This book investigates extreme sports, defined as sports in which athletes challenge and transgress societal perceptions of what is humanly possible to achieve, in terms of physical training and bodily development/performance. Situated within a growing body of literature analysing the impact of new training trends on an individual's body, identity, lifestyle and perception of his/her social surroundings, Extreme Sports, Extreme Bodies focuses on the gendered and embodied experiences of bodybuilding, Ironman triathlon, and mixed martial arts. Through their ethnographic analysis, Andreasson and Johansson present a unique and updated account of the increasing phenomenon of extreme sports and extreme bodies in contemporary Western society, grounded in the sociology of sport, body studies and embodiment literature.

The perfect companions for exploring the National Parks. Walking guide to the Peak District National Park, with 20 best routes chosen by the park rangers. Each walk varies in length from 2 to 10 km and can be completed in less than 4 hours. 20 best routes chosen and written by National Park rangers Walks from 2 to 10km Detailed description for each walk with highlights clearly marked on the map along with an accompanying map and photographs General information about the National Park plus basic advice on walking This and the Peak District National Park Pocket Map (ISBN: 9780008439217) are the perfect companions for exploring this superb walking area of England.

Nature sports such as skiing, climbing, and surfing have had a significant influence on Western popular culture since the mid-twentieth century and participation in such sports continues to grow. Written in a clear and accessible style, this important book provides a comprehensive philosophical analysis of nature sports. Philosophy and Nature Sports offers an engaging inquiry into how nature sports differ from mainstream sports, how these differences are related to their value as human activities, and the role of the environments in which such sports take place. Addressing the claim that the most distinctive feature of nature sports is the relationship between participants and the natural world, the book also examines a wide range of topics, such as ethics, risk, gender construction, the social role of nature sport subcultures and the aesthetic experiences of nature sports athletes. Tying these together is the question of what it is that attracts us to nature sports and why they hold meaning for us. This is a valuable resource for students and academics in fields such as alternative sports, alternative sport subcultures, sport philosophy, sport and social issues, ethics, and phenomenology. It is also a fascinating read for outdoor educators and practitioners.

Through a mixture of original stories and traditional tales, Adventures in Nature offers an abundance of ways for families to connect with the earth. As our ancestors did before us, the book follows the seasons contained in the 'Wheel Of The Year', with each entry focusing on a story that brings us closer to the natural world, accompanied by simple craft projects, activities and mindful moments. In our busy, modern lives we have become increasingly disconnected from the world around us, and stories are an age-old way of re-establishing that link, nurturing a love for the environment and embedding awareness and respect for the planet within our culture. This book allows you to discover your very own adventures in nature through story.

Imagine a medicine that could make you live longer, healthier, happier, and stronger. What if that medicine was already right at your feet? Running is the miracle drug that can do all this and more - it is the perfect medicine. Throughout his career, Dr. Brodie Ramin has seen cases of diabetes, hypertension, and anxiety, which he has traced back to inactivity. Now more than ever, people are looking for inspiration and motivation to get fit, change their lives, and improve their overall wellness. In The Perfect Medicine, Dr. Ramin shares with us his discovery that we already have the perfect medicine to treat and prevent these common illnesses and improve our health: running. However, too few people are taking the right dose or using it at all. The Perfect Medicine explores the science of running and exercise and provides advice on how to maximize its benefits and be your best self. After rediscovering the joy of running in his early thirties, Dr. Ramin became fascinated by the activity. This book takes the reader on a personal journey of discovery, traces the evolution of running, shares strategies to get fit and run faster, and shows how exercise can even help people recover from addiction and mental health conditions.

When Anthony L. Copeland-Parker and his partner Catherine were in their fifties, they learned that he needed a heart-valve replacement, and she had early-onset Alzheimer's. Their past experience as endurance athletes lead them to react accordingly-to sell their home, retire from their jobs, and become nomads, running marathons and half-marathons all over the world. Anthony L. Copeland-Parker's Running All Over the World began as a blog written during his travels, a nonfiction account of his five-plus years of flying, running, walking, sailing, and sightseeing with his partner Catherine-from Atlanta to Antarctica and back again. Part travelogue and part medical memoir, Anthony's writing transports readers to exotic places like Madagascar, Bhutan, and the Great Wall of China while providing a look at the day-to-day realities of living out of a suitcase. Running All Over the World is an offbeat story about life and love, recounting the trials and tribulations of an ex-pilot with a passion for vistas and logistics and a woman so tough she walks a half-marathon in the Australian Outback mere weeks after breaking her ankle. During their years as nomads, Anthony and Catherine tested the physical and mental limits of their bodies and finished every race hand in hand.

