The Friday before Halloween, I wanted to do something fun for them that was holiday themed. Earlier that day, I thought of an idea called "Zombie Fitness." The basic premise was that the students had to lie down like they were dead and then do a sit-up like they just sprang to life. After many repetitions (basic sit-ups for exercise), we started to include that the zombies had to stand up and move. This was easy enough when the students (zombies) had all their limbs. However, I would start by saying that the zombie was missing an appendage. The students had to try and stand up (if they could) and move while pretending that the appendage was not there (they couldn’t use it at all).

This game helps the student explore different movement patterns, which is very challenging. What is unique about this game is that it is also a personal puzzle to solve; not everyone will do the same thing to accomplish the same task. However, at the end of the day, the students will appreciate animals that are still able to move despite missing limbs and will foster an appreciation for their own functioning limbs. If you are looking for a fun Halloween PE game, try Zombie Fitness!

 

Materials: 

·      This game can be played in a relatively small setting (especially at home). Still, if done at school, you will want a space appropriate for the number of students in the class.

                  

Minimum Number of Students Needed:  This lesson can be done with only one student.

 

Prior Knowledge: The students should have had the Second Great Lesson.

 

Presentation 

·      Have the students lie down with their backs on the ground. The first movement that they need to practice is being able to sit up without any assistance from their hands. Some students can sit up without a problem, while others may have to rock by lifting their legs and bringing them down to generate momentum. Once we have practiced this, we can move on to the next exercise. Depending on the age, you may decide to do one set of several reps, or if the students are older or very fit, do multiple sets.

·      For the next exercise, the students start by lying down on their backs and sitting up like before. From here, all they need to do is stand up using any means they would like. Some students will use their hands to help themselves stand up. In contrast, others are very flexible and will stand up from an extreme squatting position. Once the students stand, they walk a certain distance with their typical walking pattern. Return to their original spot and lie down again to repeat the exercise. Repeat for a specific number of sets and reps. Ask the students to try a different way of getting off the ground if you notice they make the same movement pattern every time.

·      In the next exercise, we will sit up and stand up and walk, but now they cannot use their left arm. Again, repeat for a specific number of sets and reps.

·      In the next exercise, we will sit up and stand up and walk, but now they cannot use their right arm. Again, repeat for a specific number of sets and reps.

·      In the next exercise, we will sit up and stand up and walk, but now they cannot use both arms at all. This will be difficult for students who were pushing off with one arm. Some will squat up. Some will shift or slide to kneeling and stand up from a lunge. I have seen students use their heads to adjust their center of gravity by pushing them against the ground to get their weight over their feet to stand up. Repeat for a specific number of sets and reps.

·      In the next exercise, we will sit up and stand up and walk, but now they cannot use their left leg (but they have regained their arms). Getting up to a standing position will be difficult, as they must use their arms to balance themselves as they get their balance on their right leg. Once they are standing only on their right leg, they will have to one-legged hop the distance instead of walking the predetermined distance. Repeat for a specific number of sets and reps.

·      In the next exercise, we will sit up and stand up and walk, but now they cannot use their right leg. Getting up to a standing position will be difficult as they must use their arms to balance themselves as they get their balance on their left leg. Once they stand only on their left leg, they will have to one-legged hop the distance instead of walking the predetermined distance. Repeat for a specific number of sets and reps.

·      In the next exercise, they will not be able to use their legs. After they sit up, they will not be able to stand, so they will have to use their arms to drag their body the predetermined distance. For example, some people might do a modified army crawl. Others might sit up and push with both arms against the ground. This resembles a wheelchair motion or how someone performs a dip exercise to propel their body backward or pull with both arms simultaneously to move forward.

·      In the next exercise, they can only move their left arm and leg. Students usually roll to their left side to complete this, which requires a lot of abdominal strength, coordination, and balance.

·      In the next exercise, they can only move their right arm and right. Students usually roll to their right side to complete this, which requires a lot of abdominal strength, coordination, and balance.

·      In the next exercise, they can only move their left leg and right arm (bilateral movement). This will be an excellent test of coordination and balance. Many students do a rotation movement to balance.

·      In the next exercise, they can only move their right leg and left arm (bilateral movement). This will be an excellent test of coordination and balance. Many students do a rotation movement to balance.

·      For robust and coordinated students, you can challenge them to use no arms and only one leg. This will require incredible flexibility and strength, as the student will have to do a one-legged pistol squat to stand up and then keep their balance as they hop the distance. Even then, they most likely will be flexing their other leg and keeping their arms out for balance. Even still, this is an incredible feat of strength and balance.

·      To summarize, the progression looks like this:

o   Sit-up

o   Sit-up and stand-up

o   Sit-up and stand-up, no left arm

o   Sit-up and stand-up, no right arm

o   Sit-up and stand-up, no arms

o   Sit-up and stand-up, no left leg

o   Sit-up and stand-up, no right leg

o   Sit-up and drag, no legs

o   Sit-up and stand-up left arm and left leg only

o   Sit-up and stand-up, right arm and right leg only

o   Sit-up and stand-up left leg and right arm only

o   Sit-up and stand-up, right leg and left arm only

o   Extra challenge use only one leg to stand up

 

Aims:

Direct:    For the students to move their bodies in various ways, sometimes without the aid of all their appendages.

 

Indirect:  

Listening to directions

Problem-solving

Patience

Perseverance

               

Physical skills practiced: 

·      This is a taxing series of exercises for the musculoskeletal system, and it also requires a good amount of balance

 

Control Of Error: 

Whether the student can find a way to stand or achieve locomotion.

 

Points of Interest: It is exciting to see students come up with unique ways to solve the riddle of standing up or moving when they are “missing” several appendages. It is a similar premise to the game Twister, except the students are losing the ability to move an appendage instead of just moving them to a spot.

 

Age: All Ages