5 Adventurous Exercises to Try in 2024

It’s never too late to start a new year’s resolution. One of those resolutions can be how you evolve your fitness. If you’ve ever thought, “I want to try this or that”, you can change that “I want” into an “I will”. What if you’ve considered doing something daring, but unsure of what you want to do? Or you could really want to do all of these things, but aren’t sure where the best place to do it is? Not to worry, in this blog we’ll give you five of the most adventurous things you can do that will keep you fit and active.

Hiking

Hiking is going to be the most accessible sport we list, but in terms of adventure, it is as exciting as it gets. You can hike anywhere, in the mountains, the woods, on the side of a beach etc. Hiking counts as exercise because you’re not just traversing different terrain, but you’re carrying heavy materials on your back frequently. Hiking is also fun in a group, much safer too. If you’re able to go on a hiking trail with others, it can act as a great motivator for you to continue to keep exercising and keep exploring new things.

Surfing

This sport takes the most time to learn, and it can be fairly tricky at first. This is because surfing is very location dependent, and even in the best places like California, Australia, or Hawaii, you have to depend on waves to keep you moving. Not to worry, everything takes time and that’s why you choose to take this up! Surfing can be very rewarding because of the thrill you get from riding waves. It takes skills in swimming and balance in order to master, but once you’ve gotten it, it will give you the chance to help others learn how to do the sport as well. Surfing can help your body overall, but it generally helps your core since you have to use that to twist and turn on the water.

Rock Climbing (Outdoor and Indoor)

Rock climbing can feel intimidating because your first thought might be scaling a bunch of sharp rocks with your bare hands. In actuality, the sport can be very safe if you’re given the right training and materials. If you want to train, try a gym that has an indoor rock wall you can get lessons from. They will teach you how to use gloves, belay, and how to judge the right place for you to climb next. When you feel comfortable enough, give it a go in a safe and approved rock climbing location with experts nearby. It will give you the training you need to understand the sport, and you’ll still be blown away by that feeling of reaching the top of a cliff. Rock climbing takes a lot of patience, core strength, and upper body strength. It also helps your calves because you need to use your legs and feet just as much as your arms.

Cycling

Before going cycling, be sure to practice riding a bike on your own time if you’ve never taken it up. It also helps to use a cardio machine to test your endurance, because cycling can be a very taxing exercise. However, when going cycling it can be very fun seeing the area around you, especially if you use your bike in a mountainous area. Also, be sure to wear the right activewear and a helmet for your safety. Cycling is a great exercise for cardiovascular reasons, and can help with your balance.

Paddling or Kayaking

It goes without saying you need to have a good body of water to do this activity. While you can paddle on your own on a board, kayaking can be done with another person if you choose. This allows you to choose what type of experience you want to have. The difference in them is that with paddle boarding, you are standing up for a good portion of it, and the seating area on your board is very narrow. It can help develop your balancing skills. Meanwhile, kayaking can help with upper body strength and breath training. The reason this exercise can be so adventurous is because if you learn it well, you can rent boats anywhere in the world and explore breathtaking views that you haven’t before.

We hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about some adventurous exercises you can do this year, and we look forward to seeing you take these risks!

Photo Credit: Rawpixel / U.S. Naval Academy