B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Train, Plan, Stay Safe and Play Smart

Twenty Minutes Strong: Designing a Warm-Up, Main Part and Cool-Down

B2 A1.2 A1.1About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can take part in at least 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, to the best of my ability.
I can design a warm-up that fits the activity I am about to do.
I can lead a cool-down that brings my heart rate down and helps me feel calm.
I can check my effort with the talk test, the effort scale and my heart rate.

Words to know

warm-up
5 to 10 minutes of easier movement that slowly raises your heart rate, warms your muscles and gets your joints moving before harder activity.

activity-specific warm-up
A part of the warm-up that uses movements like the ones in the main activity, for example easy passing before soccer.

dynamic stretch
A controlled moving stretch, like leg swings or arm circles. Good for warm-ups.

static stretch
A stretch you hold still, usually for 15 to 30 seconds. Good for cool-downs.

cool-down
5 to 10 minutes of easier movement and stretching that lets your heart rate and breathing return toward normal.

effort scale
A 0 to 10 rating of how hard you are working: 0 is resting, 10 is all-out.

Remember from Grade 5 and Grade 6

You already know a DPA session has three parts: a warm-up, a moderate to vigorous main part, and a cool-down. You checked effort with the talk test, your heart rate and the 0 to 10 effort scale, and in Grade 6 you built continuous and interval main parts.

In Grade 7 you become the designer and leader: you'll plan warm-ups that match the activity, and cool-downs that help both your body and your mind.

Hook: a cold-engine morning

On a cold January morning, a car engine runs roughly for the first minute. Your body is a bit like that. If you sprint straight out the door, your muscles are cool and stiff, your heart rate jumps suddenly, and you feel heavy and out of breath.

A good warm-up gets your body ready step by step, so the main part feels better and you are less likely to strain a muscle.

A 30-minute DPA plan: warm-up 5 minutes, main part 20 minutes, cool-down 5 minutes. The height of each bar shows effort: the main part is the hardest.

Design a great warm-up (5 to 10 minutes)

Raise: start with easy whole-body movement that gets your heart rate up gradually: marching, light jogging, easy skipping.
Mobilize: move joints through their range with dynamic stretches: arm circles, leg swings, hip circles, walking lunges, trunk twists.
Activity-specific: do easy versions of what's coming: gentle passes before ultimate, side shuffles before badminton, slow dance steps before a dance routine.
Build up: finish with a few short, quicker bursts so you are ready for full effort.

Save long held stretches for the cool-down. Before activity, moving stretches prepare you better.

The four steps of a warm-up, in order. Effort climbs gradually, so your body is ready when the main part starts.

Check	Moderate	Vigorous
Talk test	You can talk, but not sing	You can only say a few words before pausing for breath
Effort scale (0 to 10)	About 5 to 6	About 7 to 8
Body signs	Breathing harder, warm	Breathing hard and fast, sweating, heart pounding
Examples	Brisk walking, easy cycling, skating at a steady pace	Running, fast skipping, soccer, cross-country skiing uphill

Two levels of activity that count toward DPA. Effort numbers are personal: what feels like a 7 for you might feel like a 5 for someone else.

Design a cool-down (5 to 10 minutes)

Slow down gradually: jog to a walk, then a slow walk. Stopping suddenly after hard activity can make some people feel dizzy.
Stretch: hold static stretches for about 15 to 30 seconds each, gently, with no bouncing and no pain. Stretch the muscles you used most.
Breathe: finish with slow breathing, like breathing in for 4 counts and out for 6. This tells your body it's time to calm down.

Moving helps your mind too

Being active can lift your mood and help with stress. Many people notice they feel calmer and think more clearly after a walk or a game. A calm cool-down is a great time to notice how you feel.

Know tough from unsafe

Feeling out of breath and tired is normal in the main part. Stop and tell a grown-up if you feel dizzy, have chest pain, feel sick, or can't catch your breath. If you have asthma, keep your inhaler nearby and follow your plan. On hot days, drink water and take breaks in the shade.

Worked example

Let's design a warm-up for ultimate

Your group is about to play 25 minutes of ultimate in the park. Design a 7-minute warm-up.

Raise (2 minutes): easy jog around the field edge, then side shuffles and backward jogging (watching behind you).
Mobilize (2 minutes): arm circles both ways, trunk twists, leg swings (forward and sideways, holding a partner's shoulder), walking lunges.
Activity-specific (2 minutes): short backhand and forehand throws with a partner, a few jog-and-catch leads.
Build up (1 minute): three short 10-metre sprints at growing speed: half, three-quarters, then almost full.

