Urban Sports
· Updated: · 4 min read
FITNESS TRENDS IN THE BIG CITIES
Late summer is here – how about making the most of the last warm rays of sunshine for some outdoor training in the city with Urban Sports? Because, especially in this weather, we’re not yet in the mood for stuffy air, cramped spaces and crowds of sweaty people in the gyms. We’ll show you how to keep fit and healthy without setting foot in a gym.
Sport in the city
A major advantage of urban sports is that they can be practised outdoors at any time. In big cities in particular, many people are constantly looking for new ways to get active – but where to start? We’ll introduce you to the different options:
Urban sports trend no. 1: Bootcamp
Bootcamping takes place in organised groups under the supervision of a personal trainer. The name is inspired by basic military training in America. Unlike in the US, the use of weapons is naturally avoided here, and the aggressive atmosphere familiar from films is nowhere to be found. Instead, the sessions are all the more intense: to get you into top shape, various bootcamp-style fitness exercises are performed whilst the trainers motivate you.
In addition, you can also practise bootcamping on your own. This variant takes the term ‘urban sports’ literally: not only is the activity carried out in the city, but the entire city serves as a training apparatus. For instance, kerbs and stairs are repurposed for push-up variations, amongst other things. In bootcamping, any other urban features can be converted into sports equipment. For example, railings are suitable for dips or freestanding poles for pull-ups – in bootcamping, it all depends on the safety of the object and the athlete’s imagination.
Urban sports trend no. 2: Parkour
Another alternative in urban sports is so-called parkour – a street sport in which obstacles are overcome using gymnastic techniques wherever possible. Whether high or low – the self-styled ‘traceurs’ are not easily intimidated by just a few objects. For example, a street railing can be cleared with a dive, or a building wall used as a springboard for a backflip.
The sport was originally regarded as a form of movement art and still offers participants a way to express this through spectacular jumps and somersaults. However, it is also practised in milder forms. For those who shy away from the risk of injury, many clubs offer supervised and structured courses. Whether young or old: no one is excluded here. In Hamburg, too, there are many parkour activities that convey the joy of artistic movement.
Urban sports trend no. 3: Jogging 2.0
Jogging is probably the best-known form of exercise. It often takes place in a rural setting or in the woods. Urban sports, however, give this classic a modern twist: instead of wide open fields and trees, the backdrop here consists of asphalt roads and skyscraper skylines. Hamburg in particular offers some great routes for jogging. For example, the classic route around the Outer Alster (7.4 km) is a popular choice. For a run with views of one of Hamburg’s most iconic landmarks, the harbour route (11 km) is well worth a go.
With the harbour route, you’re not only getting some exercise but can also enjoy views of many of the city’s sights – killing two birds with one stone! What’s more, the varied surfaces and stair sections typical of a big city add an obstacle course element to your run, ensuring plenty of variety and fun. To help you prepare for the different surfaces, you’ll find some useful tips here.
Generally speaking, urban sports offer the perfect alternative to traditional gyms. They also provide plenty of new ways to make traditional sports more interesting and to discover new forms of physical activity. Want more sports-related topics? Here, natural bodybuilder Berend Breitenstein reveals how to interpret your body’s signals correctly and build muscle in a healthy and sustainable way.
