There are many benefits to taking up an outdoor sport. For those of us who spend most of our time indoors, outdoor sports can be an opportunity to get some fresh air and sunlight. However, they can also provide challenges to overcome and goals to work towards – motivating us to go outdoors regularly. There are many outdoor sports that you can choose from cycling to wild swimming. Below are 7 examples to consider.
Cycling
Cycling can not just be a great outdoor sport but also a cheap, eco-friendly and physically active way of getting around locally. It is one of the best cardio workouts and can help greatly with weight loss, while also building leg and core muscles. Cycling can be made competitive by challenging yourself to longer and harder routes, as well as taking part in cycle races.
Running
Running is one of the most popular outdoor sports. It’s one of the cheapest sports to get involved in – while it’s recommended that you buy yourself some decent running shoes, this is a small cost compared to the equipment costs or membership fees that you typically get with other sports. Using running apps you can find new routes and record your progress as you learn to run further and faster. There are also many competitive runs you can take part in. On top of this, it’s great for your heart.
Archery
Many of us would love to be able to accurately shoot a bow and arrow. By joining a local archery club or attending a local range, you can practise this unique sport. Archery is accessible to all ages and comes in many forms from target archery to field archery. At first, you should be able to hire a bow. As you get better, you can buy your own bow and explore specialist arrows like small game broadheads. This outdoor sport can be very therapeutic and also quite social.
Paddleboarding
Paddleboarding involves balancing on a board in the water while steering yourself with a paddle. It can be practised in the sea, on a river or in a lake. Paddleboarding is a great core workout that is great for improving one’s sense of balance. You can hire a paddleboard from many water sport centres and try it out for yourself. While most people do this sport for leisure, paddleboard races do exist.
Fishing
Getting into fishing could be ideal for those craving a peaceful and meditative sport. There are so many types of fishing you can explore and you can fish for sport or for food. It’s worth renting out a rod and visiting a local popular fishing spot to try this activity.
Yoga
Yoga is a great low impact exercise that is also fantastic for reducing stress. It revolves primarily around core exercises, breathing techniques and teaching balance. While you can practise yoga in a studio, it is also a great physical activity for practising outdoors – look into local outdoor yoga classes to help learn the ropes.
Wild swimming
Wild swimming involves swimming in rivers, lakes or the sea. This is a great form of exercise and an opportunity to swim in new exciting environments. While you do need to take precautions to make sure wild swimming is done safely and legally, there are communities you can join that can make finding locations to swim easy and more social. There are also competitive outdoor swim events you can train for.
