How do you add movement to your workshops?
Movement in workshops (if done in a congruent way) leads to more engagement, livelier energy, superior cognitive skills and it helps participants to build good habits for their health.
Yet, in the modern world where sitting becomes a “normal” thing to do, we all become a bit too focused on our “big brain” and detached from our bodies.
But the brain can’t work without the body!
Our brain needs oxygen and nourishment to work optimally, but it also uses the body to support our thinking and to extend our perception.
Today, I am exploring how we, as trainers or facilitators, bring more movement into our workshops.
One of the most important things when incorporating movement is to make movement support the learning – meaning, have the type of movement aligned with the type of activities (eg not having them jump while they need to think super deep, and not having them move in the middle of the structured reflection process).
Here are some ideas on how I do it in live workshops:
Invite them to stand up whenever they work in pairs (I can be more explicit about it and tell them that we are doing that to not sit all the time, or I will make it more implicit and create an activity where they search for their pair through movement).
If they are presenting something, invite them to come out in front of the group.
When they work in small groups, ask them to move to a different place (eg tables in the corner of the room, or breakout space).
Creating small group discussions where they are standing or can choose between sitting and standing (that is, if they don’t need to write on a flipchart)
🗣 Creating pair discussions using “Brownian motion”: explaining shortly what is it (google if you are not familiar with it) and then asking them to move in that way until a sign (sign is usually a change of music or a clap or bell) and then they grab the nearest person to be their a pair and a task or a question to work on (tasks are positioned around the room, perhaps hanging from a ceiling or on tables around corners of the room).
🚶♂️ Creating “walk in learning space” by asking them to walk around the room and look at something – eg at the end of the day to take a walk through all flipcharts we used in the day, or at the beginning to walk to 4 corners of a room and read a question that is posted in each corner and then choose the most interesting question for them and stay next to it.
💭 Inviting them to change space or walk for reflection bits (but saying to do it only if that helps them reflect).
🌳 taking some of the activities outdoors whenever convenient within get2know activities (exact movement.
Personally, I am not a big fan of “random” energizers that don’t contribute to learning but are just about movement – so I usually try to incorporate movement into meaningful activities.
Instead, the goal is to incorporate movement into meaningful activities & use it to support learning.
Moment to reflect
What is a workshop or a training you have coming up?
What is a nice movement activity you can incorporate into the session?
Wondering how you can incorporate more movement into your personal life?
Check our blog post on Happiness Academy on how to move more and sit less!
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