A Boulder Approach

You don’t need to live in the mountains to go rock-climbing. If you have the urge to climb to new heights, while pushing your body to its limit, then places like Vertical Reality and Altitude Gym are for you. They offer the traditional, harness and rope, rock-climbing experience, but they also offer something different. It’s called bouldering, and it is quickly taking the world by storm.

Bouldering is climbing at its purest. There are no harnesses or ropes, just a climber and the wall (and a little bit of chalk). The climber must reach the top while only using one colour of handles. That is what makes bouldering unique, it’s a test of physical and mental strength. Often times the climber must be strategic in their approach, or they will waste a lot of energy. They are usually multiple different paths a climber can take to get to the top, but it all boils down to their control and creativity.

Bouldering requires a combination of endurance, power, balance and most importantly core strength. The only thing the climber is fighting against is their own body weight and gravity. Seems easy enough? Well it certainly can be challenging. I learned early on the importance of strong grip.

The first time I went I crashed on the mats more times than I can remember. I would make it about halfway up, then plummet down below. To make things worse, I was surrounded by monkeys. Everywhere I looked people were swinging from rock to rock effortlessly. I saw a woman hanging from one arm and casually conversing with her friends down below.

So, I came back the next week and climbed a little higher. And I did the same the week after that. The best thing about bouldering is the progression you see. There are markings on the wall, so setting goals is easy, but achieving them takes a little more dedication.

Winter shouldn’t be an excuse to not exercise any more. All you need is a little chalk and an open-mind. The feeling you get when you finally hoist yourself on top of the wall is indescribable. Go see for yourself.

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Matthew is an Ottawa-based writer with a passion for football that was conceived in 2009, when the New Orleans Saints defied all odds and won their first Super Bowl Championship. He longs to visit Northern Europe to see the aurora borealis. Until then, he reads graphic novels, plays Super Smash Bros., and attempts to stay fit. 

A Beginner's Guide to the 3 Styles of Working Out

The gym is no longer an excuse not to workout. The best part about working out is it isn’t simply a physical pass-time, it also offers countless mental benefits. Working out teaches discipline, determination and perseverance (to name a few) and is continuously rewarding to those who put in the effort. Paired with the versatility of the human body, there are endless different ways to exercise and get the specific results you want.

I know working out can seem overwhelming, especially at the gym, but it doesn't have to. Working out needs to be enjoyable in order to get results. Which is why finding the right exercises is important. Aerobic, strength and flexibility training are three great ways to find exercises that are right for you.

Aerobic

Aerobic, or cardio, exercises focus on improving your breathing and heart rate. By doing cardio, you keep your circulatory system healthy and strengthen your endurance. Building your endurance and improving your blood flow will lead to overall better fitness – which is why cardio is an essential part of any work out plan. Aerobic exercises help train your entire body, inside and out, and help improve both strength and flexibility. The best thing about cardio is it's the easiest to do. Biking, swimming, jogging and even walking are aerobic exercises. Anything that gets your heart rate going can be cardio, just remember to keep it fun.

Strength

Strength training is all about building muscle size and obviously, strength. As a personal favourite, strength training is all about progression. Reaching the goals you've set for yourself is an increasingly satisfying feeling. Whether it be full body, or isolated muscle groups, there are many different ways to do strength exercises. Lifting weights is the most common way because free-weights train both strength and balance. But fret not those of you who don't like the gym or have no access to free-weights, there are other ways. Resistance training is growing in popularity, as it causes less stress to ligaments. As well as body-weight exercises, which are a true test of strength.

Flexibility

Flexibility training is on often overlooked aspect of exercise. It focuses on stretching and loosening your muscles. Stretching is so important because it keeps muscles healthy by maintaining their range of motion. If you're doing any sort of cardio or strength training, stretching will help you perform better as well as help you recover faster. There's a reason professional athletes do yoga; it's revitalizing and it works. Whether it be hot, power, or restorative, there is a kind of yoga meant for everyone.

Remember, don't limit yourself to one type of training. You can mix and match any exercise to tailor your work out exactly the way you want. Here are some great workout routines for beginners (no gym required) :

https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/the-no-gym-no-excuses-workout   

https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/yoga/poses/beginner-yoga-poses/?page=2

Going to the gym and working out do not have to be synonymous anymore.

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Matthew is an Ottawa-based writer with a passion for football that was conceived in 2009, when the New Orleans Saints defied all odds and won their first Super Bowl Championship. He longs to visit Northern Europe to see the aurora borealis. Until then, he reads graphic novels, plays Super Smash Bros., and attempts to stay fit. 

Yoga to Try

Close your eyes and breathe in. That last load of laundry can wait. Your boss can’t get you here. All your stress and anxiety isn’t allowed. For once, nothing is important. The only priority is clearing your mind.

Open your eyes and breathe out. See your body fold in new ways; experience the foreign stretches. Stand up and feel it - the energy. Not some coffee-induced, bound-to-crash-soon-energy, but some authentic, slept-like-a-baby-energy.

How? Yoga.

It's always difficult to nurture our mental and physical health simultaneously; one always seems to get the upper hand. Towards the end of high school, I was the most "fit" I had ever been. I worked out often and was in good shape. Looking in the mirror, I was happy with my body, but I wasn't happy. It took me a while to realize that I was repressing my problems and never taking the time to address anything.

It wasn't until a friend of mine showed me yoga, an exercise that encompassed both the serenity of meditation and the fulfillment of exercise, that I started to actually like the person within my body. That's not to say that yoga is some majestic discipline that will rid us of suffering, but it certainly has many restorative qualities. There is no way to express how much mediation, and not medication, can help anxiety. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, the breathing exercises from yoga compose me far better than any anti-depressant ever has.

In Hinduism, Yoga is the process of reversing the regular flow of energy, through breathing and meditation, to join an individual's spirit with the Universal Spirit, so one may perceive things with their mind, rather than their unreliable senses. It is a practice well over 5000 years-old. Although Yoga is an immensely rich discipline, asanas (postures or poses) and Pranayama (breathing control) are the aspects Western Yoga highlights most. 

There is a reason that 5000 years later, across the world, people still practice yoga; it works. Nothing relaxes and stimulates the human body simultaneously like yoga - not to mention it builds strength and increases flexibility.  Whether it be the fast pace and high-intensity of power yoga, the sweat and determination of hot yoga, or the helpful props in restorative yoga, there is certainly a type of yoga for everyone.  

To top things off, Ottawa has a growing yoga community with many studios. During the summer, on Wednesdays parliament hill is converted into a giant dojo and they offer a free yoga class. My personal favourite free yoga is Free Full Moon Yoga at Lansdowne Park. Everyone gathers on the great lawn under the moonlight, definitely a bizarre sight.

Plus with YouTube and other sites, there are endless videos to get you started... It's just a matter of rolling out the mat. 

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Matthew is an Ottawa-based writer with a passion for football that was conceived in 2009, when the New Orleans Saints defied all odds and won their first Super Bowl Championship. He longs to visit Northern Europe to see the aurora borealis. Until then, he reads graphic novels, plays Super Smash Bros., and attempts to stay fit.