Woodcutters Warm-Up

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Raise physical alertness through a brief, synchronized partner arm movement.

Use it when: Use during an afternoon lull or after long periods of seated work when the room needs quick physical movement.

Skip it when: Skip if participants have upper-body joint injuries, when close proximity is unwelcome, or when vigorous physical activity does not fit the context.

Group arrangement: Pairs; if numbers are odd, one trio forms or one person serves as pace caller.

Timing: 5 minutes suggested by UWT to accommodate grouping, consent check, and brief debrief.

Materials and tools

• Stable chairs for anyone choosing the seated option
• Remote or hybrid: one camera-enabled device and headset per participant, a shared video call that lets each person keep their assigned partner in view, and secure device supports clear of moving arms

Before participants arrive

1. Clear enough open floor space so pairs can stand arm-length apart without bumping into chairs or other pairs.
2. For remote or hybrid delivery, prepare pairs from the full roster regardless of location before the clock starts. With an odd total, use one trio or a volunteer pace caller as in the main instructions. Check partner visibility and audio. Room participants use separate speaking positions with headsets and clear arm space; keep devices stable.

Say this to open

Find a partner and stand facing each other about an arm length apart. We are going to simulate a two-person crosscut saw. If you and your partner agree to physical contact, take a monkey grip by hooking your curled fingers together. If either person prefers no contact, hold your open palms a couple inches apart and mirror each other without touching. Place one foot slightly forward for stable balance.

How to run it

1. Pair up and establish stance 1 minutes

   Participants pair off. If an odd person remains, form one trio where one person rotates in after the first round, or have that person call the start and stop cadence. Pairs check consent for hand contact. Partners face each other, place one foot forward for balance, and choose either interlocking curled fingers or mirroring open hands without contact.

2. Start alternating arm strokes 1 minutes

   Pairs begin slowly pushing and pulling their arms alternately. As one partner pushes their right arm forward, the other yields with their left arm, mimicking a reciprocating saw. Establish a steady, gentle rhythm.

3. Build speed and finish 2 minutes

   Pairs gradually accelerate their pumping rhythm while keeping balance. Anyone can release their grip, slow down, or stop at any moment. Run the sprint for roughly 20 to 30 seconds until pairs run out of breath and naturally stop, then rest.

4. Breathe and debrief 1 minutes

   Call the room back to resting stance. Ask two brief questions to the whole group and take two or three fast verbal responses.

Debrief questions

• How did you and your partner negotiate the change in speed?
• What happened to your balance as the tempo increased?

Finished output: Completion of a shared physical warm-up cycle by all pairs.

Remote

Use paired, no-contact mirroring in one shared video call. Keep your assigned partner in view and choose a stable standing or seated position. Follow the same slow movement, gradual acceleration and rest phases, adjusting to what you can see without trying to overcome video delay. Anyone may slow down, stop or observe. With an odd total, one volunteer calls the pace, or one trio uses two 15-second turns within each movement phase, rotating which person rests. Each trio member participates. Keep the same one-minute debrief.

Hybrid

Use the same video-pairing version for the full roster. Assign partners regardless of location, so a lone person in either location can pair across video. Everyone uses an individual camera device and headset; room participants use separate speaking positions and clear arm space. Use the same trio or pace-caller option for an odd total. If partner visibility, equipment or safe space is unavailable, use a fully in-person or fully remote session with a working setup, or skip the activity. Do not split into location-only pairs that leave someone unassigned.

Access and participation choices

• No-contact option: pairs mirror each other with open palms two inches apart rather than grasping hands.
• Seated option: participants remain seated in stable chairs and pump arms forward and back.
• Opt-out option: any participant may choose to act as official timekeeper or observer without providing a reason.

If the session gets stuck

Partners pull too hard and pull each other off balance.

Remind everyone that the movement is a shared rhythm, not a tug-of-war. Ask pairs to widen their stance and focus on smooth pushing rather than pulling.

An odd number of participants leaves one person without a partner.

Invite the extra person to serve as the room starter and timer, or join a pair to run two quick sequential 15-second rounds.

Terms used here

• Monkey grip: A handhold where each person curls four fingers into the curled fingers of the partner, without interlocking thumbs.