With all of the exciting options available in the wide world of extreme sports, it’s no wonder more, and more people are starting to take an interest in getting involved. But extreme sports are not for everyone. Most of them are pretty difficult, and there’s a certain amount of risk involved that should serve to deter a wise novice.
So, how does someone with limited athletic experience get involved in extreme sports? It’s simply a matter of starting small and working your way up! Once you put some work in and acquire some athletic skills and proper training through safer activities, then you’ll be ready to graduate to bolder, more advanced sports.
The concept makes perfect sense. But what entry-level athletic practices should you start with to gain the experience you need? You have quite a few options. Here are four of the most popular outdoor activities for people new to the world of extreme sports.
1. Cycling
Cycling is a super accessible and easy outdoor sport for beginners. All you need is the right bicycle and the proper terrain to ride. Luckily, cycles of all kinds are widely available for extreme cycling, whether on the road or on mountain trails.
Cycling is a great way to get started in extreme sports because you can start small and build up to more challenging versions.
In the beginning, you’ll want to stick to cycling on roads and pavement. But once you’ve developed a bit more as a cyclist, you can move on to more difficult endeavors, such as mountain biking or cycling on other forms of rugged terrain.
2. Climbing
Sport climbing is another great activity that engages your whole body and can prepare you to take on more stressful and risky athletic endeavors in the future. It does require a bit of training, especially for climbing on naturally occurring surfaces. Luckily there are plenty of gyms these days equipped with artificial climbing walls and experienced staff who can show you the ropes.
Suppose you’re interested in getting involved in mountain climbing or any other more extreme variety of sport climbing in the future. In that case, you should start by climbing on an artificial wall in a controlled environment under the supervision of an expert.
Indoor climbing is the best way to learn the skills you need to move on to more extreme versions of this sport when you’re ready.
3. Surfing
If you’re more interested in water-based sporting activities, and especially if you live near the ocean, surfing might be just the suitable entry-level outdoor activity to prepare you for your future involvement in extreme sports.
Surfing is popular in almost all parts of the world with coastal access, so it shouldn’t be a challenge to find an instructor who can teach you the basics. Then all you need is a board and the determination to accomplish your goals!
4. Snowboarding
If you’re more of a winter sports fan, why not try snowboarding? This outdoor activity is quite popular during the winter months, and if you live in an area that gets snow, you shouldn’t have trouble finding an instructor and a place to practice.
Plus, once you’ve mastered snowboarding, there are so many extreme winter sports that you can move on to when you feel ready.
Conclusion
As you can see, aspiring extreme sports practitioners have a wide variety of entry-level athleticism options to choose from that can help them build up their tolerance before moving on to the more brutal stuff. Which outdoor activity will you take up? Whether you’re interested in cycling or rock climbing, you’re sure to get the athletic training you need out of whatever you choose.