Squash is like a mixture of tennis and the old Eton Wall Game. Where in tennis you hit the ball over the net to each other, in squash there's no net. You hit the ball to a wall and the other player hits it back against the wall when it bounces off. It's played with a small, high-density rubber ball that bounces extremely fast, so it can be a fast-paced and athletic game.
There's strategy involved as well: when you pay squash the trick is to hit the ball into a place your opponent can't reach it in time, which means the corners of the court.
Many leisure and sports centres have a squash court, and hiring the equipment and space can be relatively inexpensive, while there are often local leagues to play in once you begin to develop some skill.
Rowing Is a Good Way To Get A Stronger Back and Legs
Rowing is a good movement. It's one of the movement patterns that the human body can generate the most force in, and it's good for endurance too. As a result, many modern gyms feature rowing machines which are heavily used by people who have no plans to pick up an oar.
If you do fancy trying rowing, though, there are usually facilities nearby that will teach you and rent you a boat and safety equipment, until you decide to get your own. Rowing can involve some big purchases but relatively little outlay when you actually do it and it can be a fun way to explore the natural environment, especially if you live near a big body of water or river.
Rock climbing is roughly divided into four types: bouldering, leading and top-roped climbing, free climbing and ice climbing, which isn't really 'rock' climbing at all. Bouldering means climbing things typically less than 16 feet high, without ropes. Rather than long climbs, typically bouldering challenges consist of just a few technically difficult moves. Leading means climbing with the rope, attaching it to the wall as you go by means of special equipment, while top-roping means climbing once the rope is set up. Typically, one person will lead and the other belay - handle the rope to ensure the climber's safety. Then the other person will belay while his partner climbs up behind him, recovering the equipment from the rock as he does so. Free climbing is done without ropes, to any height. Obviously this is extremely risky. Finally ice climbing is done in icy conditions with crampons and ice axes.
While some of these options can be equipment-intensive and therefore expensive and also require impressive skill, rock climbing can be a gentle hobby too. Many indoor climbing centres will let you use their facilities, rent you equipment and teach you how to use it, all for relatively low fees, and owning...
Rock climbing is roughly divided into four types: bouldering, leading and top-roped climbing, free climbing and ice climbing, which isn't really 'rock' climbing at all. Bouldering means climbing things typically less than 16 feet high, without ropes. Rather than long climbs, typically bouldering challenges consist of just a few technically difficult moves. Leading means climbing with the rope, attaching it to the wall as you go by means of special equipment, while top-roping means climbing once the rope is set up. Typically, one person will lead and the other belay - handle the rope to ensure the climber's safety. Then the other person will belay while his partner climbs up behind him, recovering the equipment from the rock as he does so. Free climbing is done without ropes, to any height. Obviously this is extremely risky. Finally ice climbing is done in icy conditions with crampons and ice axes.
While some of these options can be equipment-intensive and therefore expensive and also require impressive skill, rock climbing can be a gentle hobby too. Many indoor climbing centres will let you use their facilities, rent you equipment and teach you how to use it, all for relatively low fees, and owning a pair of rock shoes can give you the freedom to do low solo climbing anywhere you can find something you fancy climbing. If you're interested in a challenge that's both physical and mental, rock climbing is definitely worth checking out!
Take the Plunge With Swimming for Health and Fitness
Swimming is a very approachable sport, appealing to older people or those new to exercise as well as to serious athletes. If you're a serious athlete, swimming can be a good way to get some cardio, some muscular endurance work and a bit of mobilization, all with minimal impact on your joints. Those benefits apply to the beginner too, of course!
Swimming pools are where most people now start swimming, and if you want to learn the strokes properly you can usually find a program at your local pool. Alternatively the sport of 'wild swimming' is taking off as waterways become cleaner and you cna find a natural pool lake or river near you and often a group to go with. Just carry out some basic safety checks first!
Cross-country skiinig, sometimes referred to as Nordic skiing, was developed as a mode of transportation in the Scandinavian winters when walking on the deep snow was too hazardous and difficult. On skis, though, an individual could glide over the snow quickly, propelled by a skiing pole in each hand which he uses a little like a kayaker uses a paddle.
Cross country skiing is really only suitable for the colder months of colder places, but the equipment can be picked up second hand for relatively low prices. It can be dangerous if you get lost in the snow, though, so try to find a group to go with your first few times out.
Basketball Is America's Favorite Game - Make It Yours
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in America. The only equipment you really need is a ball, and there are often hoops in public parks, or you can buy one to fix to the outside of your house. Because the game requires little space, it's a great driveway or backyard sport, with amateur players all over the world practicing in their own spaces to improve their game.