Venture out to your local greenspace or just into your back yard, and try the amazing array of outdoor activities - from building a hidden sheet den to creating watering stations for bees. While you are there, scavenge and forage for raw materials and then extend the fun with creative makes and recipes to do back at home such as leaf printing, stick boats and stinging nettle crisps. Get to know the wild parts of your city or town with handy bug, plant and tree ID sections, plus a scavenger hunt and cloud-spotting game that can be done when out and about. Games to play with organized groups or with your family and friends adds another dimension to this book that is bursting with ideas for urban outdoor adventures.

Exploring Ireland is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the outdoors, from families looking for gentle Sunday strolls to experienced adventurers seeking out challenging hikes, paddles and cycles. This inspiring guidebook contains over 1700 things to do and places to see across the length and breadth of the island of Ireland. It's perfect for planning days out, weekends away and longer holidays. This book's 384 pages are packed with over 600 spectacular photos and detailed information on Ireland's beaches, signposted walks, mountain hikes, long-distance trails, blueways, greenways, cycle routes, forests, islands, rivers, lakes, heritage sites, parks and gardens, as well as a selection of interesting places to stay and eat.

A New York Times bestseller and a Book of the Year for the Evening Standard and The Times.

Is getting a little less comfortable the key to living a happier, healthier life?

When journalist Scott Carney came across a picture of a man in his fifties sitting on a glacier in just his underwear, he assumed it must be a hoax. Dutch guru Wim Hof claimed he could control his body temperature using his mind and teach others to do the same. Sceptical, Carney signed up to Hof’s one-week course, not realising that it would be the start of a four-year journey to unlock his own evolutionary potential.

From hyperventilating in a Polish farmhouse to underwater weight training in California, and eventually climbing Mt Kilimanjaro wearing just shorts and running shoes, Carney travelled the world testing out unorthodox methods of body transformation and discovering the science behind them.

In What Doesn’t Kill Us he explains how getting a little less comfortable can help us to unlock our lost evolutionary strength.

The revised edition of the bestselling "ChiRunning," a groundbreaking program from ultra-marathoner and nationally-known coach Danny Dreyer, that teaches you how to run faster and farther with less effort, and to prevent and heal injuries for runners of any age or fitness level.
In "ChiRunning, " Danny and Katherine Dreyer, well-known walking and running coaches, provide powerful insight that transforms running from a high-injury sport to a body-friendly, injury-free fitness phenomenon. ChiRunning employs the deep power reserves in the core muscles, an approach found in disciplines such as yoga, Pilates, and T'ai Chi.
"ChiRunning "enables you to develop a personalized exercise program by blending running with the powerful mind-body principles of T'ai Chi:
1. Get aligned. Develop great posture and reduce your potential for injury while running, and make knee pain and shin splints a thing of the past.
2. Engage your core. Shift the workload from your leg muscles to your core muscles, for efficiency and speed.
3. Add relaxation to your running. Learn to focus your mind and relax your body to increase speed and distance.
4. Make it a Mindful Practice. Maintain high performance and make running a mindful, enjoyable life-long practice.
5. It's easy to learn. Transform your running with the ten-step "ChiRunning "training program.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela (Camino Frances or Way of St James) is among the world's most famous pilgrimages: Christian pilgrims have travelled to the shrine of St James in Santiago, northern Spain, since the ninth century. This guide provides all the information you need to successfully cycle the Camino. The Camino Frances is the most popular variant of the Camino, linking St Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French-Spanish border with Santiago via Pamplona, Burgos and Leon. The guide presents the journey in 18 stages. Two versions of the route are described, the first (770km) based closely on the walkers' route and suitable for hybrid or mountain bikes; the second (798km) a 'road route' for road and touring cycles. It can be cycled in around 10-14 days and is very well provisioned. Clear route description and mapping are accompanied by notes on local points of interest, as well as background information on Spanish history and the history of the Camino. The practicalities are also thoroughly covered, including travel to and from the route, accommodation, facilities, kit and how to qualify for and obtain your Compostela (pilgrims' certificate). Whether you're seeking a spiritual journey, a physical challenge or just a holiday, the Camino promises an unforgettable experience - from the beautiful landscapes, historic towns and rich culture of northern Spain to the famed camaraderie with other wayfarers. Blending information with inspiration, this guide is an ideal companion to cycling this UNESCO-listed route.

