Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 722410cf5c6e7a18823fba9575cde90d3f1ae19844a67ea34d3dc8cd22512f23

# Lean Walk

Pairs lean their shoulders together to share weight and walk across an open space while maintaining mutual balance.

**Time:** 10 minutes. Playmeo notes low effort under 5 minutes; UWT plans 10 minutes to allow safety framing, side swapping, and a debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Pairs of similar height, with an observer and spotter option for an odd participant.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Demonstrate physical interdependence and mutual adjustment through a shared balance challenge.
**Use it when:** Use during an experiential workshop or retreat when participants want an active, physical check on how they communicate and calibrate speed in real time.
**Skip it when:** Skip when participants have balance, mobility, joint, or shoulder sensitivities, or when the group prefers not to engage in close physical contact.

## Materials and tools

- Floor tape or two cones to mark a start line and a finish line roughly 5 to 8 meters apart

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear an open area free of trip hazards, furniture, and slick floor surfaces.
2. Mark a start line and a target finish line 5 to 8 meters apart using tape or cones.

## Say this to open

Find a partner of similar height. You will stand side by side, lean your shoulders together to share support, and try to walk forward without losing balance. If you feel unstable at any point, step your feet inward and stand upright immediately. Physical contact is optional; you can also act as an observer and spotter.

## How to run it

### 1. Pair up and set balance (3 minutes)

Participants find a partner of similar height. An odd participant serves as a spotter. Partners stand shoulder-to-shoulder behind the start line. Each partner places their feet slightly outward, leaning sideways until their upper arms and shoulders rest together. Both adjust foot placement until they feel a balanced, mutual lean.

### 2. Walk forward together (3 minutes)

Pairs attempt to walk forward toward the finish line while keeping their shared lean. Partners coordinate foot cadence and speed. If a pair loses balance or separates, they step their feet under their center of mass, re-establish their lean, and continue from that spot. Stop once pairs cross the finish line.

### 3. Swap sides and return (2 minutes)

Partners switch which side they stand on, or rotate partners if desired. A spotter can rotate into a pair if someone wishes to take the spotter role. Pairs walk back toward the original start line using their adjustments from the first round.

### 4. Debrief (2 minutes)

Gather the group near the finish line. Ask two debrief questions. Collect three or four brief responses from the room before concluding.


## Debrief questions

- What adjustments did you and your partner make so neither person fell?
- How did your walk change when one person moved faster or leaned harder than the other?

**Finished output:** Pairs complete a shared physical walk across the room or identify where their balance and cadence broke down.

## Remote

This activity requires physical co-presence, shared body weight, and tactile balance. It cannot be run in a remote environment. Do not attempt this over video.

## Hybrid

Lean Walk cannot run as a shared hybrid activity because remote participants cannot share physical weight with in-person partners. In a hybrid meeting, run a non-physical verbal exercise for the entire group instead.

## Access and participation choices

- Anyone may choose to serve as a timekeeper, lane observer, or spotter instead of making physical contact.
- Partners choose their own lean depth and can keep their feet close together for a minimal lean.
- Participants may step out or pass by saying, 'I will spot for this round' without giving personal or medical reasons.

## If the session gets stuck

**One partner is taller or heavier, making balance uneven.**

Remind participants to match heights closely. If exact matches are unavailable, have the taller partner bend their knees slightly or reassign pairs.

**Pairs rush, lose cadence, and stumble forward.**

Call a quick freeze. Instruct pairs to synchronize their stride using verbal cues such as calling 'inside, outside' on each step.


## Terms used here

- Spotter: An active helper who walks close to a pair to monitor space and offer immediate support if someone stumbles.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo records, which attribute the activity to Mark Collard.

Retained core mechanics from Playmeo (pairs of similar height leaning shoulder-to-shoulder, walking forward, swapping sides). Added UWT safety structure: explicit step-in reset rule, spotter roles, designated course distance (5 to 8 meters), structured timing, and debrief prompts. Clarified that no direct remote or hybrid equivalent exists due to the physical nature of the mechanic.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/trust-building-games/lean-walk)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/trust-building-games/lean-walk/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/partner-trust-exercise-for-building-coordination-lean-walk/