Elbow to Elbow

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Activity Overview

Participants learn a variety of fitness activities and how participation in these activities can contribute to overall physical health.

  • Intermediate (Ages 13-15)
  • Senior (Ages 16-18)

Facility

  • Gymnasium
  • Multipurpose room
  • Outdoors

Materials and Equipment

  • Audio equipment
  • Upbeat music
  • Poster paper and markers (optional)

Safety

Inspect the activity area and eliminate potential hazards. Check that the activity surface provides safe traction. Set boundaries for the activity a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Provide a safe distance between activities.

Activity Information

Activity Set-up

  • Participants divide into pairs.
  • Partners move to opposite sides of the activity area.
  • Participants help identify a variety of physical activities that can be completed in a small space (e.g., jumping jacks, squats, high knees, push-ups). Consider recording activities on poster paper for reference throughout the activity.

Activity Instructions

  • The leader calls out a fitness activity and a number of repetitions (e.g., 5 push-ups, 7 squats, 14 jumping jacks). The leader also calls out a body part connected to arms or legs (e.g., knee, elbow, toe, heel, thumb, foot, hand, etc.)
  • Participants run to the centre of the space, and quickly touch together the identified body parts with their partner. After separating the identified body parts, partners then complete the fitness activity at the same time and run back to their respective sides of the activity area.
  • Participants are challenged to complete the fitness activity with good form and get back to their own sides as quickly as possible.
  • When everyone has completed the task, a new fitness activity and body part is called out. Participants meet again in the middle of the activity space to complete the next task.
  • The leader asks open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions during the activity. Examples include: Does working with another participant make this game easier or harder? Describe why. What can you do if you don’t know how to perform the fitness activity and/or movement?

Adaptations

To maximize the challenge and the fun, participants could identify their own ways to increase or decrease the challenge.

To decrease the challenge, participants could:

  • Start with simple fitness activities to get participants warmed up and comfortable with their partners.
  • Adapt the fitness activities to include simplified versions of them (e.g., push-ups from knees, half-time jumping jacks).

To increase the challenge, participants could:

  • Perform as many repetitions of the fitness activity as they can within a set period of time.
  • Keep track of their heart rate as they rotate throughout the fitness activities to achieve a personal goal.
  • Work with their partner to identify a challenge specific to the pair to achieve maximum challenge and fun.
  • Complete more than one fitness activity with their partner in the centre of the activity area (e.g., 7 jumping jacks and 9 boxer jabs).

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts and strategies to complete fitness activities. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Movement Strategies

  • Appreciating the game through participating in new fitness activities with a partner (e.g., work with partner to create challenges in performing fitness activities)
  • Applying and demonstrating movement skills and techniques (e.g., extending arms to improve stability when balancing on one foot)

Sport Connections

Contains aspects of:

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

This activity qualifies as vigorous intensity.

Vigorous-intensity activities at least 3 days per week. This activity qualifies as vigorous intensity.

This activity strengthens muscles and/or bones.

Activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least 3 days per week. This activity strengthens muscles and/or bones.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.