Video campaign aims to show, not tell

So you’ve probably figured out that my Truth on Health Campaign has a lot of stuff goin on. One of the things I do as part of it is make fitness videos for kids so I’m not just tellin them to get fit, but also showing them how. We've embedded a preview clip from my new video in this blog entry.

We shot this one outside to get you all in the mood for the spring weather that’s right around the corner. Since kids are sitting in the classroom on weekdays, it’s good for them to get outside after school and on weekends and get their bodies moving, get the blood pumping, get some fresh air in their lungs. By the way… these videos aren’t just for kids. Parents, teens, adults – jump in and give it a try! Even if you can’t get outside, these are exercises you can do anywhere, even at school. Makes the school day go faster, too.

This week’s video shows real basic ways to increase strength and agility. One really easy one is walking on your tippy toes. That’s not just for ballerinas — professional basketball players do it, too. Just get up on those toes and walk around for 30 seconds at a time and repeat. Another good one is heel kicks. You run in place, but kick your heels up higher than a normal run. You’ll feel it workin the back of your legs. And that burn’s a good sign.

Knee raises are real easy, too. Just stand in place and raise your knee as high as you can. Then just see how long you can hold it up there. It might start burning but push through and you gotta remember to breathe.

You can also try some basic lunges, where you lunge forward with one leg and hold it. And heel walks, which are like the opposite of tippy toe walks: you walk on your heels, and it works the front of your legs. Once you’ve done all these moves, it’s good to get in a quad stretch to loosen up the muscles you just worked.

This just shows you don’t have to have a ton of fancy equipment to get some exercise. Check out the full video on Comcast On Demand. Just select the Get Local category from the On Demand menu, then choose NBA TV, Boston Celtics, and Paul Pierce's FitClub34, and then get outside and get movin! You can also check out my website, www.truthonhealth.org, for some more exercise tips. Remember to check back every week for my new video.

Paul Pierce's Truth on Health campaign empowers and encourages young people to lead healthier lives by providing them with the information, resources, and tools necessary to become more active and physically fit. To learn more, visit www.truthonhealth.org

Follow Paul Pierce on Twitter @PaulPierce34 and @TruthonHealth and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paulpierce