Flexibility in PE: 10 Stretches and 12 Ways to Teach Flexibility in Physical Education
Updated: 15 hours ago
PE is an important part of a child's education, and it's the perfect place to build healthy habits and skills at a young age. One part of fitness that often gets overlooked is flexibility. Flexibility is the range of motion of a joint or group of joints, and it can be improved with regular stretching. Better flexibility brings lots of benefits, including better range of motion, better posture, a lower risk of injury, and better performance in sports and activities.
When PE teachers teach flexibility, they help students improve their overall health and well-being. Stretching should be adjusted to each student's needs, since every student has a different level of flexibility. In this post, I'll explain why flexibility matters in PE, share 10 stretches students can do, and give you 12 ways to teach flexibility in your PE classes.
Quick Answer: Flexibility is the range of motion around a joint, and it's one of the five health-related components of fitness. In PE, use moving stretches like leg swings and arm circles in warm-ups, and static stretches held 10 to 30 seconds in cool-downs. Yoga, circuits, Four Corner Fitness, stretching games, and fitness tests also build flexibility.
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What Is Flexibility?
Flexibility is the range of motion in a joint or group of joints. It's the ability of your muscles and joints to stretch and move freely without discomfort or pain. It's one of the health-related components of fitness and helps keep the body healthy and prevent injuries. In PE, students build flexibility through stretching and controlled movements that increase how far their joints can move.
Flexibility activities in PE include yoga, gymnastics, circuit exercises, moving stretches in warm-ups, partner stretches, and static stretches in cool-downs. These activities are a great way for students to improve their range of motion, flexibility, and overall fitness.
Benefits of Flexibility Activities in PE
Flexibility exercises are great for physical and mental health. Here are some of the benefits:
1. Lower Risk of Injury: Tight muscles and joints can lead to strains and sprains, especially during physical activity. Better flexibility helps students move safely and lowers their risk of injury.
2. Better Movement and Performance: Flexibility improves range of motion, which helps students move more freely and with better balance and coordination. That helps them learn new skills and movements with more control.
3. Better Posture: Tight muscles can pull the body out of line and lead to aches and pains. Flexibility exercises help relax tight muscles so the spine and limbs can line up the way they should.
4. Range of Motion: Regular stretching improves the range of motion in the major muscle groups, so students can reach, bend, twist, and stride more easily in games and sports.
5. Relaxation and Well-Being: Kids spend lots of time sitting in class or in front of screens. Stretching helps relax tight muscles and calm the mind, which can help students focus and lower their stress.
Do Flexibility Activities Help Meet PE Standards?
Yes! Flexibility activities help students work toward SHAPE America's Standard 2: Applies knowledge related to movement and fitness concepts.* They also support Standard 4: Develops personal skills, identifies personal benefits of movement and chooses healthy opportunities for movement.* Stretching routines and other flexibility exercises help students reach their health and fitness goals and give them the knowledge and skills they need for a healthy, active life.
The Two Main Types of Stretching for PE
Knowing the two main types of stretching and when to use each one is key to planning great PE lessons. Let's take a look:
Moving Stretches (Active Stretching)
Moving stretches take the muscles through their full range of motion with controlled, active movements. They often look like the movements students will use in the activity and get the body ready to work. Moving stretches are best for warm-ups because they raise body temperature, increase blood flow, and wake up the muscles. They also help with range of motion and coordination. Examples include leg swings, arm circles, and walking lunges.
Static Stretching
Static stretching is very common in PE. Students hold a stretch for about 10 to 30 seconds. Static stretches are great for improving flexibility and range of motion, and they help relax tight muscles. They work best in a cool-down after activity, when muscles are warm. Examples include hamstring, quad, and calf stretches.
Examples of Flexibility Exercises
Here are 10 flexibility exercises (fitness task cards) you can use in your PE lessons:
Hamstring Stretch: Stand tall, grab your knee, and pull it up toward your chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.
Downward Dog: Start on your hands and knees and walk your hands a few inches forward. Curl your toes under and slowly press your hips up toward the ceiling to make an upside-down V.
Straddle Stretch: Sit on the floor with your legs apart in a straddle. Reach forward and hold the stretch for 15 seconds.
Low Lunge: Take a giant step forward and bend your front knee to 90 degrees, keeping your front shin straight up and down. Reach your arms straight up over your head.
Butterflies: Sit with the soles of your feet together. Gently press your knees down with your elbows and hold the stretch.
Leg Swings: Swing your right leg forward and back, then switch and swing your left leg.
Child's Pose: Sit back on your heels and fold your body forward. Rest your forehead on the floor and stretch your arms out in front of you.
Runner's Stretch: Sit down and bring the sole of your right foot to the inside of your left thigh. Hinge forward from your hips over your left leg and reach your arms forward.
Quad Stretch: Stand tall, grab your foot, and pull it up behind you toward your backside. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.
Warrior Stretch: Stand with your legs wide apart. Turn your left foot out 90 degrees and your right foot in slightly. Reach your arms out to the sides and bend your left knee to 90 degrees.
You can find the flexibility task card visuals shown above in my TPT store: PE Fitness Components: 24 Flexibility Task Cards
12 Ways to Teach Flexibility in PE
There are lots of ways to help students improve their flexibility in PE. Here are 12 ways to add flexibility to your lesson plans:
1. Warm-Ups (Moving Stretches): A warm-up with moving stretches uses controlled movements that slowly increase range of motion, like arm circles, leg swings, and walking lunges. They get the muscles ready to work and are a great way to start any activity or sport.
