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Remember how you used to run and play as a kid?
Whether it was storming castle walls, dodging lava pits, or cartwheeling down the sidewalk, we didn’t worry about bursts, reps, or time under pressure. We were just having fun at the moment.
When was the last time your workout felt like this?
For those of us who love strength training, the exercises REALLY feel that way. We like to go into the gym and do numbers and focus on technique. It can be totally engaging and fun.
But for many people I work with, exercise feels more like a chore than a hobby. More like a chore than something they look forward to.
Here’s a way to change that.
An alternative to traditional learning
Years ago I ran a group class at my local gym called Ninja Academy.
Twice a week a group of adults would show up and we’d spend an hour running around like 10 year olds. We played tag. We were crawling on the floor. We had lightsaber fights with foam swords. We played Zombie Dodgeball (which is ma-maz-ing.)
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We weren’t focused on reps, heart rate, calories or weights. And yet – people were really out of breath, laughing too hard to talk and asking « can we do this again? »
This experience changed the way I look at fitness.
Sure, exercise and strength training and 5k races are great.
But the fitness industry tends to be laser-focused on things we can count and track. This naturally led to the idea that real the exercise looks a certain way. And by extension, anything that CANNOT be easily traced becomes less valuable.
It’s the other way around.
When you play, you move because you i want to. You push yourself without thinking about it. You come back the next day not because you’re disciplined, but because it was genuinely fun and you want more.
Play should not replace traditional learning. It just gives you more options.
And the benefits go beyond just sweating. Play builds community, keeps your brain young, introduces your body to movements that never happen in the gym, and promotes lifelong movement for all ages and generations.
Here’s what Christy – a mother of two teenage girls – had to say after her first session at Ninja Academy:
« I took my twins to a class at my gym last night. Probably the only reason they agreed to go was because it’s called Ninja Academy. It’s exercise, yes, but basically it’s a structured break for adults. We did silly things like jump over a ‘creek’ (made of jump ropes), do tripods or handstands depending on ability, play follow the leader (out in the dark!) and we just had fun.
The girls and I had fun doing this together. They were still talking about it this morning. I use cloud 9 because it was just one of « those moments » that can be hard to find. We just have to PLAY for a change. Not homework, not chores, not some dumb job, just play. I don’t do that enough with my kids anymore. I will try to fix this.”
Do you want to try? First a few principles:
- Everything is optional. Not feeling a game or activity? Try something else!
- Try your best no matter what. You won’t get good at these moves and games right away. Especially when things are new, it’s easy to get frustrated. We used this mantra at Ninja Academy to help us focus on doing our best instead of creature the best.
- Have fun, but don’t let your head explode. When you don’t have practice playing, it’s easy to get too hard and too fast. If you try to jump too far and spill, you become too aggressive in a game of tag. Easy entry.
- The 70/30 rule. If you are playing with someone else, adjust the rules so that one person does not win more than 70% of the time. A stronger player? Get them to use their hands. A taller player? Have them balance on one leg. Keep it competitive for everyone.
A few games to get you started
🎯 Faucets: Try to keep a foam ball or balloon in the air. Kick him, punch him, reverse him, whatever it takes. Bluey fans will recognize this as Keepy Uppy. Works alone against a wall or with a whole group. This was our warm-up game every Ninja Academy session. 😊
⚔️ Samurai Warrior: One person stands in front of a group and swipes their hand up or down low: high swipe = duck, low swipe = skip. Note: you are not LITERALLY jumping through their arm. just react to their signals. If you get hit, take a step back, do 2 squats and step back. Just keep playing.
🏹 Zen Sagittarius: Try to keep your legs crossed while your partner slowly waves or holds onto you in slow motion. Move out of the way at the last possible second with as little movement as necessary. Harder than it sounds.
🪄 Stick Drop: Stand the broom upright, let it fall, and your partner (or yourself!) try to catch it just before it hits the ground. Start up close. Move further as you get better.
💥 Crack-About Dodgeball: Free dodgeball. Best played with these Rhino-Skin foam balls (one of my favorite tools for making the game easier without getting nailed painfully in the face.) When you get hit, sit down. If a ball rolls towards you, you can still throw it. When the person who hit you gets hit… you’re back in! No one is ever out, which makes for endless fun.
🫳 Decline in response: Hold two balls at shoulder height and drop one at random. Your partner tries to catch it before it falls to the ground. Deceptively difficult. Instant addiction.
🥅 goalkeepers: Roll or throw a ball so that it is right on the edge of your partner’s reach. They are trying to stop him. The goal is to find that advantage so that they are successful about 50% of the time. It’s also a game about practicing your aim and if you can get it in the perfect spot!
👑 King of the Log: Hold hands with a partner and try to get the other to make a move. That’s it. You can adjust this by having to stand on a crack in the pavement, a small curb, or even a real log in the woods!
🔥 The floor is lava: An all-time classic. You know the drill 😉.
🧱 Jenga Balance: Stack two Jenga blocks on top of each other and try to hold the bottom one without letting the top one fall. Once you know that, try adding some slow motion. Great focused game, surprisingly challenging.
👻 Mario + Ghosts: A man travels through space. When they turn to look, they all freeze. The goal is to sneak up and tap them on the shoulder. (I also called this « The Weeping Angels » for all my Doctor Who fans out there.) We even did a version of this at Camp Nerd Fitness where our whole group was ghosts and we chose an unsuspecting trainer to be Mario. 😂 We got some WILD looks when the trainers saw a bunch of people moving towards them and then everyone froze in an instant.
I hope this has inspired you to explore a new game or movement – either for yourself or with a friend or family member.
And more than anything, I hope it gives you permission to rethink what your training should look like.
I’d love to hear from you – what are some physical games you like to play? I’m always picking up new ideas!
– Matt
PS Want to make fitness a sustainable part of your routine? This is exactly what our coaches help with. It’s like having your own personal gym Yoda in your pocket, but instead of Yoda, it’s just a really nerdy guy watching over you. Otherwise, it’s essentially the same 😜
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