Not a fitness buff? Hate going to crowded gyms? Maybe all the old traditional ways of working out aren’t appealing to you. Who says you have to hit the gym to get fit? The best part about fitness is that it doesn’t have boundaries. As long as you are moving, having fun, and breaking a sweat, then you can make it your workout routine. Here are some wacky ways that people are getting in shape…
Wingsuit flying
It’s a bird, it’s a plane … no, it’s just the latest high-altitude sports craze that has grabbed the attention of thrill-seekers worldwide. Forget hang-gliders, the latest sport to take off is wingsuit flying. As the name suggests, just don a special Batman-esque jumpsuit and away you go. The wingsuit flyer exits from a plane or from a base-jump exit point such as a cliff wearing the space-age suit and a parachute. The flier then manipulates the shape of their body to create drag and lift. While still in the early stages of development, powered wingsuits using small jet engines that are strapped to the feet are now also being developed — what next?!
Street luge
A mix of skateboarding and sledding, street luge is a gravity-powered activity that involves lying down on a street-luge board and hurtling down a paved road or specially-designed course. Not one for the faint-hearted.
Zorbing
Invented in New Zealand, zorbing or sphering is a fun and, let’s face it, bizarre, sport. Ready for the ride of your life? Then step inside the sphere — a double-hulled ball that acts as a shock absorber for the adrenaline-pumped rider. Zorbing can be enjoyed on land, usually on a gentle slope so the adventure-seeker experiences the extra thrill of a speedy ride, and also on water.
Paint balling
The ultimate past-time for wannabe soldiers. Kitted out in camouflage and using an air-powered ‘paintball marker’ game players shoot their opponents with paint-filled, breakable gelatine balls. The game can be played indoors or outdoors and usually involves two opposing teams.
Underwater hockey
Developed in the 1950s by Britain’s Royal Navy in an effort to keep divers fit, underwater hockey has since become a big hit among Australians. As the name suggests, the game is similar to field hockey — oh, except that the players wear masks, snorkels, fins and a thick glove to protect them from the 1.5kg lead puck.
Cheese rolling
It doesn’t sound like an extreme sport, but a large number of entrants from the wacky annual Gloucestershire event wind up in hospital every year after chasing a round 3kg piece of cheese down a very steep hill. The winner takes the cheese (source)!
Ok, so maybe you don’t want to chase cheese down a hill… but you could chose to do it if you got tired of the treadmill. It could add some spice to your routine 😉
Adria Ali
Christina Crowe says