and kicks it at the goal.
• Players rotate so that everyone has a turn as passer. The team with the most goals wins.

Sitting down makes it clear who has played, and it adds strategy: the passer must throw accurately to a player further and further away.

The circle-time theme is muscle involvement. Feel which muscles do each part of the action:

Technique tips: for a chest pass, hold the ball with fingers spread, thumbs behind, elbows out, then step forward and push the arms straight, finishing with thumbs pointing down. To catch, show your hands as a target, watch the ball into them and bend the elbows to ‘give’ with it. To kick, place the non-kicking foot beside the ball and strike with the inside of the foot for accuracy.

Safety: pass only when the receiver is looking and ready; use a soft ball; sit down carefully, not by dropping; and kick only when no one is standing in front of the goal. Judge your skill by counting how many passes in a row are caught cleanly.

The core is the group of muscles around the trunk that holds the spine and pelvis steady and passes force between the arms and legs. The main core muscles are the rectus abdominis (the ‘six-pack’ muscle at the front), the external and internal obliques (at the sides, for twisting and bending sideways), the transverse abdominis (a deep belt-like layer), the quadratus lumborum (deep in the lower back, beside the spine) and the multifidus (small muscles along the spine). A strong core improves balance and posture, makes every throw and kick more powerful and protects the lower back.

In the Crab Crawl Ball Relay, teams of about ten form a line, every player in the crab position: sitting, then lifting the hips so that only the hands (behind the body, fingers pointing towards the feet) and the feet are on the ground, with the belly facing upwards. The last player holds the ball. On the start signal, the ball is rolled under the bodies from one player to the next, each player passing it on without leaving the crab position. When the ball reaches the front player, that player picks it up, runs to the back, gets into the crab position again and starts the ball rolling once more. The relay ends when the original first player is back at the front.

Why it is hard: gravity. Gravity pulls the hips down towards the ground all the time. To keep the hips lifted, the gluteals, hamstrings, back muscles, shoulders and triceps must work continuously, while the core keeps the trunk from sagging or twisting. This kind of work, holding a position without moving, is called isometric (static) muscle work. The lower your hips drop, the more gravity wins.

Technique and safety:

• Hands shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing towards the feet, to protect the wrists.
• Feet flat and hip-width apart, knees bent at about 90°.
• Keep the hips level; breathe normally, do not hold your breath.
• If your wrists hurt, rest on the floor briefly and continue; students with wrist problems can play sitting.
• Play on grass or mats.

To check progress, time how long you can hold a level crab position; try again after two weeks of practice.

The Hitting Running Target Game is based on a traditional Indian target game, updated for today. A rectangular playing area is marked with 6-10 markers. A roller stands at one end and rolls a large ball (the target) between two parallel lines. The throwers stand to the side of the lane, 5-10 metres away. The roller calls ‘gool-gool’ (or ‘going-going’) as the ball sets off. When the target passes in front of them, the throwers try to hit it with smaller balls such as tennis balls. A fielder at the far end stops the target ball and returns it to the roller once all thrown balls have been collected.

The game trains hand-eye coordination and object control, but the real skill is anticipation: you must throw at where the ball will be, not where it is now. A rolling ball keeps moving while your ball is in the air, so you aim ahead of it. This is called leading the target, and it is used by fielders throwing at the stumps, footballers passing to a running teammate and goalkeepers diving.

Safety rule that must never be broken: no one enters the lane to fetch balls until the teacher or roller gives the ‘OK’ signal. Throwers stay behind their line, throw only at the target and never at a person, and use soft balls.

Inclusion. A good game lets everyone play. For children with disabilities (often called CWSN, children with special needs) the rules can be adapted:

• For a student with limited vision, use a ball with a bell inside so the target can be heard, and let a partner call the timing.
• For a student with limited grip strength, allow rolling the ball or an underhand throw.
• A student using a wheelchair can be a thrower at a closer distance or the roller.

