Hiker's Pace: Steady Rhythm and the Talk Test

Groups walk a loop on the field with a flat section and a hill or stairs, looking for a pace they could sustain for a day in the mountains. Intensity is monitored with the talk test, heart rate and the Borg scale, and the group's pace is set by its slowest member.

How to play

1. Explain the three monitoring tools: the talk test (being able to hold a conversation), heart rate by phone or manual count, and the 6–20 Borg scale (3 min).
2. Groups of four: first 6-minute lap at a free pace; afterward, each student records pulse, Borg rating and whether they could talk (7 min).
3. Quick analysis: the group works out the pulse difference among its members and picks a pacer to lead (3 min).
4. Second 8-minute lap with the pacer in front, at conversation pace and with short steps on the hill; record again (10 min).
5. Compare the data from both laps and decide as a group what pace they could hold for four hours (5 min).
6. Close with one key idea: in the mountains, the group walks at the pace of whoever is struggling most (2 min).

Rules

• During the controlled lap no one passes the pacer.
• If someone cannot speak in full sentences, the group slows down.
• Phones stay put away and come out only at the recording point.
• The group always walks together, with no more than 5 m between first and last.

Variations

Adaptations

• Asthma: also records how easy breathing feels and carries their inhaler; the group adjusts pace to their talk test.
• Limited mobility: covers the accessible part of the loop in a wheelchair and serves as the group's pacer.
• Overweight or low fitness: is offered the pacer role, which gives meaning to the group's pace.

Learning goals

• Find a sustainable walking pace using objective and subjective indicators.
• Interpret personal heart rate and perceived exertion data.
• Adjust the group's pace to the needs of all its members.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 8
• tablets or phones: 8
• stopwatch: 1

Teacher tip

Many students start too fast on the first lap: the data show this better than any explanation. Prepare a simple recording sheet for each group.

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