Up, Down, Stop, Go
Narrator: Welcome to Adult Recess. Our bodies and our brains are connected. Moving our bodies in a mindful way helps stimulate our brains and regulate our emotions. And engaging in play is healthy for us at any age. Let's start with a little stretch to wake us up. You can do this seated or standing. Either way, make sure you can move your arms in a circle around you without bumping into anything.
OK, reach your arms way up over your head into the sky. Now try to reach one hand even higher into the air. Do you feel that in your rib cage? Now reach your other hand higher. Switch back and forth a couple of times. Good. Now put one hand at your side, and your other hand up over your head and lean across so you bend to the side. Once you're bent to the side, reach with those fingers to stretch. A little bit more.
Now switch hands. And bend to the other side. Slide your free hand down your leg. Try wiggling your fingers and stretching just a little more. Good. Now put both hands on your knees. Gently bend over and slide your hands down the front of your legs. When you feel like you can't bend any further, just hold there. Take three deep breaths. Really breathe into your lower back or wherever you feel tight.
Good. Now use your hands to help you straighten back up. Nice work. Today's game is called Up, Down, Stop, Go. The rules are pretty simple. When you hear me say, "up" you put your hands way up in the air. When you hear me say, "down," you put your hands on your knees. When you hear me say, "stop," you freeze in place.
Extra points for making a silly freeze. And when you hear me say, "go," you run in place. Down. That's right, hands on knees. Up. Yep, hands in the air. Go! Running in place. Stop. Freeze where you are. Now we'll mix it up. Go. Stop. Up. Go. Down. Stop. Up. Go. Up. Down. Stop. Nice. Now we're going to try to make it a little trickier. You're going to do the opposite of what I say. When I say "up," you put your hands on your knees. When I say "down," you put your hands in the air. When I say "stop," you start running in place. And when I say "go," you freeze. Ready? Stop.
Go. Down. Up.
Down. Stop. Up. Go. Okay, a little faster. Stop. Up. Down. Go.
Stop. Down. Up. Up. Down.
Go. Stop. Up. Go. Heh heh. Nicely done. Time for reflection.
Gently close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Nice. Think about this session so far. How did you feel before we got started? How did your body feel? What were you thinking about? How did moving your body change things? What did you notice when you were stretching? What did you notice when we were playing the game? How might creating an opportunity for movement help the children in your life? OK. Let's take three more deep breaths. And open your eyes when you're ready. Nice work playing. Have a great day.
This video begins with gentle stretching before playing Up, Down, Stop, Go. It's a fun, fast-paced game that will strengthen the connection between your brain and body. Slow down at the end with some mindful reflection time.
