Useful And Fun Obstacle Courses

When I was a little kid, I used to love obstacle courses. I think that everyone did. The obstacle course with the way they would get us to really participate in gym class. After all, doing jumping jacks, push-ups, or even running around the room can get boring after a while. Obstacle courses, however, don't get boring. There are always new, interesting challenges to undertake.

What I didn't realize until recently was that an obstacle course could be fun for adults. I haven't been on playground equipment in years, and I had always regarded the obstacle course as kind of a little bit childish for an adult to go on. Even military courses – the ones shown in Army training videos – always looked pretty funny to me.

On the urging of a friend, however, I went to fitness training camp. It was really more of a fitness boot camp, if you want to know the truth. It was a lot of work. I didn't consider myself that out of shape or overweight when I first got there, but I was surprised by how hard everything was for me. I lost 15 pounds in only a few weeks, and was soon in the best shape of my life.

I would say most of it was fun. It is hard to get used to getting up in the morning and jogging for several miles or lifting weights for an hour a day. Nonetheless, there were parts of it that I enjoyed. The best part, of course, was the obstacle course. That camp had more creative obstacle courses than I had ever seen before. They sort of combined the best of American gladiators and the childhood playground into one seamless whole for adults. There was swimming, climbing, coordination tests, high ropes – you name it and it was there. There was something to challenge everyone.

Since I got home from my class, I have wanted to spend more time on obstacle courses. They are a little bit hard to find around here, particularly in the winter. Fortunately, there are a few pretty good outdoor courses available in the summer. There is a local cross training course at one of the public parks that is set up pretty well. Ever since the weather started to change, I have been there practically every day. It's a lot more fun than spending an hour jogging on a treadmill and watching tv.

Summary

Obstacle courses are more than just fun for kids these days. Military operations typically use obstacle courses for training and agility for soldiers, and civilians can find them useful for improving overall health by the exercise provided. Courses are much more fun than running or jogging.