Wind sprints are athletic drills in which students must sprint back and forth between two or more set points as fast as possible. Traditionally, students line up at the baseline of a tennis or basketball court and run to touch each successive line on the court, running back to the baseline between touches.
Soccer drills involve dribbling and passing a soccer ball. While some PE teachers prefer students to learn fundamentals, those with access to a grass field may want to split their classes into two or more teams and have them play a full game of soccer, one of the most athletically intense sports ever.
Although usually played among elementary school students, tag can be easily adapted for high school students to help improve reflexes and cardiovascular health. Instead of having a single student be "it," assign two or more students. Tag, of course, requires a large indoor space or an outdoor space.
A classic PE activity, dodgeball may not necessarily provide students the best workout---most games involve a significant amount of standing around---but it is consistently "intense." Some PE teachers outlaw hits to the face, but others allow them, theorizing that they motivate students to try harder.
Flag football is a variation on a great American pastime that can played by both men and women. In fact, according to the New York Times, flag football is one of the fastest-growing varsity sports among high school girls in Florida, with nearly 5,000 players statewide.
Played in teams of two, run-around badminton is played like regular badminton, but with shifting teams and more running. In run-around badminton, after a player hits the shuttlecock, he must run around to the other side of the net and join the other team.
Strength training is an exercise in which students burn calories and build muscle by subjecting various muscle groups to increasing degrees of resistance. Most strength training is performed in a gym with weights or exercise machines, but for large classes, it can be done through special calisthenics, such as push-ups and sit-ups.