Year 2 exercise lesson: Why is exercise important?
This Year 2 exercise lesson helps pupils understand why exercise is important for keeping our bodies healthy. Part of our Animals Including Humans – Growth unit, this lesson explores how exercise affects the body and introduces pupils to the idea of heart rate.
Pupils carry out a simple investigation by measuring their pulse before and after exercise, then record their results and look for patterns. This lesson links science learning to real life and supports pupils to use evidence to explain what they notice.
What’s included in this lesson pack?
- Step-by-step lesson plan with clear teaching guidance
- Interactive Year 2 exercise PowerPoint for whole-class input
- Differentiated Year 2 exercise worksheet for recording and explaining results
- Practical investigation activity sheet for measuring pulse rate
- Assessment opportunities and key vocabulary support
What pupils will learn
- Why exercise is important for humans
- How exercise can affect the body
- How to measure pulse rate using simple methods
- How to record results and describe what happened
- How to use evidence to explain why exercise helps keep us healthy
Working scientifically in KS1
Pupils take part in a simple test, gather and record data, then use their observations to suggest answers to questions. They practise using scientific vocabulary to explain patterns in their results.
Perfect for Year 2 or mixed-age KS1
This lesson pack includes child-friendly visuals and differentiated tasks, with no year group labels on the resources, making it suitable for Year 2 science or mixed-age KS1 classes.
Free trial available – download this Year 2 exercise lesson and the full Animals Including Humans – Growth unit. Free trial.
