Friday, July 4th, 2008

Making fitness fun again

Quirky, entertaining alternatives to that dreaded treadmill

By Jeff Briscoe (Contact)

Thursday, March 27th, 2008

Do you walk into the Rec just dreading how boring your workout is going to be? You see people there working out and wonder how they keep their motivation and you can’t believe they never get sick of their workouts.

But there are plenty of ways to exercise that can seem more entertaining and sociable than just spinning on a bike with your iPod on.

Truth is, a lot of people can’t even get themselves motivated enough to ever get bored with their workout. Getting off the couch and into your running shoes is often the hardest part of staying active and healthy. Long runs on a treadmill and waiting for weights to open up can make exercising excruciating. Too many people get stuck with the idea that the only way to lose weight or gain muscle is through humdrum workouts.

I’ve managed to try out a few alternatives to the average trip to the gym that’ll keep you in shape and entertained at the same time.

Hash House Harriers

This club is based on a centuries-old tradition called Hound and Harrier. The idea centers around a bunch of people chasing after another person. Don’t worry about looking bad in front of experienced runners, though. The Hash House Harriers proudly calls itself “A drinking club with a running problem.”

Samantha Bennett, a 2006 graduate who participates in Hash races in Kansas City, says she works out six days a week, but uses Hash to mix up just going to the gym.

Here’s the premise: Races begin with groups as small as just four or as large as 30 or 40. Runners meet up and drink a beer or two (depending on tolerance and the amount of fun desired). After the group socializes for a bit, one person takes off running, marking his or her course with chalk circles on the ground or on trees that the other runners will follow. This person is called the hare. After the hare has a sufficient head start—about 15 to 20 minutes—the rest of the group takes off in search of the markings.

The allure of these runs is two-fold.

The first perk is that the courses tend to run awry from traditional race courses.

Bennett says she has run races through tunnels, parks and up rock embankments. She says some are straightforward, but others can challenge your commitment.

The hare can also create fake trails, putting marks down one path and then doubling back to mark a different path to fool runners. She says Hashing is more about enjoying the thrill of the race rather than setting personal records.

Races tend to run about three to four miles, but don’t worry if you can’t run that far without stopping, because the second allure to Hash races is the pit stop. All Hash races have at least one beer stop in the middle of the race.

Some people balk at the idea of drinking and running, and experienced Hash runners understand the reservations of newcomers.

Bennett encourages people to try hashing, even if they are nervous about it. The drinking can help ease newcomers into the situation, and also provides plenty of fodder for laughs.

“You don’t have to be hardcore. It’s a way to mix up running and working out,” Bennett says.

Races consist of both the uber-athletic and your average drinking enthusiast with a beer gut. The athletic types don’t always finish first. Keep in mind, some Hash clubs insist that the first person to finish the race drink for his or her accomplishment. Most runs involve walking to search for the trail and short breaks. Don’t worry if you’re not a fast runner. No awards are handed out, and races generally consist of packs of people helping each other find and stay on the course.

Hash clubs exist all over the world. There is one in the Kansas City area, and a club recently formed in Lawrence. Check the Hash House Harriers’ global Web site, www.gthhh.com, for a more complete view of the experience, as well as listings of all 1,862 clubs around the world.

Pole Dancing

It sounds slutty, and maybe that’s what I felt walking into the pole dancing studio to try this one out. I’m not sure exactly what slutty feels like, but if the end result is anything like the sense of accomplishment I felt after trying pole dancing, I need to do it more often.

Natalie Smith, instructor and owner of Pole Worx in Kansas City, Kan., says that while most guys see a shiny pole and think it’s just something to play on jungle gym-style, girls often worry what people will think if they go swinging around a strip pole. That’s why she only conducts private classes for groups who all know each other. She caters to groups who want to work out together in a more enjoyable way.

An hour-long workout on the pole can burn 600 calories, Smith says. She started the workouts three years ago while working at the Ford plant in Kansas City, Mo. A year later, she was 35 pounds lighter with no help from dieting or any other exercise.

“I didn’t go to the gym. It felt like another job. After a hard day of work, this makes you feel better, happier. It relieves stress and makes you feel, like, 7 years old again,” Smith says.

Because the moves in pole dancing involve using both upper and lower body muscles, as well as plenty of movement, you can gain muscle and burn fat.

“You can’t go by weight at first, because it tones so well you’ll notice your pants getting looser and later you will see the weight start to fall off,” Smith says.

I worried about how to explain to my mother that I broke my neck pole dancing as I watched Smith show me the correct way to spin around on the pole upside down. But, lifting up from the ground, pirouetting around the silver blur between my legs and sticking the landing was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Smith says anyone can do the workouts. She has both a 60-year-old woman and a 250-pound woman who regularly attend sessions.

She says everyone starts at the beginner level, but most people can catch on quickly. You don’t have to be coordinated or overly strong, as most of the moves involve momentum rather than strength. Workouts are good for a girl’s night out, a bachelorette party or for regular exercise.

Smith says that while most of her classes are filled with girls, she does have the occasional male student (besides just me).

Classes can be as small as just four people or as large as 20 or more. Generally, groups are female only, but Smith will allow women to invite males to pole dance if all the other women in the group are comfortable with it. An hour-long session at Pole Worx runs about $20, and the business also offers packages for weekly sessions that last one or two months.

Rock Climbing

You walk past it every time you go to the Rec to do your same boring workout, but next time, go ahead and tackle that rock wall. Connor Bybee, member of the KU Rock Climbing Club, says he sees at least three new climbers every day at the Rec.

The Rec offers climbs for beginners and adrenaline junkies alike. Bybee says some people are scared of the height, but there are trained staff who can guide timid climbers up to the top of the wall. You just have to be brave and try something new, Bybee says.

“You just can’t be afraid—just give it a try. Try it at least three times before you decide not to come back,” he says.

Workouts can be tailored to work on cardio or on building strength. Cycles of going up and down the wall can quickly raise the heart rate and leave a climber dripping in sweat. Bybee, who runs and lifts weights, says he sweats more on the wall than on the treadmill. Climbers can also do “bouldering” on shorter walls. Bybee says the short, hard moves can be a way to challenge yourself.

“It’s usually done leaning back, so there are few foot holds. It requires more forearm strength and grip strength,” he says.

Besides the workout, rock climbing can simply be a way to get together with friends.

Patrick Sargent, Houston sophomore, has climbed with friends back home. While he says they didn’t really do it so much for the workout, he enjoyed getting out and being active.

“I think more people than you think want to get outside more than anything,” Sargent says. “I just want to do something physical.”

Take a break from your next regular workout and try something that will leave you with the same post-workout buzz and soreness in new places.

Discussion

All comments are moderated by Kansan.com staff. For our full user policy, click here.

111 Stauffer-Flint Hall • 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. • Lawrence, Kansas 66045 • (785) 864-4810