Great Exercise Activities You’ve Never Heard Of ( But Need To Try Right Now!)

Everybody knows that moving our bodies is good for us, but sometimes doing the same old activities day-in-day-out can get excruciatingly boring. The good news is that there are all sorts of effective exercise activities that you have probably ever heard of, or tried, but probably should. Keep reading to find out all about them.

Z​​orbing
Have you ever seen a hamster zooming round the carpet in those clear plastic balls and thought, that looks fun? Well, the inventors of zorbing have! That right to zorb is to be placed inside a giant, clear inflatable plastic ball and be rolled down a hill or course of your choice. The doubled-walled ball protects from the worst of the experience while still allowing you the thrill of hurting about in very unnatural ways and speeds. 

There are even many games that you can play with zorbs including skittles/ bowling. They can also be used on top of the water for added fun (peril?). The workout you can get from zorbing is surprisingly effective too, especially if you are looking to power it by running inside (again like a hamster!) Although, at least some of that increased heart rate must be due to the sheer terror/ thrill of the experience!  

Actively there are small body-size zorb balls available that can transform many sporting events into a hilarious activities. Why not suggest it to your Saturday soccer league to spice things up?

Few specialist items are required for a successful zorbing session apart from the zorb itself. You’ll find plenty of places hire these out for an hourly rate, or even for a whole morning or afternoon. 

Man Versus Horse Marathon
We travel to Wales, the UK for our next little-known exercise activity. Although the Man V Horse race is certainly gaining in notoriety! Held in Llanwrtyd, the Man V Horse race is a yearly event that covers a whopping 22miles. Horses, and riders, as well as runners, are allowed, but cyclists have been banned from the race since 1993. 

Of course, the whole aim of the affair is to see who is the fastest runner, or horses. But before you write off this obvious challenge in favor of the horse, it's good to remember that the terrain for the race is particularly rough and mountainous, something that evens the playing field a great deal. 

The Man V Horse race is the brainchild of Gordon Greene, whose imagination was sparked as he listened to a drunken debate in his local area about whether a man or a horse was faster. Participants train hard for the course, which means it's not only the race they have to contend with but regular exercise sessions throughout the year. 

Some specialist equipment is required, especially for those who choose to ride instead of runs, such as a riding helmet and body protector. However, the costs of entering seem to be well worth it for the participants, not least because the prize fund for the winner, as it grows every year and is set as £35000 for 2022!  

Kabaddi
While many in the western world may not yet have heard of Kabaddi, it's a hugely popular sport in India and South Asia. Combining tag and wrestling, there are many other notable things about this sport too, including that the offensive player has to make their move while also holding their breath, and chanting Kabaddi. The defense (antis) on the other hand must link arms in a chain and not allow the offensive player through. 

Each team consists of 7 players, and one team at a time a raider or offensive player is sent to the other side of the field. The goal of this raider is to tag the opposing team’s defenders ( the ones with the linked arms) and return to their side of the field before they run out of breath. The goal of the defenders is to stop the raider from returning to his side, while also not getting tagged. Remember all of this is done while the raider is holding a single breath and chanting Kabaddi, all of which makes for a frantic, exciting and thrilling game! 

One of the best things about Kabaddi is that it requires few specialist items of equipment or clothing. Usually, players wear shorts and sports shirts. Back in the day players used to often go barefoot, but now flexible and robust sports shoes are used to minimize the chance of injury.   

Pickleball 
Yep, pickleball is a real sport, and it's a great workout too. Unfortunately for fans of cucumbers in vinegar, no actual pickles are involved. Instead, Pickleball is a cross between badminton tennis, and quick table tennis paced and a great workout. 

To play picky ball you will need a standard badminton court, but with a slightly shorter net. You will also need a Wiffle ball, and pickleball racket which are paddles similar too, but larger than the ones used for ping pong. 

Some say that pickleball is easier than tennis to play, but this is worth clarification. It is easier in that the court is not so big so there is less running around to make sure you hit the ball. It's also more social because you are at a closer distance to your partner and opponents which means taking and communicating through the match is easier than tennis. However, because of the size of the court and the speed of the game, pickleball demands excellent agility, and the ability to pivot from moving in one direction to another or even to a dead stop very quickly. Indeed it is because of this that particular types of pickleball footwear are recommended for players of the game. Such footwear is designed to be both durable and offer traction on a range of surfaces as well as provide that maximum lateral support during play.  

Cycle Ball
From one ball game to another, this one was played while in the saddle of a bike. Of course, we are talking about the German invention Cycle Ball otherwise known as Radball in its native country. (rad means bike!) 

Now, radball isn't the only game where a means of transport is used to move around the field, Polo for example. However unlike Polo the player's arent at liberty to use any other instrument or equipment to touch the ball apart from the bike itself. That means players cannot use their hands or feet to touch, kick, move or manipulate the ball, all while still scoring a goal. Indeed, the only person on the pitch that is allowed to use their hands is the goalkeeper, and even they need to stay on their bikes at all times. 

What this all means is that a game very like football must be played with two teams of two players on their bikes at all times. They must use their bikes to shoot, dribble and pass the ball. Just to make things even more interesting the bike has no breaks and is fixed gear! 

Specialist equipment is needed for this game, in particular a radball bike that has higher handles for the riders to allow them better control of the ball. 

Calcio Storico
If you are looking for a sport where you get to wear balloon pants, no shirt, and repeatedly wrestle your opponents to the ground then you are going to love the traditional Italian game of Calcio Storico.

A strange mix of football, soccer, and wrestling Calcio Storico rules are few and far between. Indeed, punching and kicking are allowed, and when one player is injured there are no substitutions. That may not matter as much as you think, though, as there are 27 players on each team. 

One of the best things about Calcio Storico is that it's not just a game but part of an important festival celebrated in Florence, with the winners playing their final match on 24th June or the feast of St John the Baptist. 

The overall aim of the game is to score goals in 50 minutes of game time. This can be done when the ball is thrown into specific spots on the field. Few specialist items are needed for the game, apart from football boots and the aforementioned balloon pants that like Calcio Storico itself dates back to medieval times. 

Parkour
Hailing from France but practiced by urbanites all over the world, parkour is one of the most dangerous and thrilling sports you could ever pick. Defining it can be hard though, as it could be described as urban running, but that just doesn't do it justice. 

Indeed parkour is more than running, it includes many disciplines like climbing, and jumping and in essence, it's an attitude of moving with the environment in which you find yourself while pushing your body to its limits. At its most extreme those practicing Parkour take on routes that transverse the high-rise rooftops of the city, fire escapes, and death-defying jumps included. 

One of the central tenets of parkour is to never stop moving, even when there is an obstacle in your way. Either by getting under, over, or around it, or using it to bounce off and change direction.

Those not quite ready to take on the rooftops can practice closer to the ground in specialist indoor and outdoor gyms. Specialist equipment needed for Parkour can include gloves, running shoes, parkour pants, and for those that do not know the terrain they will be running a guidebook is pretty handy to study beforehand too!