Top 5 outdoor activities / Top 5 outdoor aktivnosti

It has been a while since I wanted to write on this subject, so I think this is the right time for this post. People who are engaged in outdoor sport activities know this very well. However, a large number of people are not at all involved in any sport activities and for them all this is unknown. Being active should become part of everyone's life, not because it’s fun (especially outdoors) and because it helps you to maintain a slim and healthy body, but also because it develops an adventurous spirit and vitality - lets them breathe. It also helps you to get rid of stress and brings balance in someone’s lives overall - this is a dimension that cannot be described but you can realize this after continuously engaging in outdoor sport activities.

Odavno želim nešto da napišem na ovu temu, a mislim da je i pravo vreme za ovaj post "nekako s proljeća". Ljudima koji se bave sportovima na otvorenom je to jednostavno jasno kao dobar dan, međutim veliki broj ljudi se uopšte ne bavi sportom i njima je sve ovo nepoznanica. Sport bi trebalo da postane deo svačijeg života, ne samo što je zabavno baviti se sportom (naročito na otvorenem) i zato što pomaže u održavanju vitke linije i zdravog tela, već i budi avanturistički duh i živost, pomaže da se oslobodimo od stresa i unosi balans u naš život celokupno - to je dimenzija koja se ne može opisati a koju spoznamo tek posle kontinuiranog bavljenja sportom.

For women it is particularly important that their workout routine contributes to their figure, they don’t think about other benefits of playing sports. Therefore, they decide to go on a strict diet and exercise indoors, rather than to go outside. They will look through the small window (if it even exists) of a gym or a fitness club like a bird in a cage. It’s only important for a gym to have mirrors for selfies, right? A much smaller number of women engages in outdoor sports than men. Why is that? Women can be adventurous souls, but they prefer a seemingly safer environment. However, choosing to workout in an enclosed space, they will be denied connection with nature and thus the release of negative energy, which I consider to be very important component that affects the health of the spirit. Still don’t get it? Just try it. Be close to nature, but not to roast and destroy nature, but to be active in nature environment –which is the only real thing. People think it's OK to go with their cars on a picnic or in a restaurant by the water and they are already living healthy lives. Hardly true.

Za žene je naročito bitno da im sport doprinosi lepšem izgledu, te ne pridaju značaj drugoj dimenziji sporta. Zbog toga pre podležu strogim dijetama i vežbanju u zatvorenom prostoru, gledajući kroz mali prozor neke teretane ili fitnes kluba (ako ga uopše ima) kao ptica u kavezu. Bitno je da ima ogledala, zar ne? Procentualno je znatno manji broj žena koje se bave outdoor sportovima od muškaraca. Zašto je to tako? Žene nisu operisane od avanturizma, ali više vole naizgled bezbednije okruženje. Međutim, u zatvorenom prostoru će vas mimoići povezanost sa prirodom i na taj način oslobađanje od negativne energije, koja je meni jako bitna komponenta koja utiče na zdravlje duha. I dalje nejasno? Jednostavno probajte. Idite u prirodu, ali ne da roštiljate i uništavate prirodu, već joj se približite: aktivnost u prirodi - to je prava stvar. Ljudi misle da je OK otići kolima na neko izletište ili u neki restoran pored i već vode zdrav život. Teško.

So, let’s get back to my favorite outdoor sport activities.

No, da se vratimo na meni omiljene sportove na otvorenom.

1.      Cycling / Biciklizam 

There are no words to describe my love and commitment to this sport. Part of cycling is an adventure, being free - the ability to go on two wheels anywhere: in the countryside, in the mountains, to go sightseeing and to workout at the same time. It is important to say that it does not put pressure to your knees and ankles, so it is suitable for overweight person. If you are cycling in areas with no ups and downs, you will not be overwhelmed, which is essential for beginners not to give up on sports if it is too difficult for them. For greater results switch to mountain biking (area with severe ups and downs), or go for a run.

Nema reči da opiše moju privrženost ovom sportu. Ovaj sport odlikuje avanturizam, sloboda - mogućnost da na dva točka odete bilo gde: u prirodu, na planinu, da obilazite predele a pritom se bavite sportom. Ne treba zanemariti da ovim sportom ne opterećujete težinom preterano zglobove, pa je stoga pogodan i za gojazne osobe. Ukoliko vozite stazama bez uspona, nema preteranog zamaranja, što je bitno za početnike koji zbog loše kondicije odustaju od bavljenja sportom. Ukoliko želite brže rezultate i da pojačate kondicionu spremnost bacite se na uspone, ili pak pređite na trčanje.

2. Mountaineering / Planinarenje

This activity is so wonderful; it allows you to see amazing places and landscapes for which you didn’t know existed. As far as I'm concerned, mountaineering and cycling are equal in my eyes. For those of you fit enough, there is no reason to choose one of these two sports because you can do both: mountain biking or you can just ride a bike up to some point and then go hiking. And here the element of adventure is present, but your freedom is limited by the distance you can cross by foot. There is a pressure to your knees and ankles, and for that purpose you can use trekking poles to ease up the pressure, but it will reward you in many ways. Being surrounded with beautiful landscapes where ever you go makes you to forget the effort. In the mountain it is almost impossible to feel depressed. The costs of mountaineering are not as big as one should think.

