B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Active Living and Movement: Moving with Purpose, Safety and SkillMy DPA Workout: Warm-Up, Cool-Down and How Hard I'm Working
B2 A1.1 A1.6About 35 minutes
Learning goals- I can plan 20 minutes of daily physical activity (DPA) with a warm-up, a moderate to vigorous main part and a cool-down.
- I can explain why we warm up before activity and cool down after it.
- I can check how hard I am working with the talk test, my heart rate and a 0 to 10 effort scale.
- I can listen to my body and know when to slow down or stop.
Words to know
warm-up
Easy movement at the start that slowly gets your heart, lungs and muscles ready to work harder.
cool-down
Easy movement at the end that lets your heart rate and breathing slow down gradually.
dynamic stretch
A stretch you do while moving, like arm circles or leg swings. Good for warm-ups.
static stretch
A stretch you hold still for a while, like reaching toward your toes. Good for cool-downs.
intensity
How hard you are working.
effort scale
A 0 to 10 scale for rating how hard an activity feels to you. Also called a rating of perceived exertion.
recovery
How your heart rate and breathing come back down after you stop.
Remember from Grade 4
In Grade 4 you learned that DPA should be moderate to vigorous. You used the talk test: moderate means you can talk but not sing, and vigorous means you can say only a few words. You also found your heart rate in beats per minute by counting your pulse for 15 seconds and multiplying by 4.
This year you will plan a whole DPA yourself, learn why warm-ups and cool-downs matter, and use a new tool: the 0 to 10 effort scale.
Let's start with play dough
Take play dough straight out of a cold room and try to stretch it. It's stiff, and it might crack. Warm it in your hands first, and it stretches easily.
Your muscles are a bit like that. A warm-up gets your body warm and ready before you work hard.
The three parts of DPA
DPA is at least 20 minutes of activity each school day. A good DPA has three parts:
- Warm-up (about 5 minutes): easy, then a little faster.
- Main part (about 10 to 12 minutes): moderate to vigorous activity.
- Cool-down (about 3 to 5 minutes): slower and slower, then gentle stretches.
Watch what happens to your heart rate during the three parts:
Why warm up?
A warm-up:
- raises your heart rate and breathing a little at a time, instead of all at once,
- makes your muscles warmer, so they move more easily,
- may help lower the chance of strains and injuries,
- gets your mind ready and lets you practise moves you are about to use.
Use dynamic movements: marching, jogging on the spot, arm circles, side shuffles, high knees, heel kicks, and leg swings while holding a wall. Start slowly and build up.
Why cool down?
Stopping suddenly after hard exercise can leave you feeling dizzy or wobbly. A cool-down:
- lets your heart rate and breathing come down gradually,
- helps you feel calm and ready for what comes next (like going back to class),
- is a great time for static stretches, when your muscles are warm.
Static stretch rules: hold for about 15 to 30 seconds, breathe slowly, feel a gentle pull, never pain, and no bouncing.
Three ways to check how hard you're working
- The talk test (from Grade 4): Can you sing? Talk? Only say a few words?
- Your heart rate (from Grade 4): count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
- NEW: The effort scale. Ask yourself, "How hard does this feel, from 0 to 10?" There is no wrong answer. It is about your body today.
| Effort | What it feels like | Example |
|---|
| 0 | Resting. No effort at all. | Sitting and reading |
| 1 to 2 | Very easy. You could do this all day. | Slow walk to the mailbox |
| 3 to 4 | Easy. Breathing a little faster. You can still sing. | Warm-up marching |
| 5 to 6 | Moderate. Breathing harder. You can talk but not sing. | Fast walk, easy bike ride |
| 7 to 8 | Vigorous. Huffing and puffing. Only a few words at a time. | Skipping fast, a tag game |
| 9 to 10 | As hard as you can go. You can only keep it up for a short time. | A sprint race |
Recovery: coming back down
When you stop, your heart rate starts to drop. This is called recovery. If you check your heart rate right after stopping and again 1 minute later, you can see how much it came down.
