A Super Bowl-Inspired Family Work-Out
In the spirit of Super Bowl Sunday, I’ve come up with some quick (and easy to set up) relay games that the kids will love and FYI… so will adults. These relays can be modified for any number of players and set up in a huge field, backyard or basement depending on your space and the weather. The various moves or exercises are based on Football and similar sports agility training drills.
Equipment: Agility Ladder(s), Cones Or Dots (Set up the latter 2 to “mark out” a ladder OR Masking or Duct Tape used to tape out a ladder(s) with a minimum of 10 “rungs”. The agility equipment can be purchased at a fairly low cost from your local sporting store.
Teams: Make up teams of 2-5 people for each “ladder”. Let the kids choose or draw teams randomly or pit family against family or adults vs kids – you get the idea. If any team has fewer players than the others they must designate one member to run the relay twice. It’s a good idea to have a “referee”.
Objective: The first team to successfully complete the pre-determined number and type(s) of exercises wins.
Relay: At the referee’s “GO!” the first person on each team races down to their ladder, and as quickly as possible performs the drill through the ladder and can either repeat the drill on the way back to their team or run back and tag the next person to go.
Drills: Football Run – run as fast as you can making sure you step in each square of the ladder
Tire Run–refer to the move of the week – run straddling the ladder (feet on outside) with knees high and wide
2-Foot Hop – just as it sounds, hop through all squares of ladder
1-Foot Hop – as above but only using the Right foot on the way down, Left foot on the way back
Jacks – Hop both feet in the first square, hop both feet OUTSIDE the next square and repeat – like doing jacks all the way down
In/Out – Like a football run but with EACH square of the ladder run both feet IN (right, left), then both feet OUT of the same square (right, left). So the drill occurs inside and outside each square. This takes a little more concentration and coordination. Try it reverse (Out/In) and then switch your lead feet (Left then right)
Sideways in/Out– Exactly as above but this time facing sideways to the ladder and working along the outside border of the ladder. The right foot leads all the way down, then keep facing the same direction, and the left foot leads on the way back.
Crossovers – Stand sideways to ladder so right leg is closest to ladder. You will be doing the “crossover” with the left leg- lift it up and over the right leg that is standing in the 1st square of the ladder. The left foot lands in the 2nd square. Then, the right foot hops from behind to the 3rd square and left foot crosses over to the 4th square and so on. Repeat in the reverse direction on the way back with the right leg crossing over the left.
180’s- Stand sideways to the ladder with right foot in the 1st square and in a semi – squat position. Jump and turn 180 degrees at the same time (facing the opposite direction so the left leg is leading) and the left foot lands in the 2nd square, right foot still in the first. Repeat again and left foot stays in 2nd square, right foot is leading and lands in 3rd square. Continue all the way down the ladder.
Make up your own drill- Be creative and get the kids involved. This can also turn into a game of follow the leader too. Just have fun with it.