These changes do not make the game ‘easier’; they make it fair, so that each player faces a real challenge suited to them. In circle time, talk about which adaptations worked, and set a personal goal: for example, three hits out of ten next session, up from one.

Good sportsmanship: cheer good throws by any team, admit misses honestly and do not boast about hits.

Kick Volleyball takes the idea of volleyball but replaces the hands with the feet. It is close to sepak takraw, a sport played in South-East Asia and in India's north-east, and to the foot-volley games boys and girls play in parks.

How to play:

• Two teams of 5-6 players stand on either side of a net or rope set low, about 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) high.
• The ball is kicked over the net to start a rally.
• Each team may touch the ball up to three times before sending it over, just like volleyball. Players may use feet, knees, thighs or chest, but not hands or arms.
• A point is won when the ball lands in the opponents' court, or when they kick it out or into the net.
• Play for 10-15 minutes, changing teams or ends every 5 minutes for fairness. Variations include a different net height, a ‘keep it up’ challenge, or scoring as many points as possible in a fixed time.

Skills:

• Foot-eye coordination: watching the ball onto the foot.
• Agility and balance: standing on one leg while the other kicks.
• Teamwork and communication: call ‘Mine!’ to avoid two players going for the same ball, and use the three touches to set up an attack.

Technique: for control, use the inside of the foot (the flat part, like a football pass) with the ankle locked, and kick gently upwards rather than hard. Bend the standing knee slightly. To cushion a dropping ball, raise the thigh and let the ball drop on it, then on to the foot. A three-touch pattern that works well: first touch to control, second to lift the ball high near the net, third to kick it over into an empty space.

Safety: warm up hips, hamstrings and calves first (lunges, butt kicks); keep kicks below head height so you never kick near another player's face; call for the ball loudly; do not climb on or pull the net; play on grass or a soft surface. Control matters more than power: a wild kick loses the point and can hurt someone.

In circle time, share which techniques and strategies worked and how your team handled the hardest moments, such as a long losing streak.

In Ropeless Tug of War the team itself becomes the rope. Two teams of equal numbers, matched by height and weight, face each other across a centre line, standing about one foot (30 cm) from it. Each player holds the waist of the teammate in front. The two front players grip each other's forearms near the elbows. On the whistle, both teams pull, using body weight and leg strength, trying to pull the opposing front player across the centre line. The chain must stay connected; a team whose chain breaks loses the round. Variations: a circle version (pull the other team out of a circle), a timed version (who holds their ground longest), and mixed-strength teams for inclusion.

Technique: pull with the legs, not the arms. The legs are far stronger than the arms. Lean back, bend the knees, keep the feet apart for a wide base, and push into the ground as if walking backwards. Arms stay mostly straight and act like hooks. Much of the muscle work is isometric: muscles working hard while the body hardly moves, as when you push against a wall. Compare pushing a wall with holding a water bottle at arm's length for a minute: both tire you even though nothing moves.

Safety:

• Teams must be evenly matched in size and strength.
• Pull steadily; never jerk, and never let go suddenly, because the other team will fall backwards.
• Hold the waist or sides, never the neck or clothes.
• Play on grass; remove watches and bangles. Stop at once on the whistle.

Cooperation and social loafing. A team wins only when everyone pulls together at the same moment. Psychologists describe social loafing: people tend to put in less effort in a group than when working alone, because they feel their effort will not be noticed. The opposite effect, social facilitation, is that many people perform better when others are watching. In tug of war, one ‘loafer’ makes the whole chain weaker. Good teams prevent loafing with a rhythm call (‘one-two-PULL’), by giving each player a clear role, and by noticing and praising effort.

In circle time, honestly ask yourself: did I give my full effort? Did anyone hold back, and how did it affect the result?

Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical processes in the body, including how it turns food into energy and uses that energy. Even at rest, the body uses energy to breathe, pump blood, keep warm and repair cells; this is the basal metabolic rate. Physical activity adds much more energy use on top. Muscle tissue uses more energy than fat tissue even at rest, so active people with more muscle tend to use more energy all day.

Two lifestyle habits work against a healthy metabolism: unhealthy food (lots of sugar, fried snacks, packaged chips and sweet drinks, which give energy without much nutrition) and avoiding exercise (long hours sitting with screens). When more energy is eaten than used, the extra is stored as fat, the person may feel sluggish, and over years the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease rises. Regular activity and balanced meals of grains, dal, vegetables, fruit, milk or curd, and some nuts keep energy steady.

Swasthya Daud (health run) turns this into a tag game. A large circle of cones is divided into a playing zone and an exercise zone, with a cone labelled ‘exercise’ inside the exercise zone. Two students are chasers (denners): Denner 1 is unhealthy food and chases players in the playing zone; Denner 2 is the urge to avoid exercise and guards the exercise zone.

• Everyone starts running freely in the playing zone: this stands for a high, healthy metabolism.
• A player tagged by Denner 2 for the first time must go back to the playing zone and may only jog (moderate metabolism).
• A player tagged again (by Denner 1 and then Denner 2 a second time) may only walk (low metabolism).
• A player who reaches and touches the exercise cone without being tagged gets back the right to run: exercise restores energy.
• Denners change every ten minutes.

The game shows the message in your legs: poor choices slow you down, and getting to exercise, even though something tries to stop you, speeds you up again.

Safety: tag gently on the shoulder or back, never push; keep to the circle; drink water after the game, which involves a lot of running.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a quick number that compares a person's weight with their height, to estimate whether their weight is in a healthy range. It is calculated as:

BMI = weight in kilograms ÷ (height in metres)²

The unit is kg/m². Note that height must be in metres: 152 cm is 1.52 m.

The standard classification (used for adults) is:

Obesity means having so much body fat that it harms health. It raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, joint pain and breathing problems. Being underweight also carries risks: low energy, weak immunity and weak bones.

An important note for your age. Your body is still growing, and boys and girls grow at different rates. For children and teenagers, doctors compare BMI with BMI-for-age charts for their age and sex, rather than using the adult table directly. So use the table above as a rough guide for planning healthy habits, not as a final judgement. BMI also cannot tell muscle from fat: a muscular athlete can have a high BMI and still be very fit. Waist size and fitness tests add to the picture.

How to measure accurately: weigh yourself in light clothes without shoes, in the morning if possible; measure height standing straight against a wall, heels together, without shoes, using a flat book on your head to mark the wall. Record to one decimal place.

Using your result. Whatever your BMI, plan the next month around healthy habits: at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily, balanced meals, fewer sugary drinks and packaged snacks, and 8-10 hours of sleep. Never start crash dieting or skipping meals; growing bodies need regular, nutritious food. Treat BMI as private information and never tease anyone about weight; talk to a doctor or the school nurse if you are worried.

To improve fitness you need to measure it. The method is simple: test to get a baseline (your starting score), set a goal, train, and retest after some weeks. Compare only with your own baseline.

Testing rules for fair, safe results:

• Warm up fully before testing and cool down after.
• Test under the same conditions each time: same time of day, same surface, same shoes.
• Count only correct repetitions: push-ups with the body straight and chest close to the ground; squats with thighs nearly parallel to the ground.
• In the sit-and-reach, move slowly and do not bounce.
• Do not do the 600 m and the sprint on the same day if you are not used to them. Stop if you feel unwell.
• A partner records times and counts; the teacher sets up the course.

Setting a good goal: make it specific and realistic, as in the sample goals above. Then plan practice: three short sessions a week on your weakest component, with rest days between hard sessions. After four to six weeks, retest and reflect: Which area improved most? What was the biggest challenge? What will you do next? Celebrate any improvement; fitness grows step by step.