On the Go with Activity Bingo
Any time I try a new exercise class, the following thoughts pop into my head:
- I hope it isn’t too obvious that I have no idea what I’m doing.
- There’s a good chance I’ll be sore tomorrow.
- Despite 1 and 2, I’m having a blast.
Trying new and challenging classes breathes new life into my exercise routine and keeps me engaged and excited about fitness. How can you help your friends and family get excited about fitness? Below is a fun activity we do at work that can also be brought home to your families.
Physical Activity Bingo!
- Have coworkers fill out an individual Bingo card using different forms of exercise they currently do—walking, running, elliptical machine, etc.—along with activities they plan on trying, such as Yoga, a bootcamp or dance class, spinning, and so on.
- Make sure each person is specific when listing activities. For example, instead of listing “walking,” ask them to specify time or mileage such as “walking – 1 mile” or “walking – 20 minutes.”
- Encourage everyone to think beyond the treadmill. Fitness is not limited to the gym, and fun activities like playing tag or shooting hoops with the kids or grandkids count as exercise too.
- Participants then check off each activity square on their card and list the date as soon as they complete that activity.
- Once each person has a full row checked off, they have Physical Activity Bingo and can turn in their card to be entered into a drawing for a prize.
- To make this activity more challenging, encourage participants to go for blackout Bingo by completing each activity square.
Fitness can be fun—we just have to find what works best for our interests and abilities. Physical Activity Bingo is a simple and light-hearted way to get started!
Maggie Thorison is the Wellness Manager at TOPS Club, Inc., the original nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss support and wellness education organization. She writes the Wellness Wednesday blog for TOPS’ website, www.tops.org.