Prelep sport koji vam omogućava da vidite neverovatna mesta i predele za koja niste znali da postoje. Skoro da je mrtva trka, što se mene tiče, između planinarenja i biciklizma. Za one kondiciono spremnije ne mora se birati jedan od ova dva sporta jer se može i po planini voziti bicikl, ili pak voziti bicikl do mesta gde se kreće sa planinarenjem. I ovde je avanturizam prisutan, što se slobode tiče ograničeni ste na razdaljine koje možete da pređete by foot. Opterećenje zglobova postoji pa je pogodno u tu svrhu koristiti planinarske štapove, ali su blagodeti ovog sporta velike. U planini je skoro pa nemoguće osećati se neraspoloženo. Troškovi bavljenja ovim sportom nisu toliko veliki koliko se misli.

3. Traditional working out can be done outside. I hate so much working out (Yes, Yes ... I hate it) in an enclosed space that it’s almost unbelievable for the other people. There are outdoor gyms out there that can come in handy. Their only advantage isn’t that they are free. Choose the ones that are surrounded by greenery, it feels like being in the countryside. My favorite is the Coca-Cola gym in Niska Banja, where I go by bike, so mix it up a bit. Don't "hang out" in the cafés – hang out in the gym. There you can do the exercises using your own weight.

Tradicionalno vežbanje obavite vani. Toliko mrzim (da, da... Mrzim) da vežbam u zatvorenom prostoru da je to drugim ljudima prosto neverovatno. Postoje teretane napolju koje mogu dobro doći. Njihova jedina prednost nije samo što su besplatne. Biram one koje su okružene zelenilom, da imam osećaj kao da sam u prirodi. Moja omiljena je Coca-Cola teretana u Niškoj banji, do koje idem biciklom, tako da kombinujem te dve sportske aktivnosti. Nemojte da "visite" po kafićima - visite u teretani. Napolju možete radite vežbe sa sopstvenom težinom. 

4. Running / Trčanje

This sport gives good results and gets you in shape. It includes a large number of muscles and thus affects shaping of the entire body, which is not the case with cycling. Pace is something that you determine yourself. However, negative side of this sport is that the running puts pressure to knees and ankles. Choose to run through the countryside if you can (or mix it up a bit with cycling to go to nature) or at least run on dirt roads. It doesn’t require investing except in one pair of running snickers. It is more effective sport than cycling but is also more demanding and beginners can give up easily. In this case, it's better to think in the long run. Usually I go for another activity, so I speak from my personal experience. :)

Ovaj sport daje dobre rezultate što se tiče kondicione spremnosti i oblikovanja tela. Angažuje veliki broj mišića i tako utiče na oblikovanje celog tela, što nije slučaj kod biciklizna. Tempo određujete sami. Međutim, trčanjem opterećujete zglobove, te je upravo ovo negativna strana ovog sporta. Birajte trčanje kroz prirodu ukoliko ste u mogućnosti (može se kombinovati sa biciklizmom radi odlaska u prirodu) uli bar zemljane "mekše" staze i "obraćete kajmak" ovim sportom. Ne zahteva nikakva posebna ulaganja osim jednog para patika za trčanje. Jeste delotvorniji sport od biciklizma ali je i zahtevniji te će veliki broj ljudi upravo zbog toga brže i odustati. U tom slučaju je bolje razmišljati na duže staze. Lično se teže odlučujem da trčim, tako da pričam iz sopstvenog iskustva. :) 

5. Rock Climbing is popular among adrenaline addicts and adventurers, maybe because they want to try something new. It includes a large number of muscles, but it requires the appropriate equipment, so if you are playing few sports, cost of the all necessary equipment is a bit too much. But in any case I would recommend at least a combination of two sports according to your own preferences.

Penjanje se najgrublje može podeliti na sportsko penjanje i alpinizam. Ovaj sport je omiljen kod zavisnika od adrenalina i avanturista, ako ništa drugo onda zato što žele probati nešto novo. Angažuje veliki broj mišića, ali zahteva i odgovarajuću opremu, tako da ako se bavite i drugim sportovima da još kupujete opremu i za ovaj za većinu je mnogo. Ali u svakom slučaju bih preporučila bar kombinaciju dva sporta saglasno preferencijama.

Negative side of outdoor activities is that they mostly dependent on the weather, even though it doesn’t prevent persistent ones. As I have already stated, it's hard to get me to play sports indoors, so I welcomed spring in the big way. Now, get the hell out of my way, I am going out! :)

Negativna strana outdoor aktivnosti je što zavisite uglavnom od vremena, mada ni to ne sprečava uporne. Kao što sam već navela, teško je mene naterati da se bavim sportom u zatvorenom prostoru, te sam proleće jedva dočekala. A sad ajd' sklanjajte mi se sa puta, brišem napolje! :)

It seems that outdoor activities are not only used for increasing the level of fitness. Who ever tried it will understand.

Izgleda da sportovi na otvorenom nisu samo sportovi koji služe za povećenje kondicione spremnosti. Ko razume - shvatiće, iliti ko je probao - razumeće.