Wild Moving - Mirror Run

Mirror Run (Image courtesy of Exuberant Animal)

Here’s a fantastic functional fitness game from Exuberant Animal. It’s super-easy and you need no equipment – just a willing buddy and plenty of space to run around in. We played it at the Exuberant Animal seminar in London and apparently it was quite a sight to behold: 20 pairs of people playing follow-the-leader around Regent’s Park! It can be incredibly intense if you add in lots of jumps and variations – I remember being totally out of breath at the end of it.

Mirror Run (Excerpt from the Exuberant Animal website)

This one will develop a lot more than just your cardio capability. It’s a variant on follow-the-leader, except this time, the leader takes off with variations in gait: skipping, hopping, slaloming, leaping, leaning, twisting and so on. Any combination of posture and locomotion is acceptable. The partner simply follows a few paces behind and tries to duplicate exactly what he sees in front, down to the smallest detail.

You’ll probably want to limit this run to a short course. It’s surprisingly robust, especially for the follower. You can also try it with the leader running backwards.

In any case, if you’re the follower, keep your attention focused on your leader’s hips and torso. If you’re the leader, look for something comprehensible. If your movements are too chaotic or random, your follower will get lost. And finally, don’t forget to include occasional ground touches; this will add some power and hip flexibility to the mix.

And remember to keep swapping who is the leader and who is the follower! It’s a great chance to unleash your creativity.

For other brilliant games ideas visit the Functional Fitness Games section of the Exuberant Animal website.