Gear Suggestions

• Cell Phone: At least one member should carry a phone for possible emergencies, to take photos of adventures and to use apps

• Spi-Belt: For carrying your cell phone and car key (secured on a lanyard)

• Watch: Keep track of time and timed evolutions

• Running Shoes: Shoes should be no older than six months old to protect your joints; double-knot your laces to keep your workout uninterrupted

• Gloves: For cold weather or to protect hands

• Waterproof Socks: Keep feet more dry or block cold air (such as Sealskinz)

• Hat for Rain: A hat with a brim will make a rainy day more enjoyable

Paraphernalia

Dice

• Dice Colonade: Give each person a single regular die. Denote a light pole (or repeating object) as the start/ finish. Using light poles that ring the lake, for example, each person rolls their die. Run to that number of light poles and do that number of push-ups. For example, If a one is rolled, run to 1st light pole and do one push up, roll again. Repeat all the way around the lake until you reach the start/finish pole again.

"Life is not Fair" Variation: Instead of doing the number of push-ups rolled by the die, instead run to the number post that is rolled but always do 5 push-ups (so the push-up count is not dependent on what is rolled).

• Hi-Low Dice Game: Everybody has a regular die. Plan a route and stop every so often and roll die. The person with the high roll will pair with the person with the low roll. If two people roll, for example, the same high number, they bolth roll again. The new high number roller stays the official high roller. The high roll person gets to choose the exercise (about 20 reps) and is paired with the low roller. Now it is a race among teams. Say hooyah when finished! Next, start running again and repeat.

• Left•Center•Right Dice Games: Need at least three players and LCR die (or denote 1 is Left, 3 is Center, 5 is Right and even numbers are the "dots"). The team stands in a circle. Whomever rolls the die is the Center. If you roll, C the Center choose and exercise, if you roll an L the person to the left choose the exercise (about 20 repititions) and becomes the new Center. If an R was rolled, the person on the right would have become the new Center. If you roll a dot, everyone runs to the next location.

Variations:

- go to a location (picnic shelter, tennis court, pull up bars), when a dot is rolled then run around the court. Pick exercises that use the location (i.e. dips, step ups or incline push ups at a picnic table) and run to a new location after rolling 5 dots.

- do 5 push ups and run everytime a dot is rolled

- pick a location with obvious places to stop (i.e. each end plus the middle of city blocks, every other street tree, every telephone pole, etc) and roll the dice.

Deck of Cards

• Red Run: Using a deck of card, divide into two teams and split the deck of cards evenly in half. Using repeating trees or cones, run to that number cone or tree (if trees, maybe odd numbers are the trees and  half way between trees would be even numbers), if a teammate draws a red card, they run to that number cone (face cards are 10); if a teammate draws a black card, they do that number of a pre-designated ab. It is a race. Whichever team finishes all their cards first, wins!

• Memory Game: The game starts with all the cards face down and players take turns to turn over two cards. If the two cards have the same color suit and number, then they keep the cards and keep choosing 2 cards, otherwise they turn the cards face down again and leads the team in 20 abs of their choice. The winner is the person with the most cards when all the cards have been taken.

• Poker: Using the Card Values/Scoring for Poker, deal 5 cards to each player. Pick 4 equidistant locations, one for each suit, and assign an ab for each location. Players must run to location and complete the hand they are dealt (for example, 9 crunches for a 9 of clubs). Players return to the discard pile at the center and may substitute cards in their hand by completing more abs by running to assigned locations. When a player thinks they  have a winning hand, they call "Bring it in!" and everyone compares their hands to determine the winner.

Popsicle Sticks

Make a set of large-size popsicle sticks with names of exercises on them; several sets may be needed depending on the size of your group (consider buying colored popsicle sticks and make each set a color).

• Pick Up Sticks: Spread out a set of exercise-labeled popsicle sticks (face down/label hidden) and designate # of exercises to do. Each member picks up a stick, does the exercise, and then runs to touch an obstacle (like a tree) or clear an obstacle (i.e. at playground, have member hop thru a swing or go down a slide). Whomever ends up with the most sticks wins!

• Spin The Bottle: Great for races! Spread out exercise-labeled popsicle sticks (face up/label showing) like numbers on a clock face. Have a bottle in the center to spin (a small, pocket-size bottle is best). If it's a large group, break into smaller teams. Designate # of reps of exercise to be done. Take turns spinning the bottle. The person spinning chooses a destination for the sprint (i.e. a tree, post, sign). When the bottle stops spinning, do the exercise the bottle points to and then sprint! First team back to the spinner wins! Repeat.

• Exercise Hunt: Similar to an Easter egg hunt, pick a place with clear boundaries (i.e. playground) and designate one person to hide the popsicle sticks (make sure others don't peek, know how many sticks you have to find and instruct not to cover them up) within the boundary. When the competition starts, the hider completes a handicap (like 20 sit-ups) to make up for the fact they know where the sticks are hidden. Each member finds a stick, does designated # of the exercise that is written on the stick and then keeps hunting for more. Whomever collects the most popsicle sticks wins!

