Whether it’s hitting the gym, joining a zumba class, or going jogging, we all know the importance of staying active. However, a lot of traditional ways to keep fit can seem a bit of a chore and just a bit boring – especially if you’re always doing them on your own.

But there’s a growing number of people realising this needn’t be the case. I’ve previously written a post based on taking up sports, instead of boring gym-time, as a great, fun and effective alternative to get to your goals. If not read before, you can read it here : Workout For Those Who Hate Working Out!. This is just an update on a recent trend, and taking it a step further.

In a bid to change the way we exercise, more and more adults have been exercising by going back to their childhood. Playground-inspired activities such as relay or races, games like badminton, volleyball, etc. are becoming popular options for adults hoping to achieve their fitness goals – and have fun doing so.

How many times have you seen cricketers playing football or how many times have you heard pundits say dancing is a good thing for athletes as it helps them with their footwork, not to mention, its just a great activity. Because this is how it is : Players get fit whilst having fun (And also cause that’s how they earn their living, but thats not the point).

The trend goes beyond fitness, too. It has infiltrated the social scene; with escape rooms and ball-pit cocktail bars, Trampoline Parks opening up all around the city, Artificial turfs for football or box cricket, etc.

This ‘throwback’ trend is at the very core of a lot of fitness startups these days, who majorly cater to corporates as team building activities, and to improve and inculcate values on employee health and work-life balance. An event where grown-ups get fit by playing games they might know from childhood or young adult films.

There are hundreds of games you can find online, or that a fitness startup can cater which include playground classics like British Bulldog, Capture the Flag and Dodgeball, alongside more unusual games like Quid-pitch, Tribes and Superheroes. This later evolves into you playing more competitive games from Relay, Relay X’s and O’s, Dodgeball, etc. From public grounds to dedicatedly booked retreats or local turfs, they’re conducted everywhere.

Because HIIT (high interval intensity training) exercises are hidden within the rules, participants burn up to 1,000 calories, and cover up to 8k in a game without realising. The games cover different fitness skills, including speed, co-ordination, and endurance.

In Mumbai and all across India, these activities have become a strong fallback for the HR Department to promote team-work, motivate employees and start getting them to invest on their health. Some take it a step further by making it a weekly activity, and not just a training program every quarter.

Various football/cricket tournaments, inter-branch competitions, and what not. It starts with you joining a circle of adults in coloured bibs for a warm-up ball game which helps everyone get to know each other and relax.

A super fun activity I’d like to point out is called ‘Hunger Games’. Working in teams, everyone has to protect a base whilst also ‘stealing’ cones from other bases. Each game is exactly how you’d remember it in school; the coloured team bibs or uniforms, the cones, and the footballs – but with a few additional exercises built-in. During volleyball, for example, you have to do star jumps each time you hit the ball.

These types of exercises appear in every game – whether it is star jumps, press-ups or V-sits – meaning no one is ever left standing still. The best part is, all the rules are bendable upon the Leaders and participants, and one can simplify or complicate it as much as they like.

If you’ve come across anything like this, or want to share your experiences, do leave a comment.

Regards,

The Travellothoner.