Six Of The Cheapest Olympic Sports To Try On Your Health And Fitness Kick!
With the London 2012 Olympics being such a success, many people around the globe will have been inspired by the performances of the many athletes who achieved so much success at the games. From the sprinting power of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, to the endurance of men’s 10,000m and 5,000m champion Mo Farah, to the diverse range of skills of decathlon and heptathlon champions Ashton Eaton and Jessica Ennis, there are many different ways athletes can inspire us to become healthier and fitter.
To the casual spectator though, it can seem that some sports do require a large amount of money to get started in. Not everyone is able to afford a quality horse to see if they enjoy equestrian for example, while some of the equipment required for events such as rowing or sailing can be hugely expensive.
Yet, there are a great many Olympic sports that anybody can try for relatively little, or even no expense and in this article, we’ll examine which of the Olympic sports you are likely to be able to experience firsthand as part of your health and fitness program. We’ll look at six sports you can try for little to no initial outlay and which can become a part of your health and fitness program.
Who knows, if you are young enough, good enough and dedicated enough, perhaps you may well be performing on the world’s stage at Rio in 2016 or beyond!
1. Running
Whether it is sprinting, middle distance or long distance, running is without doubt the cheapest Olympic sport you can try. All you need for this in terms of kit is a pair of shorts, t-shirt and a comfortable pair of trainers and you can either pound the local streets free of charge, or head to the nearest athletics track to try your hand at any number of distance events. If you enjoy it, you can join an athletic club and perhaps even get some coaching at your chosen event to help you become a better runner.
As you progress you may wish to splash out on some better quality kit, such as top quality running shoes, but for the beginner or casual runner, there is no need to spend a large amount to enjoy this popular and liberating sport.
2. Swimming
For a small monthly fee, or on a pay as you swim basis, you can join a local pool, gym or health club and start clocking up the lengths. Swimming is a fantastic sport for health and fitness as it provides all of the benefits of running, but the support of the water means there is far less wear and tear on the joints of the body.
You can even see if there is a local swimming club you can join to help perfect your technique in each of the four main strokes, back, breast, fly and freestyle to help you become a stronger and more technically sound swimmer.
3. Football
Gather a few friends together, find a space in a local park and for the cost of a football (about $10), you can enjoy a small-sided game together. Soccer is fast paced, action packed and great exercise not to mention immense fun to play. If you want to, you can spend a little more to buy some decent quality soccer kits (there are many replica kits available for teams all over the world), boots or trainers and you can even book courts on which to play your games.
Get really into the game and you can look for local amateur teams to join and play competitively on the 11-a-side variant of the game.
4. Long / Triple Jump
Regardless of where you are in the country, most athletics tracks that you can gain access to have their own long jump and triple jump pit. Once you’ve paid for access to the track, then this gives you the chance to try your hand at two of the Olympics most dynamic jumping events. All you need to try them is some basic running kit and a tape measure capable of measuring up to around 20 metres.
Once again, if you enjoy jumping, why not consider joining an athletic club where you will be encouraged to refine your skills and gain some valuable coaching on how to get better at your chosen event. Be warned though, these are tough events and do place a lot of stress on joints of the body, so these are events best attempted when you already have a decent level of lower body strength and a good degree of overall fitness.
5. Basketball
Nowadays, there are basketball courts in almost every neighbourhood and it is because of this that the game has grown enormously in popularity. It requires nothing more than a ball and a space to play and as such, attracts many players both in terms of neighbourhood games and also in organised competitions and amateur teams.
Obviously, height is an advantage in the game, but that should not stop anybody playing. Learning the basic skills can help any player overcome the problem of not being taller than other players.
6. Judo / Taekwondo
Many Judo and Taekwondo clubs allow interested parties to turn up and experience their sport on a trial basis, before deciding whether they would like to follow it a little more closely. So why not check the local listings for the name of a few clubs and give them a call if you are interested? They’ll be delighted to advise you of any vacancies they have and the times they run classes.
Don’t worry about kitting yourself out initially, the club will no doubt advise you on when is best to think about purchasing some kit, but for starters, other than the basic safety equipment (which the club may well provide for taster sessions), you’ll need nothing more than basic training kit and a sense of adventure!