No-Line Stations: Design a Circuit for 28 with Little Gear
Groups design a station circuit for the whole class with limited gear and one clear goal: nobody stands around waiting. Two designs get tested and real waiting time is measured, just like a fitness floor manager would do.
How to play
- Challenge and limits: 6 jugs, 4 bands, 8 mats, 1 bench and cones for 28 people; the circuit lasts about 6 min and nobody waits more than 10 s (3 min).
- Design in groups of 5: floor plan, number of stations, people per station, rotation direction and a backup exercise for anyone reaching a busy station (8 min).
- One-minute pitch per group and a vote for the two clearest designs (4 min).
- Test design A: the whole class runs it while two observers count the seconds people spend standing still (7 min).
- Test design B with the same observers (5 min).
- Compare data: waiting time, perceived effort, and what you'd change in each design (3 min).
Rules
- Each design must include a level option at every station.
- Jugs stay on the floor when not in use, never in walkways.
- Observers sit out that test and stand outside the circuit.
- Critique the design, not the people.
Variations
Easier
Provide a base plan with stations already set; groups only design the rotation.
Standard
Full design with limited gear.
Harder
Add the requirement that a wheelchair user takes part and the circuit is fully accessible.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student can be head observer in the test and lead designer of the floor plan.
- Hearing impairment: the design includes visual rotation signals (raised cone, colored card).
- Reading or writing difficulties: plans can be drawn with sketches and arrows, no text required.
Learning goals
- Organize an efficient circuit for a large group.
- Use observation data to improve a design.
- Get to know real tasks from fitness careers.
Equipment for a class of 25
- water jugs: 6
- resistance bands: 4
- mats: 8
- gym bench: 1
- cones: 20
- sheets of paper: 6
- pens: 6
- stopwatches: 2
Teacher tip
Tape off the available space before they design: they tend to draw circuits that don't fit. Point out that lines are a real problem in gyms and group classes.
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