The warm-up raises heart rate gradually, moves the joints used in ultimate, and practises throwing, catching and cutting, so players are ready for the game.

Worked example

Let's check effort during the main part

During a 20-minute skipping and jogging circuit, Noor can say "This... is... hard" but can't speak a full sentence. She counts 40 beats in 15 seconds. How hard is she working?

Talk test: only a few words at a time means vigorous.
Heart rate: 40 × 4 = 160 beats per minute.
Effort scale: this matches about a 7 or 8.

Noor is working at a vigorous level. That's fine for intervals; for a steady 20 minutes she might ease to a moderate pace part of the time so she can keep going.

Just for fun

Funny but true: at 160 beats per minute, like Noor in the example, your heart beats more than twice every second. Try clapping that fast for 20 minutes and you'll see what a hard-working muscle it is!

Hands-on activity

Lead your own 30-minute DPA

You need: a timer, running shoes, water, and a safe space (a yard, a park, a driveway away from traffic, or a cleared room). A grown-up or sibling can join as your "class".

Warm up (5 minutes): lead the four warm-up steps: raise, mobilize, activity-specific, build up.
Main part (20 minutes): choose a circuit, such as 2 minutes each of skipping (or pretend skipping), jogging on the spot, jumping jacks, side shuffles and a dance to one song, repeated. Use the talk test every 5 minutes.
Cool down (5 minutes): slow walk, then hold stretches for your calves, thighs (front and back), hips, shoulders and chest for about 20 seconds each. End with 5 slow breaths.
Afterwards, write: your effort at minute 5, 10, 15 and 20, and how you felt before and after (energy and mood).

Safety: Clear the space of tripping hazards. Stretch gently; never stretch into pain. Drink water. On hot or smoggy days, move indoors or into the shade.

Your turn

Name the four steps of a well-designed warm-up.

Is a leg swing a dynamic or static stretch? When should you do it?

You can talk but not sing while cycling. Is that moderate or vigorous?

Your 15-second pulse count is 35. What is your heart rate in beats per minute?

Why should you slow down gradually instead of stopping suddenly after hard running?

Give an activity-specific warm-up move for badminton.

How long should you usually hold a static stretch in a cool-down?

More practice: warm-up

How long should DPA's main part be?

What does a cool-down help your heart rate do?

On the 0 to 10 effort scale, what is 0?

Name one sign that you must stop and tell a grown-up.

Name one muscle group to stretch after jogging.

More practice: on your own

Diego's warm-up is: sit and hold a toe-touch for 1 minute, then sprint. What would you change?

Design a 5-minute activity-specific warm-up for a skipping-rope routine.

Your heart rate was 84 before activity, 152 at the end of the main part, and 108 two minutes into the cool-down. What does this tell you?

Explain how a cool-down can help with stress, not just with your body.

It's 31°C and humid. How should you change your DPA plan?

Challenge

A DPA session is 6 minutes warm-up, a main part of 4 rounds of (3 minutes work + 1 minute recovery walk), and 5 minutes cool-down. How long is it? Does the main part meet 20 minutes?

Explain why the activity-specific part of a warm-up matters, using two different activities as examples.

Lead a cool-down for a friend who is feeling upset after losing a game. What would you say and do?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which belongs in a warm-up?

You can say only a few words before pausing for breath. You are working at a:

Your 15-second pulse count is 30. Your heart rate is:

Which is the best activity-specific warm-up before soccer?

What should you do in a cool-down?

During DPA you feel chest pain. You should:

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 7 students participate in at least 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily, with appropriate warm-up and cool-down. This lesson moves from following a routine to designing and leading one.

How to help at home:

Let your child lead a family warm-up before a walk, bike ride or game.
Practise taking a pulse together (two fingers on the wrist below the thumb, or gently on the side of the neck; count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4).
Notice moods before and after activity together.

Common difficulties:

Skipping the warm-up or cool-down. Keep them short but don't drop them.
Long held stretches before activity. Teach moving (dynamic) stretches first, held stretches after.
Going too hard too early. Use the talk test to pace.

Safety: Check the space, weather and water. Children with asthma, allergies or heart conditions should follow their care plans. Stop for dizziness, chest pain or trouble breathing.

Social-emotional learning: Using movement and breathing to calm down builds coping and stress management (A1.2) and helps with identifying and managing emotions (A1.1).