Nature invites you to the mountains in 2021!

We Indian Spirits like to feel free, breathe fresh air, be surrounded by nature... We live in constant movement and always take the extreme side of life. We are free spirits! That is why we never settle and we throw ourselves headlong into adventure and new experiences. Since nature invites movement and sport, one of our favorite places to enjoy that total freedom is the mountains. There are many disciplines that can be practiced in the mountains, outdoor activities, either for pleasure or professionally. Here we want to show you some exercises for you to enjoy alone or with friends.

Mountain sports are practiced in rocky, steep, slippery, and sometimes slightly dangerous environments, with many natural obstacles. Therefore, it is important to be in good physical condition and health to carry out certain activities. Depending on the sport, its difficulty will increase more or less. However, mountain sports can also be practiced by young people and children. Physical activity from an early age is recommended for a healthy lifestyle, as it improves bone health, muscle strength and flexibility. Now that we have convinced you even more to practice mountain sports this year, let's find out what some of the disciplines are.

Mountain sports invite you to adventure and feel pure adrenaline. They are so exciting that we assure you that you will want to plan a trip to the mountains every weekend.

MOUNTAIN SPORTS IN 2021

If you're looking for adrenaline, get ready to discover the best mountain sports to start 2021 full of new experiences!

In this list you will find activities for those who are looking to have fun and start living a more active life, even for the most extreme travelers, addicted to pure adrenaline. Exciting, challenging, defiant and impressive are all the mountain activities that we are going to list below:

HIKING

An activity to share with the whole family!

Hiking is considered one of the best mountain activities there is, and how could it not be? It is one of the practices that allows you to get fully close to nature, while enjoying, without rushing, the walks, trails, and natural spaces that leave you breathless.

It is a practice that has evolved from being carried out as a purely sporting activity to being able to be practiced without having a particular physical condition. Hiking has opened up a new interest in the field of tourism, a trend that invites people to travel without rushing and to enjoy the journey, getting to know everything around them. It allows you to travel along routes and get to know the historical and cultural side of a country, without causing an environmental impact. It is one of the best ways to get to know a destination!

Hiking is a sport that everyone can practice, you just have to choose the trail that you like the most and enjoy the journey.

TREKKING

Trekking is similar to hiking, but it is not the same, as it requires a higher level of physical fitness. It is an activity that involves walking for several days, far from the use of transport, in remote places, completely isolated in nature.

The most important thing about trekking is that it does not harm or damage nature. On the contrary, just like hiking, it is an activity that invites you to be surrounded by the rural and the natural.Depending on the level of difficulty you wish to practice, there are longer or shorter trails, with greater or lesser difficulties that require greater effort and physical condition.

To practice this sport, it is necessary to use the appropriate equipment, and here we help you:

• Strings: Being a mountain activity, these are scenarios where the terrain is steep, which is still difficult. Therefore, ropes are a necessary element to carry out this sport.

• Compass: It is essential to carry a compass in natural settings to avoid losing your bearings in places where there are no signs.

• Appropriate clothing: When practicing sports, it is always vital to wear appropriate and comfortable clothing, according to the weather. Since these are long routes, we must not forget to wear comfortable shoes.

• Other necessary utensils: It is important to plan the route you want to take. If you have to spend the night, you will need to bring a tent and other utensils to keep yourself hydrated and fed.

Trekking brings many health benefits. It is an activity that involves walking, so it provides great benefits to the cardiovascular system, helps burn calories, prevents and reduces muscle pain. By having direct contact with nature, it also helps to significantly improve mental health.

ULTRATRAIL

Ultratrail is a type of running that takes place in the mountains where participants must run a distance of more than 50 kilometres in very difficult conditions. It can even last almost 24 hours, making it an extreme sport. It is recommended that before starting a race, you do a reconnaissance of the route a few days beforehand to anticipate any problems that may arise during the race.

Preparation for an ultra-trail is similar to that for a marathon, but with a little more complication, as it is in the middle of a mountain, where there are a large number of obstacles and natural barriers. Therefore, it is necessary to be very convinced and above all motivated to live a unique and challenging experience, which puts your entire physical and mental condition to the test.

