Sworkit App - Physical Activity App

If you are looking for a work out app to provide to older children who receive occupational or physical therapy check out Sworkit.  This is a FREE app on your iOs device, android device or computer.  I have been checking this app and I am very impressed for older children through adults.

Basically you choose what type of a work out you are looking for - strength training, yoga and stretching.  You choose your workout length and the area of the body you would like to exercise.  Then it is all set to go.  The timer starts and you being the exercise for the time allotted.  If you are not sure how to perform the exercise just click on the video icon and you can view a video of the exercise.

This is a wonderful to add to your collection of apps that promote physical activity.

What a simple quick brain break for the classroom as well. 

If you have a child using it, they can email you their results of how many minutes they worked out.

Want to read more?  Check out 10 Apps that Get You Moving.

3 More Tips on Using A Smartphone to Get Moving

Screenshot from Play-Move-Develop

Yesterday's blog post was on 10 apps that get you moving.  For today here are 3 more tips to encourage movement when using smart phones or tablet computers. 

1.  You Tube - There are so many exercise videos on You Tube that you can access for free.  Watch learn tai chi (wonderful for seated exercise),  learn new yoga moves or try out some popular Zumba fitness.

2.  Add ebooks to your library - Tired of carrying lots of equipment and papers?  Did you know that you can add the ebooks from Your Therapy Source to your smartphone or tablet?  Just email yourself the pdf document once you download it to your computer.  Open it up on your phone or tablet and save it.  For example you could open up Action Alphabet and follow the physical activities for all the letters of the alphabet.  Open up the Imagination Action Journeys and move through your imaginary journey.   Turn on some music and try some new dance moves with Dancing with the Owls.   Use the picture symbol cards from Mini Sensory Processing Books to allow children to choose the next activity.   Open up Roll Some Fun and use a dice app to roll the die.

3.  Screenshots - Tired of running to the copy machine to provide parents and teachers with ideas?  Tired of paying for color copies?  Use screenshots from the Your Therapy Source ebooks.  For example, open up Roll Some Fun on your iPhone.  Go to the page that you want to use.  Take a screenshot of the page.  Email yourself the screenshot.  Now you can send that page to parents for "therapy homework" or teachers for an in class movement break.  A teacher can even put it up on a projection screen (ie Smartboard) so the entire class can view it.  Want to email activities to parents?  Try Play-Move-Develop (picture above is from Play-Move-Develop).  Again, open it up on your smartphone, take a screenshot of the activity page and email it to a parent.            

Now you have a HUGE collection of sensory motor activities right on your smart phone or tablet.

10 Apps that Get You Moving

Here are 10 apps to get you moving with your iPhone or iPad (in no particular order).  You can click on the links to get more information about the apps.

1.   Dance Party Zoo - dance and iphone measures your rhythm.

2.  Walk N Play - track physical activity with the iPhone

3.  Footsteps - pedometer that can track gait speed and distance

4.  Move Like Me - dance steps to follow

5.  Time Motion App -  use this video app to analyze movement

6.  Using Apps to Evaluate Posture - doesn't exactly get you moving but does get you to sit up straight

7.  FitQuest - Jog, hop and duck with this app

8.  Egg and Spoon - walk with iphone trying to keep egg on spoon

9.  Short Sequence - Kids Yoga - nice images to provide as a visual


10.  Motion Maze - maze powered by your movement.

Check out tomorrow's post on more tips to encourage physical activity using your smart phone or tablet.

Fun App to Use for Motor Skill Practice

Here is an app I came across called Spinnerz. This app is only $0.99 and you can customize the spinners with your choices. There are some fun graphics to spin with as well - Holiday themes (i.e. Santa's arm spinning), a fish spinning around and lots of mesmerizing images.

There are many preinstalled spinners that basically work like a magic 8 ball. Ask a question and it will give you a prediction or answer which does not exactly pertain to therapy but...you can make your own lists. Here are some suggestions for make your own lists:
1. warm up activities before handwriting tasks
2. gross motor skills to wake the body up
3. calming activities
4. proprioceptive input activities
5. different colors - spin a color and run to find an item that is that color

Obviously there are many more ideas that you could come up with to suit the children that you work with.

One more bonus - you can actually activate the spinner by blowing on it like a pinwheel too! It is a little difficult but it does work. Go into the settings and turn on the breath control. Now slide the weight all the way to the left and the friction should be low. Just blow right over the center of the spinner and it will start the spinning action. (I could not get the blowing action to work on the iPad only the iPhone)

I really like this app because it allows you to customize it. Plus, I like any app that I can add physical activity to. You can download it for $0.99 at the app store.

If you need simple activity ideas check out our Mini Movement Breaks and Fine Motor Breaks .