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Not all of us were born loving the gym and for some of us, it can feel like more of a chore than a pleasure. But working out and building muscle doesn’t have to be all about weight machines, repetitive workouts and punishing practices, it can be fun, especially when you find a workout which doesn’t even feel like you’re doing one. So if you shudder at the thought of squats and prefer to give pull-ups a miss then here are 3 sports to try that will give you a full-body workout and help you to build muscle without you even realising it.
- Bouldering
Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed specifically on smaller rock formations meaning that it can be done without any ropes or harnesses. Bouldering is a great way to give yourself a full-body workout in an environment that’s novel, fun and addictive and can be performed inside in a climbing gym over crash mats or outside on real rock formations. Because bouldering is less about heights and more about complexity, many of the moves that you need to do involve working your whole body to stay on the wall, meaning that over time you can build some very impressive core, shoulder, back, leg and arm strength. With climbing and bouldering now recognised as an Olympic sport and appearing for the first time in the 2020 Olympics, there are climbing centres cropping up all over the country, so there’s never been a better time to give it a try. - Wrestling
Wrestling is the 6th most popular high school sport after soccer and is still growing in popularity year on year. A full-body combat sport that can be either theatrical or competitive, wrestling is a physical sport and requires a lot of both stamina and strength which makes it a great way to stay active and remain in good shape. If you’re starting out in wrestling then there’s very little you actually need to get on the mat, except a good mental attitude and some comfortable clothes, though you may want to invest in some traditional wrestling attire, wrestling singlets. Singlets allow wrestlers to move freely and comfortably and come in a number of styles and patterns which make up a part of the wrestler’s character. - Acroyoga
Acroyoga is a physical practice, which combines the sports of yoga and acrobatics together to form a high energy, full-body workout that you won’t even realise you’re doing. Acroyoga is usually performed in pairs or small groups with at least one person acting as a base and the other a flyer. You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of either yoga or acrobatics to get started, all you need is an open mind and a positive can-do attitude and you will soon pick up the basics. With both bases and flyers using their whole bodies to perform a lift and hold one another whilst performing movements, you’ll soon be building some serious muscle and learning some impressive tricks while you’re at it.