Richard Parks has what must be one of contemporary sport's most extraordinary and inspirational stories. Soon after he turned thirty, the professional career in rugby that had been his life for over a decade was cut short by injury, leaving him faced with an uncertain future. But unlike many other young athletes, Richard decided to tackle his fears, anxiety and depression head on, taking inspiration from Ranulph Fiennes and a line from his grandmother's eulogy - "The horizon is only the limit of our sight" and setting out on challenges that have become part of his everyday life. Richard created history with his first endeavour - the 737 Challenge - by becoming the first person to conquer the highest mountain on each of the world's continents and venture to both the North and South Poles within seven months. Then in 2013 he tackled three hugely challenging events - an ultramarathon through the Peruvian jungle, the world's highest mountain bike race, and a double iron man triathlon in Snowdonia - in preparation for an even more extraordinary challenge: to record the fastest solo, unsupported and unassisted journey to the South Pole. These three challenges and the Antarctic speed record quest that saw Richard ski 11 hours a day enduring perishing conditions, broken skis and spending Christmas and New Year alone on the ice, were all filmed for a major four-part series to be broadcast on Channel 5 later this year. Beyond the Horizon is an amazing, inspiring, and exciting story for armchair adventurers, extreme sports and mountaineering fans alike.

Stand Up Paddleboarding is the fastest growing water-based activity worldwide. Thousands have tried it, with many more taking it up each year. It is easy to make the first steps to stand on a board and paddle. But many want to take this further - be it paddling greater distances, starting to race, SUPing in the surf, using it to improve their fitness or enhancing their well-being through yoga. To develop your SUPing requires a combination of improved technique, skills, fitness and mental attitude. This book will help anyone interested in SUPing get better at it. It shows how to improve your efficiency, technique, skills and physical capability before exploring the different ways of participating and the equipment you need. It suggests that seeking continuous improvement and rising to personal SUP challenges can help you enter the flow state, which enhances happiness. Packed with photos and photo sequences, this book provides both the inspiration and a blueprint for understanding how to improve your SUP capabilities in the area you choose.

Longtime readers have come to understand that Outside's true gift is in chronicling misadventure. That's the common thread among the stories found in Out There-those memorable tales that begin with the promise that, even if no one's life is necessarily hanging in the balance, something may go horribly awry at any moment, and that documenting this misfortune will inevitably yield rich comedic material or a surprisingly poignant moment. Or sometimes both. Out There chronicles fringe athletes, fitness freaks, and others obsessed by ill-advised dreams. It takes us to far-flung places no sane person would want to go. What ties this collection together are the incredible voices of legendary Outside contributors such as David Quammen, Tim Cahill, Susan Orlean, Wells Tower, Christopher Solomon, Patrick Symmes, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Nick Paumgarten, and many others, who turn their subjects into literary gold and have helped to keep Outside in business for more than forty years.

For outdoor adventurers who hike, fish, kayak, cross-country ski, or mountain bike in the backcountry, a GPS receiver can help them reach their destination and return safely -- but only if they know how to use it! Here is the guide to getting the most out of a GPS receiver, from basic consumer advice to advanced techniques. It even includes fun solo and team games that utilize GPS. Starting with essential definitions and moving on to creating waypoints, and using your GPS with a computer, this succinct book teaches the basics of navigation and outdoor GPS use. Advanced techniques are covered, such as creating custom maps, and new technologies are discussed, including using GPS-enabled mobile phones, and how to use GPS with Google Earth and Google Maps. With years of experience as a GPS instructor, Hinch is well-versed in all aspects of navigation and GPS use, and he covers them in a jargon-free, easy-to-follow style.

Coaching adventure sports is part of the core work of many adventure educators but has been largely neglected in the adventure studies literature. This is the first book to link contemporary sports coaching science with adventure sports practice. It examines the unique set of challenges faced by adventure sports coaches, such as the dynamic natural environment and the requirement to train athletes to levels of high performance outside of traditional structures of competition, and explores both key theory and best practice. The book covers key topics such as: Skill acquisition and skill development Models of learning and teaching Performance analysis Tactics and decision-making Training principles Mental skills techniques Goal setting and progression Risk management Each chapter contains applied examples from a range of adventure sports, including mountaineering, rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, and winter sport, as well as practical coaching techniques and a guide to further reading. Written by a team of authors with wide experience of coaching, teaching, researching and high performance participation in adventure sports, this book is invaluable reading for any student or practitioner with an interest in adventure, outdoor education, sports coaching or lifestyle sport.