MOUNTAIN CYCLING AND DOWNHILL

Cycling + mountain biking are the perfect combination for adventure lovers! It is a sport that more and more athletes are taking up around the world. Mountain biking consists of reaching the summit of a mountain by riding extreme trails in nature.

When starting out in mountain biking, it is advisable to start with a bike size that best fits your height and leg length.

Mountain biking is a high-risk extreme sport that can be done both competitively and for pure entertainment. The route is usually downhill, although depending on the modality it can also be done uphill and/or a mixture of both.

An essential element for practicing this sport is the helmet. Whether it is your first time or you are a professional athlete, doing a mountain bike route with a helmet specific for practicing the sport is extremely important.

Downhill is a type of mountain biking that consists of descending as fast as possible on a natural track, with natural or artificial obstacles. It is considered one of the most extreme and risky types of mountain biking.It is characterized by having complications or obstacles such as ramps, drops, banking and natural difficulties of the mountain itself.

It is considered an extreme sport because it reaches speeds of over 50 km/h on the descent. That is why protective equipment is of the utmost importance. Use a full-face helmet, appropriate uniform, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and the best quality glasses for good visibility.

ESCALATION

For rock lovers, climbing is the mountain sport for you!

Rock climbing is a sport that consists of climbing or walking along a wall to reach the top of a relief or an artificial structure with or without the aid of equipment. It usually includes steep slopes or other reliefs characterized by their verticality.

Climbing is a complete sport that requires good physical condition, as it is an activity that requires the full use of the body: hands, arms, legs and the trunk, including a great mental capacity to perform the exercise. Climbers stand out for their good dexterity and physical ability.

There are different types of climbing, depending on the environment in which it is carried out:

• Rock climbing: That which develops on rock walls.
• On ice: The one that is done on ice or hard nine.
• Mixed climbing: Sections of ice, snow and rock alternate.
• Climbing in a climbing wall: It is carried out on walls where artificial holds of different shapes are placed that simulate natural holds.
• Urban climbing: It is developed with structures found in the city, walls, bridges, etc.

SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING

Skiing and snowboarding are winter mountain sports, and are among the most common and most popular among adrenaline junkies. Skiing and snowboarding are activities where you can enjoy the snowy mountains the most, although they require a lot of strength, preparation and endurance.

These are sports that are practiced individually, although they can be enjoyed in a group with family and friends. Both skiing and snowboarding offer different physical, physiological and psychological benefits:

• Muscle strengthening: Skiing and snowboarding helps strengthen the entire body, tone muscles and form stronger legs.
• Improves physical endurance: They are complete sports that involve the use of the entire body, when performed over long periods of time.
• You reduce stress and anxiety: Since these sports take place in the snow, you can breathe fresh air outside in nature, allowing you to disconnect from your routine.
• Protects against cardiovascular diseases: Both sports promote blood circulation and help burn calories at a faster rate. They prevent overweight and cholesterol problems, protecting the heart and lungs.
• You rest better: After many hours of effort, exercise and adrenaline, it is normal for the body to be tired. Your mind will be clear and it will be much quicker and easier to fall asleep.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MOUNTAIN SPORTS

Once you have decided to spend a weekend enjoying nature and fresh mountain air, whatever discipline you practice, here are some recommendations:

• Go at your own pace: Relax. Take the time to exercise and condition your body for this type of activity.

• Get a medical check-up: Depending on what activity you are going to perform, it is important to make sure you are in the optimal and necessary conditions for that moment.
• Get the right equipment: Don't risk using equipment that turns out to be cheaper. Mountain sports are outdoor activities that involve a certain amount of risk or complication, which is why it is always better to use the best quality accessories.

• Rest: Since it involves a great physical and mental effort, it is necessary to rest and save as much energy as possible to fully perform in the sport(s) to be performed.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of mountain sports. Some are more exciting than others, but in all of them you can find that adrenaline and addiction to the extreme. They are outdoor activities that you can do with family or friends, and that will only bring benefits to your body and mind.

If you have any suggestions for places to practice mountain sports or ideas for other activities to do, share them in the comments and don't forget to forward this article to all the #IndianSpirits you know!