Tennis Balls

• Squeeze Exercises: Provide a tennis ball for each member. Just like you would squeeze, relax and repeat with a tennis ball in your hand to increase grip strength, use the tennis ball to get more muscles involved in exercises such as: leg levers, crunches, calf raises, jack knives, glute bridges and sit-ups (while squeezing ball between knees or ankles). This works well on a long run, stopping occasionally for a different squeeze exercise.

• Rotational Movement Exercises: Provide a tennis ball for each member. Pass both balls with a partner: back-to-back standing turning to side, back-to-back sitting turning to side, thru legs then back over head (be sure to switch directions too!).

• Tennis Ball Games: Provide a tennis ball for each member. Variations include: 1) on a flat field, divide into pairs and designate a finish line. Each pair runs and throws the ball up for their teammate to catch. If the ball is dropped, do 10 sit-up and then keep going; 2) on basketball courts, individual competition. Try to make 5 baskets, do 5 push-ups each time you miss; 3) on tennis courts, line up about 3 members per side, designate clockwise rotation; throw ball to member across the net, run clockwise direction to line up last in line on other side, meanwhile member who received the ball is throwing across the net to awaiting member, keep repeating throwing ball back & forth over net and running, for 3 to 5 minutes. Then repeat doing counter-clockwise running; 4) on a playground, place one ball somewhere on equipment or in area, do One Man Out evolution (see Game Evolutions), the one man/woman out runs to the ball, and then runs to put the ball elsewhere (be creative!), and then runs back to group, next person goes.

Scrabble Pieces

• Word Run: Put scrabble letter pieces in a 5-gallon bucket. Put the bucket some distance from the group. Compete individually or divide into teams. At start, complete 2 abs (for example, 5 push-ups & 5 sit-ups), run down, pick a letter (without peeking), run back to start, do another set of abs, run and pick another letter. First team or person that can spell a 3 letter word wins! Next, move on to 4 letter words, etc.

• Going For Points: Put scrabble letter pieces in a 5-gallon bucket. Compete individually or divide into teams. Pick an ab acronym that has 5 letters (like FLASH, CHAOS or HEART), each person picks 5 letters for the bucket (no peeking). At start, pair an acronyn letter (like F in FLASH for flutter kicks) with a scrabble letter (a D worth 2 points) and multiply by 5 (or choose a different multiplier) so do 10 flutter kicks. Repeat for each of the 5 chosen letters. Next, set a timer for 1 minute and determine the highest point word you can make with your letters!

Frisbees

• Toss & Sprint: One frisbee per team of 3 - 5. Ideally, in a place with good footing like a quiet road or playing fields. Team runs in the same direction (i.e. along the long loop around Bryan Park). Whoever has the frisbee stands still and tosses it to the teammates that have run out in front to be ready for a catch. Once they throw it, they sprint to be out in front of the person who just caught it (think leap frogging). Whomever catches it stands in place, and throws it to the next ready person. If the frisbee is dropped, the whole team has to do an exercise (take turns picking which exercise).

• Frisbee Indian Run: One frisbee per team with 4 - 8 teammates; ideally done on playing fields with good footing. Everyone stands in a line, a good frisbee toss distance apart. Start doing an exercise. The last person in line has the frisbee and sprints to the front of the line, then tosses the frisbee back down the line to the person that used to be at the front of the line and starts a new exercise. The frisbee gets tossed down the line, to each player, and players switch to the new exercise. When the frisbee gets to the last person, they run with it to the front of the line, calling out a new exercise. Repeat until reach destination.

Smart Phone Apps

Tabata

Utilizing an app with a tabata timer (20 seconds of high intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, for multiple rounds). Tuesdays are a great day for a "Tabata Tuesday"!

• Use acronym ABCs: Do Atomics, Back extensions, Crunches and Sit-ups - 4 exercises for 4 rounds for a total of 8 minutes.

• Use acronym HATS: Do Half sit-ups, Alternating knee sit-ups, hand-to-Toe sit-ups and Superman - 4 exercises for 4 rounds for a total of 8 minutes.

• Use acronym CORETEAM: Do Criss-Cross, Open/Close, Russian Twists, Eight-count Push-ups, Hand-to-Toe Sit-ups, Back Extensions, Atomics, Marvin Hagglers - 8 exercises for 2 rounds for a total of 8 minutes.

• Squat Tabata: Do Closed Squats, Narrow Squats, Regular Squats, Wide Squats, Prisoner Squat Hold, Shuffle Squats, In/Out Squats and Jump Squats - 8 exercises for 2 rounds for a total of 8 minutes.

• Use acronym KADI: At pull-up bars/parallel bars/dip bars, do Knee-ups, Australians, Dips and Incline push-ups - 4 exercises for 4 rounds for a total of 8 minutes.

• Choose your own acronym: make it fun based on the season, holiday or something funny. For example, try SNOW in January: Sit-ups, jack kNives, Open/Close and Wide-grip push-ups (being careful not to over-do one part of the body)

• Static Hold: Try 20 seconds of squats, with 10 seconds of squat hold paired with 20 seconds of calf raises, with 10 seconds of relevé (on balls of your feet) hold for multiple rounds.

• Use acronym DIBS: At a low wall, do Dips, Incline push-ups, Box jumps and Step-ups - 4 exercises for 4 rounds for a total of 8 minutes.