How To Work The Upper Body Outside


Many more people are rediscovering the outdoors these days and taking part in alfresco sport. Just ask yourself if you would prefer being confined to an indoor sport hall or out in the fresh air and wonderful sunshine. The draw back of sports done outdoors though is that most of them are biased towards working the lower body. It’s not easy to do any weights or pull ups in the park to help tone the upper body, so what sports can you do?

Kayaking. A great number of boating sports like canoeing, rowing and especially kayaking focus a great deal on working the upper body. As well as providing most of the stability, the upper body is the driving force in the sport of kayaking and soon becomes very efficient with practice. The most attractive part of kayaking though has to be the ability to stop paddling and just bob about for a bit when you get fatigued. If your not keen on water however, this sport might be best avoided to be honest.

Rock Climbing. There are few sporting activities that demand effort from every single muscle within the body…rocking climbing is one that does. That said, your legs are not actually worked as much as you might think as a lot of the grip comes from special sticky slim line shoes that look like cycling shoes. Conversely, a lot of the power and endurance work is provided by the arms during climbing. You are frequently required to support your whole body weight with your arms and grip with your fingers, which is enough to get even the weakest person toned up.

Hand Biking. Bike riding is without doubt the most poplar of the outdoor sports. However, it’s not so great for toning up the arms. Hand bikes however such as Pinarello ones are geared in such a way that you can pick up some great speed just by turning your arms. They also make a great mode of transport for people who do not have the use of their legs.

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