The Ultimate Race

Develop your character!

Getting started

Help your family to be active this week with three fun sessions:

  • Involve everyone – anyone can lead!
  • Adapt for your family
  • Encourage each other
  • Challenge yourselves
  • Don’t exercise if it causes pain

Share family.fit with others:

  • Post a photo or video on social media and tag with #familyfit or @familyfitnessfaithfun
  • Do family.fit with another family
Warm up 512

Day 1: Warm-up

Junkyard dog

One person sits on the floor with legs out to the front and arms out to the side. The others jump over the arm, the legs and the second arm. Everybody jumps two rounds and changes places, so everybody gets to jump.

Play Video

Rest and talk together.

Describe someone you would say is really kind.

Go deeper: How is compassion different from kindness? Give an example.

Move 512

Day 1: Move

Slow speed skaters

speed skater process 600

Practice speed skaters to develop leg and core strength. Bend and touch the knee with the opposite hand (one repetition). Start slow then increase speed and make the movements fluid.

Play Video

Do six. Rest and do 12. Rest and do 18.

Go easier: Decrease the number of repetitions.

Challenge 512

Day 1: Challenge

Speed skater race

speed skater process 600

Count how many speed skaters you can do in 60 seconds.

Rest for 60 seconds.

Then stand on a line (rope) and jump in these ways:

  • 20 forward/back
  • 20 side to side

Complete two rounds.

Go harder: Do more rounds.

Explore 512

Day 1: Explore

Put on kindness and compassion

Read Colossians 3:12 from the Bible.

In this letter Paul gives the believers some very practical and valuable wisdom on how to live for Christ in community with others. Attractive qualities such as kindness and humility come from Jesus. We need to wear them like clothes.

What does this verse tell us about how God sees us?

We are chosen, holy and loved. God has set us apart to live and behave as Jesus did and grow more and more like Him each day. Developing Jesus’ character is like putting on clothing.

Put on two pieces of clothing (for kindness and compassion) as you talk about what this could look like for each of you this week.

It can be hard to show these qualities but thankfully we have Jesus’ help each day.

Chat to God: Think of people who need to know God’s compassion and kindness today. Draw two shirts and label them COMPASSION and KINDNESS. Write down the people’s names. Pray for them now.

Play 512

Day 1: Play

Ants on a log

Everyone stands on a ‘log’ (a line, low wall or a bench). The goal is to reverse your order on the log without anyone falling off. Work together so everyone is successful. Set a timer.

Play Video

Reflect: What helped you be successful?

Health tip for living long

Get outdoors and enjoy nature.

Warm up 512

Day 2: Warm-up

Hand touches

Stand upright in a push-up position facing a partner. Try to touch the other person’s hands while you are protecting your own.

How many touches can you make in 60 seconds?

Play Video

Rest and talk together.

Talk about times when you need to be gentle.

Go deeper: Find examples of famous people who showed humility or gentleness.

Move 512

Day 2: Move

Speed skaters

speed skater process 600

Practice speed skaters. Each time your foot comes forward, try to reach and touch it with the opposite hand. Start slowly and then increase speed and fluency.

Do 10. Rest and do 20. Rest again and do 30.

Play Video

Go harder: Increase the number of repetitions to 40, 50 or 60.

Challenge 512

Day 2: Challenge

20, 15, 10 and 5

Start with ‘high fives’, then do:

  • 20 jumping jacks
  • 15 lunges
  • 10 push-ups
  • 5 squats

End with ‘high fives’.

Do three rounds with no rest between them.

Go easier: Do 10, 8, 6 and 4.

Explore 512

Day 2: Explore

Put on humility and gentleness

Read Colossians 3:12.

Are you good at listening to the advice of your parents, friends, or coaches?

Listening to others to learn from them shows we are growing in humility, rather than thinking we know everything.

Put on the clothing you wore for the first session and add two more pieces for ‘humility’ and ‘gentleness’. Hold a family arm wrestling competition.

Talk together about ways to speak up which demonstrate humility and gentleness. This is being quietly strong.

Read about sailing and Lawrence Lemieux.

Chat to God: Each person draws a picture of themselves. Place them together and write the five words from Colossians 3:12 around your family. As you add color to your photo, pray for each other.

Sailing

Canadian sailor, Lawrence Lemieux, was competing in a sailing race in the 1988 Olympics in South Korea when the seas got very rough. Lemieux was out in front of the race with another boat when he saw that one of his competitors had capsized and was in danger of drowning. He changed course, helped rescue the sailors, and then resumed the race. It cost him time. He couldn’t win a medal and crossed the finish line in 11th place. By putting others first, he lost the race, but he showed the best attributes of an athlete. He chose compassion and kindness over winning.

Officials said, “By your sportsmanship, self-sacrifice, and courage you embody all that is right with the Olympic ideal.”

Play Video

How does this story inspire you to run your own race?

How can your family develop in this area?

Play 512

Day 2: Play

Rob the nest

Place several balls or pairs of socks per person in a container in the middle. It should be an equal distance from all players. Each person also has a ‘nest’ (small container) in front of them. Set a timer for five minutes.

On “go” everyone runs to the middle and grabs one item for their nest. Continue until all the ‘treasure’ is gone. Players can steal one item at a time from each other’s nests but cannot defend their own. The person with the most ‘treasure’ in their nest at the end of two minutes wins.

Play Video

Reflect: What qualities does this game bring out in the players?

Health tip for living long

Get outdoors and enjoy nature. Go for walks, swim, run, do gardening, or enjoy a local wilderness.

Warm up 512

Day 3: Warm-up

Move to music

Put on some favorite music. Repeat these moves until the music ends:

  • 10 running on spot
  • 5 squats
  • 10 running on spot
  • 5 squats with hand clap above head
Play Video

Rest and talk together.

What do you find it hard to wait for?

Go deeper: When have you seen a sportsperson show patience?

Move 512

Day 3: Move

Obstacle speed skaters

speed skater process 600

Do speed skaters with an object such as a rope or book on the ground that you have to step over. Make the speed skaters smooth and then increase speed.

Do 20. Rest and then do 20 again.

Do three rounds.

Play Video

Go harder: Do more rounds or do them faster.

Challenge 512

Day 3: Challenge

Global speed skater challenge

speed skater process 600

How many speed skaters can your family do in 90 seconds?

Each family member does as many speed skaters as they can in 90 seconds. Combine the scores for the family total.

CLICK HERE to input your family score.

CLICK HERE to look at the weekly leaderboard to see your country’s progress.

Which nation will be our family.fit champions?

Explore 512

Day 3: Explore

Put on patience

Put on your four pieces of clothing and add one more.

Read Colossians 3:12.

Set a timer for 1 minute and wait in silence as you think about times you or your friends have gone through challenges which test your patience. Talk about these times.

Did anything help? What did you/they learn? While feelings of frustration may arise, these are also opportunities to learn life lessons.

Chat to God: We all need patience. Pray and ask God for help to grow in this area.

Play 512

Day 3: Play

Family walk

Is there a place you have wanted to go and explore as a family? If you can, take a walk together and as you go talk about what you have learned this week. Which virtue is hardest for you to put on? Which is the easiest? Choose one you want to work on this week. Pick up a rock or something from nature that will be a reminder of your walk together.

Health tip for living long

Be a good model in spending time outdoors for your kids. Plant vegetables in a garden together. Keep a local wilderness free from rubbish. Go for walks regularly and notice how seasons change.

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The family.fit team