Playing basketball can introduce you to a whole new world too. There are pickup games all over, and you can get family and friends together to start your own. The basic rules are simple: if you move with the ball you must dribble it and you may not physically touch another player on purpose, and the aim is to score a basket. Basketball can be suitable for family groups and children, the elderly and those new to exercise, as well as the fit young athletes trying to improve their lay-ups!
Cycling can be a great sport. It's a big tent - road cycling isn't that similar to downhill mountain bike racing or BMX flatlanding, for instance - but it's also a very approachable one. If you can ride a bike, you're in, and there's a world of little communities and magazines out there to teach you how to get more out of ti and get better at the bits you like.
There are some things we can say in general about cycling, though: it's good for basic aerobic fitness, it helps strengthen the leg muscles and the body generally (you pull and push on the handlebars to generate force) and it can be as intense or sedate as you want to make it, meaning it's suitable for people who are new to exercise and those who are already pretty fit.
Cycling has one great advantage, too: it's a practical mode of transport. Not many of us can kayak to work (if you can, though, more power to you!) - but cycling to work, to the shops, to visit a friend, can all be great ways to work some exercise into your days and see some of the world without glass...
Cycling can be a great sport. It's a big tent - road cycling isn't that similar to downhill mountain bike racing or BMX flatlanding, for instance - but it's also a very approachable one. If you can ride a bike, you're in, and there's a world of little communities and magazines out there to teach you how to get more out of ti and get better at the bits you like.
There are some things we can say in general about cycling, though: it's good for basic aerobic fitness, it helps strengthen the leg muscles and the body generally (you pull and push on the handlebars to generate force) and it can be as intense or sedate as you want to make it, meaning it's suitable for people who are new to exercise and those who are already pretty fit.
Cycling has one great advantage, too: it's a practical mode of transport. Not many of us can kayak to work (if you can, though, more power to you!) - but cycling to work, to the shops, to visit a friend, can all be great ways to work some exercise into your days and see some of the world without glass in between, too.
Running Things: Running Is A Fun Way To Get Healthy
Running is one of the most basic of all human movements. In fact, some researchers claim we evolved our unique body shape in order to be better runners! If you're planning to start running as a sport, it's a good idea to find a local group and run with them so you can pick up tips. There are online tools that will help you plan out routes and distances if you want to make things a little more official.
When you run, try to stay on the balls of your feet, which will help you get a proper gait. Don't heelstrike, and don;t fret too much about getting the right shoes. Anything that doesn't constrict your foot too much is a good place to start off with. Start with shorter distances and work up, and don't run every day until you get used to it.
Pentathlon: Ancient Greece's Ultimate Challenge, Transferred to Modern Times
Pentathlon can mean two things. Its history as a sporting event in the ancient Greek Olympic Games that mirrored the requirements of a soldier means that there's a Modern Pentathlon that involves shooting, horse riding and fencing too.
Most of us mean the other kind, though, so that's the one I'll talk about. This Athletics Pentathlon consists of five events ('pent' being Greek for 'five'), and they are: long jump, javelin throw, a 200 metre sprint, discuss throw and a 1500 metre run.
That means a pretty wide range of abilities are being tested. Discuss and javelin require both skill and strength, while the 1500 metres is a test of endurance, especially after the other events, all of which take place on the same day!
You can probably find a pentathlon to suit you, since they're made up by different associations out of a wide list of track and field events; some include hurdles but no throwing, for instance. What characterises them is the mix of five different athletic disciplines on the same day, that makes multiple events like pentathlons, triathlons and decathlons among the most gruelling of physical challenges.
Boxing is one of the most physically demanding of sports. As with all combat sports, its mixture of skill and physical effort requirements mean that a round of boxing leaves most people, even those who consider themselves fit, gasping for breath.
While it can have a violent or thuggish image in some people's eyes, and there's no getting away from the fact that the essence of the sport is hitting each other, boxing is a very calm and disciplined sport, and wild aggression is frowned upon at boxing clubs. You'll be expected to gain a degree of proficiency in footwork and basic combinations before you'll be allowed in the ring.
Not everyone who does boxing boxes. Some people do the training but not the sparring or competitive fighting, because of its athletic benefits. This 'boxercise' can be suitable for all ages and health levels and gives an experience slightly similar to the 'boot camp' fitness phenomenon, while the padwork - learning to punch pads - can be empowering and a healthy outlet of aggression for some.
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