Let's Go to the Olympics!

The Summer Olympics make a great theme for a fun and HARD water fitness class! I've done this routine twice now, and my members loved it.

The class is an hour, so I do an 8-10 minute warm-up, about a 40-45 minute cardio segment, and a 8-10 minute cool-down. You have to have a bit of a sense of creativity for this, so get those creative juices flowing and have fun with it!

Warm-Up

Tell the class to get ready, cause they're going to Athens! Everything they do to get ready for the trip is a warm-up exercise:

• Go up to the attic to get the suitcases - March in place
• Open the drawers to get clothes - Reach to the sides
• Throw the clothes on the bed - Lock upper arm to side and rotate out
• Oops...gotta fold the clothes - Jumping jacks
• Close the suitcase - Jump up and down
• Take the suitcases to the car - Sidebend and walk
• Drive to the airport - Arms rotate the wheel and toes tap (gas/brake)
• Security check (wand) - Arms up/jump up and down
• Shoes off - Opposite hands to heels front/back
• Suitcase in overhead bin - Reach up with twist...both sides
• Oops - forgot the pillow/blanket - Repeat above
• Get comfy in your seat - Wiggle your rear end
• Fly to Athens - Fly around. Take detours to Greenland, etc. (change directions). Back-up at airport! - go around in circles.
• Taxi ride through Athens - Grapevine four steps, quick change back.
• Unpack, Hang up clothes - Jumping jacks

Opening Ceremonies - Salute the flags, march in place, pretend to hold a flag and move it through the water in all directions (warms up core). Use country themes - Here come the Hawaiians...hula, There's the Irish...do a jig, And the Russians...straight leg/wide kicks (forget the name of the dance)...you get the drift...

Cardio

Keep moving from one trial to the next by jogging. Some of you may have access to equipment and others many not, so I'll try to give suggestions for the haves and have nots. You don't have to do all of these the first time or even in the same order...these are in alphabetical order:

• Archery - With or without stretchy bands, cock the bow rocking back & forth on feet, palm facing forward. Switch arms.
• Badmitton Baseball - Underhand pitching, palm-up. Swing the bat (no equipment) using arms & core muscles.
• Beach Volleyball - We use $1 kids rubber balls, but you can do this with or without balls. Divide into 2 teams. Spike the balls (use your overhead flags if you have them) over the net - cue to jump. This gets everyone laughing and having alot of fun if you have loads of balls at once.
• Boxing - Punches, jabs, upper cuts, kicks - front, side, back
• Canoe - Ride the noodle like a pony and use breastroke arms. Our club has hard plastic "scoops" that we use for "paddles". Go forwards and backwards.
• Cycling/Mountain Biking - Stay on the noodle/pony and do bicycle legs, no arms, then add arms, then go backwards, downhill (fast).
• Cycling/Track Biking - Everyone is in a line and goes around in a big oval like a track.
• Equestrian - Rocking horse. Do leaps for steeple chasing.
• Fencing - Arm is a sword.
• Football (not American Football) - kick the ball, move quickly, change directions, run to the goal, etc.
• Gymnastics (Artistic/Rhythmic/Trampoline) - You can get really creative with this, so go for it! Hard to describe moves here...
• Judo - Do quick chops in all directions/angles
• Rowing - Fun to form two lines and jog fast while using arms to row, making it a race.
• Swimming - Most of my members are seniors so I haven't done this, but if you have swimmers, just make them race for one length.
• Synchronised Swimming - Suspended moves using sculling hands, extend one bent leg out of water at a time and straighten it, then switch legs. Form a circle and extend one leg while moving towards the center to form a star. Move back out, switch legs and move towards the middle again.
• Table Tennis - We used scoops again for this and similated the paddle moves with both hands, or you can just use hands.
• Tennis - Scoops again were used with big arm movements to similate a forehand and backhand move, or just use big arm movements.
• Triathalon - OK...you can get really creative with this one and do the whole class with this one trial!
• Water Polo - Same as Beach Volleyball, only you have to do it suspended!
• Weightlifting - We used stretchy bands again and extended arms overhead, pulling them down and behind the head.
• Wrestling - We didn't do this one, but you might want to try to wrestle each other off of a noodle!

Cool down

Do the reverse of the Warm-up for the trip home. I added a cocktail on the way home (bi-cep curls) that got alot of giggles. Used the suitcases to sidestretch. Hugged our family when we got home (self-hug). Showed how much love we saw at the Olympics (hands in prayer at center, opening arms outward). Forget the unpacking when you get home - stretch instead (do leg stretches).

I hope you have as much fun as I did with this. Please let me know if you come up with any new ones!

Thanks,
Lisa Dearden

< < Previous Aquatic pattern - Next Aquatic pattern > >

	Main page - Moves - Music - TBB - Wearables!
	Patterns: Disclaimer / Search / Stats / RSS / Add
	View patterns by month May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 May 1998 April 1998 March 1998 February 1998 January 1998 December 1997 November 1997 October 1997 September 1997 August 1997 July 1997 June 1997 May 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 November 1996 October 1996 September 1996 August 1996 July 1996 June 1996 May 1996 (earliest)	View patterns by type Body Sculpting Cycling BoxAerobics Stability Ball Step Hi/Lo (floor) Abs Quad Step Warmup/Cooldown Double Aquatic Funk Slide Other