Stretching Like Spaghetti

Imagine a piece of uncooked spaghetti. It's hard and snaps if you bend it! Our muscles can be like that before we play. But after we warm up and stretch, they become like cooked spaghetti—soft, bendy, and ready for fun. Stretching helps keep our bodies safe from ouchies so we can run, jump, and play our best!

Before you run or play a big game, you need to wake up your muscles! This is called a warm-up. It's like telling your body, 'Get ready for fun!'Start by wiggling your fingers and toes.March in place for one minute, lifting your knees.Do slow arm circles, first forward, then backward.Now your body is warm and ready for some gentle stretches!

After you've had fun playing, your body is warm but needs to relax. This is called a cool-down. It's the perfect time to stretch like cooked spaghetti because your muscles are super ready to be bendy.Find a quiet spot to sit or stand.Take a big, slow breath in and out.Do your stretches slowly and gently.This helps your body feel less tired tomorrow!