A humorous and rousing set of literal and figurative sojourns as well as a mission statement about comprehending, protecting, and truly experiencing the outdoors, fueled by three journeys undertaken by actor, humorist, and New York Times bestselling author Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman has always felt a particular affection for the Land of the Free—not just for the people and their purported ideals but to the actual land itself: the bedrock, the topsoil, and everything in between that generates the health of your local watershed. In his new book, Nick takes a humorous, inspiring, and elucidating trip to America’s trails, farms, and frontier to examine the people who inhabit the land, what that has meant to them and us, and to the land itself, both historically and currently.

In 2018, Wendell Berry posed a question to Nick, a query that planted the seed of this book, sending Nick on two memorable journeys with pals—a hiking trip to Glacier National Park with his friends Jeff Tweedy and George Saunders, as well as an extended visit to his friend James Rebanks, the author of The Shepherd’s Life and English Pastoral. He followed that up with an excursion that could only have come about in 2020—Nick and his wife, Megan Mullally, bought an Airstream trailer to drive across (several of) the United States. These three quests inspired some “deep-ish” thinking from Nick, about the history and philosophy of our relationship with nature in our national parks, in our farming, and in our backyards; what we mean when we talk about conservation; and the importance of outdoor recreation, all subjects very close to Nick’s heart.

With witty, heartwarming stories and a keen insight into the human problems we all confront, this is both a ramble through and celebration of the land we all love.

Since their emergence in the 1960s, lifestyle sports (also referred to as action sport, extreme sports, adventure sports) have experienced unprecedented growth both in terms of participation and in their increased visibility across public and private space. book seeks to explore the changing representation and consumption of lifestyle sport in the twenty-first century.

The essays, which cover a range of sports, and geographical contexts (including Brazil, Europe, North America and Australasia) focus on three themes. First, essays scrutinise aspects of the commercialisation process and impact of the media, reviewing and reconsidering theoretical frameworks to understand these processes. The scholars here emphasise the need to move beyond simplistic understandings of commercialisation as co-option and resistance, to capture the complexity and messiness of the process, and of the relationships between the cultural industries, participants and consumers. The second theme examines gender identity and representations, exploring the potential of lifestyle sport to be a politically transformative space in relation to gender, sexuality and race . The last theme explores new theoretical directions in research on lifestyle sport, including insights from philosophy, sociology and cultural geography.

The themes the monograph addresses are wide reaching, and centrally concerned with the changing meaning of sport and sporting identity in the twenty-first century.

This book was previously published as a Special Issue of Sport in Society."

For anyone who enjoys walking, mountaineering, canoeing, skiing, sailing, or mountain biking, it is important to have a sound grasp of key techniques for planning and maintaining a route under any possible condition, day or night, rain or snow. This compact, easy-to-use handbook, developed out of six decades of experience by the British Army's Special Air Service Brigade, provides clear advice on navigation methods, both for a fully equipped journey and in emergency situations.

Beginning with such navigation fundamentals as understanding grid references on maps and how to use a compass and GPS (global positioning system), "The SAS Guide to Tracking and Navigation" goes on to provide detailed information on such subjects as finding your way without a map or compass, reading the sun and stars, navigating in extreme environments, marking trails, signaling for help, and tracking both animals and people as well as basic tips on how to elude being tracked yourself. Every procedure is demonstrated in step-by-step diagrams that clearly outline what to do and what not to do in order to bring you and your companions safely to your destination.

Trail running combines all the health and fitness benefits of walking and road running with the outdoor adventure of such sports as hiking and mountain biking-not to mention the spiritual renewal from a day spent communing with nature. No wonder it has become one of the world's most popular fitness activities. The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running provides all the essential information needed, including finding trails and getting started; managing ascents and descents with ease; maneuvering off-road obstacles; strength, stretching, and cross-training exercises; selecting proper shoes, clothing, and accessories; safety on the trail; and racing and other trail events. This full revision will include all new photos, updated information on equipment, caring for the trail, racing and organizing. New chapters will cover sustainability, Leave No Trace practices, and diversity and inclusion in the outdoor running world.