Understanding the Obstacle Course
There is an unsung hero of physical and mental development in children and that is the obstacle course. It might seem that the only goal of a children’s obstacle course is fun. Colorful cones and hoops, rope swings, and balance beams can lead kids to feeling more like they are on the playground than in an exercise class. As a martial arts instructor, I have students approach me everyday to ask, “Can we do the obstacle course today?” I almost feel like Mary Poppins with a spoon full of sugar.
The truth is that obstacle courses are some of the most rigorous and helpful tools for teaching children motor skills, helping them with strengthening and conditioning, sequencing and memory[1], and so much more! Different obstacles can create different challenges for my students to overcome. I’ll use the classic obstacle of weaving through cones as an example. For someone already used to their body, this might seem like a simple exercise, but to a still developing mind there are a lot of benefits to take from weaving through cones. A child can improve their spatial awareness, agility, dexterity, and balance from just one exercise. If I want to test their memory or pattern recognition I can switch how they maneuver around the cones from fast feet to a shuffle or slide. With all the benefits, it’s no surprise that so many sports have cones in their practice.
By putting various challenges together, students are also constantly changing the muscles they use. Balance beams work on core muscle strength and balance while jumping from hoop to hoop or over different obstacles builds leg muscles and confidence. Rope swings engage all different muscles depending on how you hold them and army crawling through a tunnel gives students insight into some of our later work in grappling on the floor as well as understanding the reaches of their own bodies.
For some martial arts schools there is an adherence to the traditional training methods. Students in rows, repeating movements with an instructor walking by to correct any mistakes. Something I’ve discovered by using the obstacle course is that I can create a stronger teaching setting by adding in technique application into the course loop. After using the rope swing, my students need to use a breakfall technique or perform a kick before they can move on to the next section. In some areas, I’ll have instructors giving one-on-one feedback to kids as they perform different kicks and blocks. Every student is engaged and every student is able to get valuable time with a master.
I hope more martial arts schools and other sports practices for kids will begin to incorporate the obstacle course into their training routine. I strongly believe that to develop our future generations of athletes, the sooner we introduce them to the obstacle course, the better our children will be for it.
[1] Koutsandréou, Flora et al. “Effects of Motor versus Cardiovascular Exercise Training on Children's Working Memory.” Medicine and science in sports and exercise vol. 48,6 (2016): 1144-52.