Fitness Lesson 8 Heart Rate Training Zone

Teaching Ideas

Learning Objective: To understand the basics of fitness.

Success Criteria: • To know what heart rate training zones are and how it affects people taking part in sports.

• To understand how heart rate training zones are used within fitness training.

• High Achievers: will be able to link heart rate training zones as a method of training and understand
how this would improve an athlete’s performance. They will also understand the positive and
negative aspects of this method.
Context: Introducing the various fitness concepts to KS3 students – heart rate training zones.

Starter
Warm Up
Make sure all students have a pen and a Heart Rate Training Zone Activity Sheet.

Begin the lesson by introducing students to heart rate training zones. Get them all to work out their maximum heart rate (max HR)
and their heart rate training zone (HR training zone). Explain how working within this zone for a period of time can be beneficial
to the function and health of their hearts. The aim of this lesson is to try and get all students to reach within this zone at some
point during the lesson. Students record their resting heart rate on the Activity Sheet.

Teacher-Led Warm Up

Have all students follow on command so they are all completing the same task at the same time.

Start with pulse raising activities – either using the Warm Up Cards

• skipping

• sidestep

• hopping

• jumping

• high knees

• bum kicks

Continue for about five minutes, get all students to find their pulse immediately once they have finished and record it in the table
on the Activity Sheet.

Move on to the mobilisation of joints for about 5 minutes before taking their pulse and recording it in the table.

Students then complete a variety of different stretches as a class and, again after about 5 minutes, get all students to find and
take their pulse then write in, in the table.

Alternatively, you could centrally time this warm up allowing students to work in small groups and decide on their own pulse-
raising, mobilisation and stretching activities. Stop them all at the same time after each section before finding and recording their
pulse.

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Main Activities
Heart Rate Training Zone Activities
This section of the lesson can be decided by the available space, equipment, size and the ability of the group.

Option 1:

The groups can be split in half and play two different games (where HR will vary) for the same time before swapping over:

• football, hockey, basketball, netball, handball – their HR should reach their target zone depending on playing positions within
these games.

• rounders, baseball, softball – where players may be standing still so HR will not increase.

Option 2:

The whole class can play one game for 10-15 minutes then all take their pulse. Students then play the second game for the same
amount of time. Encourage them to compare their heart rate between the two games they have played.

Option 3:

In small groups, students can choose two games to play (centrally timed) where they think their HR will increase and stay within
their training zone.

Plenary
Talk to them about the variation in their HR throughout the lesson. Did any of them get into their training zones? At what point
did they reach between 60-85% What sport were they playing? What position within the game were they playing and did this have
an impact on their HR? Were they a goalkeeper or an umpire?

These questions can be answered on the final part of the Activity Sheet.

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