2. Four Corner Fitness (Instant Activity): Students travel between the four corners of the gym using different locomotor movements. At each corner, they do a flexibility exercise (moving or static) like arm circles, hamstring stretches, butterflies, or leg swings for 10 to 30 seconds before moving on. It makes a great instant activity.
3. Paper Plate Activate: Spread laminated paper plates around the gym, each with a flexibility exercise. For a full workout, add plates for cardio, muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, and other components of fitness. Play upbeat music and rotate students to a new plate every 20 to 30 seconds.
4. Circuit Training: Circuit training is a great way to mix flexibility with strength or cardio. For example, students might do 10 to 12 squats and then hold a seated hamstring stretch for 30 seconds. Students rotate from station to station for a set amount of time. My Flexibility Fitness Circuit cards make it easy.
5. Fidget Spinner Fitness: Make a pie chart visual with a flexibility movement (or other fitness exercise) in each slice. Students spin a fidget spinner in the middle of the board, and whatever it lands on is the exercise to do. The spinner also works as a timer: students move while it spins!
6. Yoga and Mindfulness: Yoga is a great way to help students improve flexibility and balance while lowering stress. Students stretch into different poses that build flexibility and calm the mind. Try poses like Downward Dog, Warrior, Triangle, and Cat-Cow, holding each for 10 to 30 seconds. My yoga in PE post has 20 poses to try.
7. Relays: Flexibility fits right into relays, especially while students wait their turn. In small groups, students can do a stretch like a standing quad stretch while a teammate travels to the end line and back. It keeps everyone active and mixes flexibility with locomotor and manipulative skills. You can also get creative and build flexibility right into the relay, like Nick Spencer does in the video below.
Video by Nick Spencer @PE4Life_Spencer
8. Pilates: Pilates focuses on core strength, flexibility, and balance. It connects the body and mind with a focus on breathing and good form. Controlled Pilates movements improve flexibility, body awareness, and muscle control, and some, like Rolling Like a Ball, work well for younger kids.
9. Stretching Games and Activities: Adding stretching to games makes flexibility fun, especially for younger kids. Tag games, limbo, and animal movement games get students stretching while they move and get the whole class involved. With older students, try cooperative games with resistance bands or balance boards. These activities boost activity, creativity, and fun.
Video by April Baugh @baugha
10. Playground Play: The playground is a great place to build flexibility, especially for younger kids. Hanging from monkey bars, climbing, and reaching on playground equipment build upper body strength and help students become more limber.
11. Cool-Downs (Static Stretches): Static stretching means holding a stretch for a set time, like a hamstring stretch, sit and reach, or quad stretch. It lengthens the muscles and increases range of motion, and it's perfect for a cool-down after activity.
12. Fitness Testing: Fitness tests let students see how their flexibility improves over time. FitnessGram uses the back-saver sit and reach and the shoulder stretch to measure flexibility, and the trunk lift checks trunk strength and flexibility. Students can use their results as motivation to keep stretching and stay active.
Pic by Dana G @MissG_PE
Final Thoughts
PE plays an important role in helping students improve their flexibility and overall fitness. There are lots of activities, exercises, and games you can use to build flexibility while keeping class fun. From yoga and Pilates to playground play and cool-down stretches, there's no shortage of ways to build flexibility in your gym.
Fitness testing is also a great way to help students stay motivated and track their progress. Over time, these activities lead to better movement, a lower risk of injury, and a greater sense of well-being, all leading to healthier habits. As always, teach proper stretching technique and safety. For more fitness ideas, check out my muscular strength and power and muscular endurance posts.
Pic by Diamond View Elementary PE @DiamondViewPE
How do you teach flexibility in your PE program? What are your favorite warm-up and cool-down stretches? Share your ideas in the comments below!
*National Physical Education Standards are used under license from SHAPE America. © 2024, SHAPE America, https://www.shapeamerica.org/. All rights reserved.
Need Resources?
Do you need PE components of fitness task cards for your PE program with clear instructions and great graphics and visuals?
Fill in the form below to download 20 FREE Components of Fitness Task Cards. The set is a PDF digital download with two cards from each of these fitness sets: 1. Cardiovascular Endurance, 2. Flexibility, 3. Muscular Endurance, 4. Muscular Strength, 5. Agility, 6. Balance, 7. Coordination, 8. Power, 9. Reaction Time, and 10. Speed.
They're simple to use and great for teaching PE fitness movements. Just print, laminate, cut them out, and place them around your teaching space.
If you want to take your PE program to the next level, my PE Components of Fitness Task Card Series 10 Set SUPER BUNDLE is the perfect resource! It combines 10 of my health-related and skill-related fitness task card sets, with over 240 self-guided fitness station cards (24 per component).
You can find this bundle in my TPT store: PE Fitness Components Movement Task Cards: 10 Set Visual Resource Super Bundle
About Pete Charrette
Pete Charrette is a National Board Certified physical education teacher and former Georgia PE Teacher of the Year with more than 30 years of experience teaching elementary PE. He is the creator of Cap'n Pete's Power PE and has developed hundreds of ready-to-use PE and health resources used by teachers around the world. Pete loves helping PE teachers build programs their students enjoy.
