Do you remember how you used to run and play as a child?
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,Whether it was storming castle walls, dodging lava pits, or cartwheeling down the sidewalk, we weren’t worried about sets, reps, or too much intensity. We were just having fun at the moment.
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When was the last time exercise was like this for you?
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For those of us who love strength training, exercise has that feel to it. We love going to the gym and crunching numbers and focusing on technique. It can be completely absorbing and entertaining.
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But for many people I work with, exercise feels more like a chore than a hobby. More like an obligation than something they expect.
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Here’s a way to change that.
An alternative to traditional education
Years ago, I ran a group class at my local gym called “Ninja Academy”.
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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 crawled on the floor. We had lightsaber fights with foam sabers. We played Zombie Dodgeball (which is amazing.)
We weren’t focused on reps, heart rate, calories or weights. And yet – people were actually gasping, laughing too hard to talk and asking ‘can we do it again?’
This experience changed the way I look at fitness.
Sure, exercise and strength training and 5k races are all great.
But the fitness industry tends to be laser-focused on things we can measure and track. This of course led to the idea that real exercise looks a certain way. And by extension, anything that CANNOT be easily tracked becomes less valuable.
This is backwards.
When you play, you move because you want to. You push yourself without thinking. You come back the next day not because you’re disciplined, but because it was really fun and you want more.
Play does not need to replace traditional training. It just gives you more options.
And the benefits go beyond just breaking a sweat. Play builds community, keeps your brain young, introduces your body to movements it never does in the gym, and promotes lifelong movement across all ages and generations.
Here’s what Christy – a mum of two teenage girls – had to say after her first Ninja Academy session:
“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 it’s basically structured recess for adults. We did silly things like jumped over a ‘creek’ (made of jump ropes), did tripods or handstands depending on ability, played follow-the-leader (out in the dark!) and just had fun.
,The girls and I had a blast doing this together. They were still talking about it this morning. I’m on cloud 9 because it was just one of those moments that can be hard to find. We just have to PLAY for a change. No homework, no chores, no dumb chores, just play. I don’t do that enough with my kids anymore. I will try to fix it.”
Do you want to try it? Some principles first:
- Everything is optional. Not feeling a game or activity? Try something else!
- Try your best. You’re not going to be good at these moves and games right away. Especially when things are new, it’s easy to get frustrated. We’ve used this mantra at Ninja Academy to help us focus on doing our best instead of existence the best.
- Have fun, but don’t let your head explode. When you’re out of practice with the game, it’s easy to go too hard and fast. You try to jump too far and it spills, you get a little too aggressive in a game of tag. Ease inside.
- The 70/30 rule. If you are playing with someone else, adjust the rules so that one person wins no more than 70% of the time. Stronger player? Have them use their hand. Tallest player? Make them balance on one leg. Keep it competitive for everyone.
A few games to get you started
🎯 Press: Try to keep a ball or foam balloon in the air. Kick it, hit it, put it back, whatever it takes. Bluey fans will recognize this as Keepy Uppy. Works solo on a wall or with a whole team. This was the warm-up game of every Ninja Academy session. 😊
⚔️ Samurai Warrior: One person stands in front of a group and swipes their hand either up or down: high swipe = duck, low swipe = bounce. Note: you don’t LITERALLY jump over their arm. they simply react to their cues. If you get hit, take a step back, do 2 squats and come back. Just keep playing.
🏹 Zen Archer: Try to keep your feet planted while your partner slowly sweeps an arm or stick towards you in slow motion. Get out of the way at the last possible second with as little movement as necessary. Harder than it sounds.
🪄 Stick drop: Stand a broomstick upright, let it fall, and your partner (or you!) try to catch it right before it hits the ground. Start close. Move away as you get better.
💥 Crack-About Dodgeball: Dodgeball free for everyone. Best played with these Rhino-Skin foam balls (one of my favorite tools for making the game easier without getting painfully nailed in the face.) When you get hit, sit down. If a ball rolls towards you, you can still throw it. When the one who hit you gets hit…you’re in again! No one is ever really outside, which makes for endless amounts of fun.
🫳 Reaction drop: Hold two balls at shoulder height and drop one at random. Your partner tries to catch it before it hits the ground. Deceptively tough. Instantly addictive.
🥅 Goalkeepers: Roll or throw a ball so that it is right on the edge of your partner’s distance. They are trying to stop it. The goal is to find that edge so that they are successful about 50% of the time. It’s also a game to practice your aim, and if you can put it in the perfect spot!
👑 King of the Log: Hold hands with a partner and try to get the other person to take a step. That’s all. You can adjust it if you need to stand on a crack in the pavement, a small curb, or even an actual log in the woods!
🔥 The floor is Lava: An all-time classic. You know the drill 😉
🧱 Jenga Balance: Place two Jenga blocks on top of each other and try to hold the bottom one without letting the top one fall. Once you get the hang of it, try adding some slow motion. Great focus game, amazingly challenging.
👻 Mario + Ghosts: A person walks around the space. When they turn to look, everyone freezes. The goal is to sneak up and tap them on the shoulder. (I’ve also called it “The Weeping Angels” for all my Doctor Who fans out there.) We even did a version of this at Camp Nerd Fitness where our entire team was ghosts and we chose an unsuspecting trainer for Mario. 😂 We got some WILD looks as the coaches saw a bunch of people move towards them and then freeze in an instant.
I hope this has given you some inspiration to explore a new game or movement – either for yourself, or with a friend or family member.
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And more than anything, I hope it’s given you permission to rethink what your training “should” look like.
I’d love to hear from you – what are some physical games you love to play? I’m always picking up new ideas!
– Math
PS Want to make exercise 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, except instead of Yoda, he’s just an actual nerd who has your back. Otherwise it’s basically the same thing 😜