As people get fitter over weeks and months, their heart rate often comes down faster after exercise. It is one clue that the heart and lungs are getting stronger.
Listen to your body
- Slow down if your effort is a 9 or 10 for a long time in DPA. You want to keep going for the whole main part.
- Stop and tell a grown-up if you feel dizzy, have chest pain, feel sick, or can't catch your breath.
- Drink water before, during and after activity.
- If you have asthma, follow your asthma plan and keep your inhaler close.
- Effort numbers are personal. A 6 for you might be a 4 for your friend. That's okay!
Worked exampleLet's plan a 20-minute DPA
Plan a DPA you can do in your yard or living room with a skipping rope.
- Warm-up (4 minutes): 1 minute marching, 1 minute arm circles and side shuffles, 1 minute of high knees and heel kicks, 1 minute of easy jogging on the spot. Effort about 3 to 4.
- Main part (12 minutes): a circuit done twice: 1 minute skipping, 1 minute jumping jacks, 1 minute fast side shuffles, 1 minute fast feet, 1 minute mountain climbers, 1 minute rest-walk. 6 minutes × 2 = 12 minutes. Effort about 6 to 8.
- Cool-down (4 minutes): 2 minutes of slow walking, then hold three stretches (thighs, calves, arms across the chest) for about 20 seconds each, breathing slowly. Effort back down to 1 to 2.
- Check the total: 4 + 12 + 4 = 20 minutes.
A 20-minute DPA: 4-minute warm-up, 12-minute moderate to vigorous circuit, 4-minute cool-down.
Worked exampleLet's read the effort
Noor checks herself three times. Warm-up: she can still sing. Right after 2 minutes of fast skipping: she can only say a few words and counts 36 beats in 15 seconds. One minute later: she counts 26 beats in 15 seconds. What do the clues tell her?
- Warm-up: She can sing, so her effort is about 3 to 4: easy, just right for a warm-up.
- After skipping: Only a few words means vigorous, about 7 to 8. Heart rate: 36 × 4 = 144 bpm.
- One minute later: 26 × 4 = 104 bpm. 144 − 104 = 40 bpm lower. Her heart is recovering.
- What it means: Her skipping was in the vigorous zone, which is great for the main part of DPA.
Noor worked at a vigorous level (144 bpm, effort 7 to 8), and her heart rate came down 40 bpm in one minute of recovery.
Just for funThink 144 beats per minute is fast? A hummingbird's heart can beat more than 1,000 times a minute when it's zooming around. Please don't try to take a hummingbird's pulse for 15 seconds!
Hands-on activityBe the DPA leader
You need: a timer, music (optional), a skipping rope (optional), paper, a pencil and at least one family member.
- Write a 20-minute DPA plan with a warm-up, a main part and a cool-down, like the example. Choose moves you can do safely in your space.
- Lead your family through it. Call out each move and keep time.
- At three moments, everyone says their effort number (0 to 10): at the end of the warm-up, in the middle of the main part, and after the cool-down. Write them down.
- Take your own heart rate right after the main part and 1 minute later. How much did it drop?
- Ask your family: "What did you like? What would you change?" Adjust your plan for next time.
Safety: Clear the space of toys and furniture corners. Skip rope only where there is room above and around you, away from lamps and other people. Wear running shoes or bare feet, not socks on a smooth floor.
Your turn
1Name the three parts of a DPA.
Warm-up, main part (moderate to vigorous), cool-down.
2Give two reasons to warm up.
Any two: raises heart rate and breathing gradually, warms muscles so they move easily, may lower the chance of injury, gets your mind ready, lets you practise skills.
3Give two reasons to cool down.
Any two: lets heart rate and breathing come down gradually, helps you avoid feeling dizzy, helps you feel calm, good time for static stretches.
4Is a leg swing while holding a wall a dynamic or static stretch?
5During DPA you can talk but not sing. About what number are you on the effort scale?
6You count 33 beats in 15 seconds right after a game. What is your heart rate?
7Do it and check: Do 3 minutes of jumping jacks and jogging. Rate your effort and check your heart rate.
