Get Out Of Your Seat And On Your Feet

Bringing physical movement to virtual learning

By Jim Cain

As the bottom gets numb-er, the brain gets dumber!

--Marcia L. Tate

Your brain can only absorb what your butt can endure!

--Gabe Campbell

Movement is the door to learning.

--Paul Dennison

For decades, parents have been concerned about the amount of time their children spend in front of the television, but now it is the parents who are watching a screen for hours each day as they work from home, visit with family, and adapt to life during a global pandemic. Add to that total increased screen time for at-home schooling, and suddenly the entire population is spending a major portion of each day sedentary, watching a screen.

Photo: © Can Stock Photo / AndreyPopov

It’s no surprise then that many people are looking for creative ways to incorporate more movement and activity into virtual events. Below are ways to encourage that. Each of these activities works best when participants are standing, which is in itself a step in the right direction. Some activities are playful, some are thought-provoking, and all take only a few minutes.

ESP

Invent three movements and demonstrate them for a group. For example, a cowboy twirling a lariat above his or her head, a camp counselor spelling out YMCA, or a college pitcher throwing a fastball from the mound.  Then assign everyone a partner (or have them find their own from the field currently available within the video conference).

The challenge of this activity is to activate ESP, that is, extra-sensory perception—the ability to read your partner’s mind. On the count of three, display one of the three movements previously described, but not at random. Choose the movement you think your partner is about to do. Ready? 1, 2, 3!

ESP is a brief way of getting an audience up and moving, even if only for a minute or two. You can play multiple rounds of this activity, switch partners, and even introduce new movements, perhaps specific to the job functions of participants.

Pre-Event Scavenger Hunt

Prior to the beginning of a video conference, provide participants with a diverse list of items that each person needs to seek and find somewhere in their home. The list can be specific, such as finding a remote-control device for something other than a television, or general, like finding something purple. You may even ask participants to find one item for each letter of the alphabet (apple, brush, can opener, etc.)  

One of the unique bonus features of a scavenger hunt is that, after the event, participants will double their movements in returning each item to its proper location in the household.

Yoga, Qi Gong, and Other Movements

Incorporating a few easy yoga movements into a multi-hour video conference is a possibility, but even those who have no formal training in such activities can creatively encourage stretching and movement with the following techniques.

• The alphabet-stretch invites participants to use their bodies to create each letter of the alphabet in a smoothly flowing succession, from A to Z. Participants can move at their own speed and define their own movements (to match their physical capabilities).

• Household yoga consists of slow movements created to mimic domestic activities, such as reaching up to a top shelf to retrieve a box of cereal, or simultaneously washing a window with one hand while stirring a pot of soup with the other. One participant in each group of eight can identify a particular contribution to the activity and invite others to join in. The activity continues until everyone has shared at least one household yoga movement.

The Story Stretch

Groups of eight gather in a breakout room. One person begins telling a story that includes physical movements, such as riding a horse. Each of the other participants mimics the movements of the leader. After 30 seconds, the next person continues the story, adding specific elements and physical movements. The story continues until everyone has had a chance to contribute. Total time: about five minutes. Cost of participation: priceless.

The Morning Dance Party

For those who choose to incorporate music into presentations, The Morning Dance Party is the quickest way to explore both leadership and movement musically. Begin by choosing a song with a well-defined beat and lyrics that reinforce a message. When the music begins, instruct one person to demonstrate a basic dance move, and invite everyone else to mimic this movement. After 10 seconds, pass the leadership to another person, then another, then another, until everyone has had the opportunity to lead the group. If time permits, encourage everyone to lead multiple times. 

The Leadership Dance

In this musical activity, instruct groups to number off, one through eight, and remember their number. Invite person number one to lead the first piece of music, and person number two to lead the second, and so on. For this activity, you’ll need eight pieces of music, the more diverse the better. Each piece should be about 30 seconds long. After the activity, discuss with the group which leaders facilitated with confidence, and what each person did that made for a great leader.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of activities that encourage movement, but it’s a start.  After you’ve explored these activities, you’ll be ready to create your own ways of encouraging movement during video conferences. Good luck.

Teambuilding guru Dr. Jim Cain of Teamwork & Teamplay enjoys incorporating movement into his team and community-building programs, including yoga, dance, and activities that get the heart pounding.  For more information about his style of active learning and teambuilding, visit www.teamworkandteamplay.com.

This article, and many more, are part of the book The Learning Curve – The Transition from Facilitating in the Real World to Facilitating in a Virtual One, from the American Camping Association bookstore.