Look for: an honest effort number (most people will say about 5 to 8), counting the pulse for 15 seconds with two fingers, and multiplying by 4.
More practice: warm-up
1At least how many minutes is DPA?
2What number on the effort scale means resting?
3Which part of DPA comes first?
4Should a static stretch hurt?
No. You should feel a gentle pull, never pain.
5Is a sprint race about a 2 or about a 9 on the effort scale?
More practice: on your own
1Jayden's plan: 1-minute warm-up, 18 minutes of sprints, no cool-down. What would you change and why?
Make the warm-up longer (about 5 minutes) so his body gets ready, mix in moderate activity instead of only sprints (he can't keep effort 9 to 10 for 18 minutes), and add a cool-down of about 3 to 5 minutes so his heart rate comes down gradually.
2Your heart rate is 140 bpm right after skipping and 100 bpm one minute later. How much did it drop?
40 bpm. 140 − 100 = 40. This is your recovery.
3Why are static stretches better in the cool-down than at the very start?
Muscles are warm after activity, so holding stretches is easier and safer. At the start, moving (dynamic) warm-ups get the body ready better.
4Two friends do the same game. One says effort 5, the other says 8. Is one of them wrong? Explain.
No. The effort scale is personal. People have different fitness, energy and experience, so the same game can feel different.
5Name a winter activity that could be the main part of a DPA, and its likely effort.
Examples: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, a snowball-target game, shovelling snow with a grown-up. Effort about 5 to 8.
Challenge
1Write a 20-minute DPA with minutes for each part, where the main part is a lead-up game. Check the total.
Example: Warm-up 5 min (march, arm circles, shuffles, jog). Main 11 min: 2-on-2 newcomb or 2-on-2 soccer with small goals. Cool-down 4 min (walk, 3 static stretches). 5 + 11 + 4 = 20. Look for all three parts, a moderate to vigorous main part, and a correct total.
2Ali counted for 10 seconds right after running and got 25 beats. What is his heart rate in bpm? Show your thinking.
150 bpm. There are 6 groups of 10 seconds in a minute, so 25 × 6 = 150.
3In September, Ruby's heart rate dropped 25 bpm one minute after skipping. In December, after skipping most days, it dropped 40 bpm. What might this show? Why is it only a clue?
It may show her heart and lungs are getting fitter, because her heart rate recovers faster. It is only a clue because heart rate also changes with sleep, feelings, being sick, heat, and how hard she skipped that day.
Quiz
1. Which is the best order for DPA?
2. Which is a good warm-up move?
3. You can only say a few words at a time. About where are you on the effort scale?
5. You count 30 beats in 15 seconds. What is your heart rate?
6. Which is a rule for static stretches?
Big idea: Grade 5 students take part in 20 minutes of daily physical activity (DPA) that is moderate to vigorous and includes a warm-up and cool-down. This lesson explains why each part matters and adds a new way to monitor intensity: a 0 to 10 effort scale (rating of perceived exertion), alongside the talk test and heart rate from Grade 4. It also introduces recovery heart rate.
How to help at home:
- Let your child lead a family DPA. Follow their plan and give them the job of timekeeper.
- Ask "What's your effort number?" during walks, bike rides or play.
- Encourage water breaks and a proper cool-down instead of stopping suddenly.
Common difficulties:
- Skipping the warm-up or cool-down. Keep them short and fun: a song for the warm-up, a slow walk and stretches for the cool-down.
- Bouncing in stretches. Model slow, held stretches with a gentle pull.
- Thinking a higher number is always better. The main part of DPA should be moderate to vigorous (about 5 to 8), which children can keep up for 10 minutes or more.
- Arithmetic. × 4 is "double, double"; × 6 is "× 3, then double".
Health note: The heart-rate and effort numbers are for learning, not medical checks. Stop activity and seek advice if your child has chest pain, fainting, unusual shortness of breath or dizziness. Children with asthma or other health conditions should follow their care plan.
Social-emotional learning: Noticing and naming how hard their body is working, and choosing to slow down or keep going, builds self-awareness and emotion management; reading heart-rate data builds critical thinking.