Are you looking to get into better shape for an incredible travel experience? If you are done being tired right after the start of an adventure, than check out these strategies to improve your fitness. These 6 powerful ways to increase your athletic performance will have you ready to check off your next bucket list item!

The use of the right training methods will lead to an incredible transformation in your athletic performance. However, are you lost with where to start? With so many options, it is hard to know exactly what you should be doing.

Relax and take a step back. The best way to create results is to not over complicate the process. The key is to train smarter rather than just harder. You can become the new powerful version of yourself by just adding a few new training methods to your weekly routine.

6 Powerful Approaches to Your Fitness

Of course, when trying to get in shape the first battle is just showing up. But once you are in a routine, what’s next? There are six components that will force you to become a better performing athlete. All of these are crucial for heading out on an adventure. The skills that make you perform better are not just going to the gym and lifting some weights, or to walk on the stair stepper until your legs give out.

These powerful approaches to your fitness challenge you in a different way. In fact, if you have never challenged yourself with these fitness components than you must be open to a new form of training. However, it is important to continue to perform cardio and weight training to have the greatest overall effect on your performance. But including these components will improve your athleticism to a far greater level.

If you are dedicated to accomplishing a dream bucket list item than this is for you. It is a must in your training. The development of fitness past the basic requirements for health are where real change takes place. The use of these skill-oriented training techniques is what takes a good athlete to a great one.

1. Balance is the Key to Increase Your Athletic Performance

How is your balance? If you find yourself fumbling around when you walk, than it is time to include some balance workouts in your weekly fitness routine. Balance is the even distribution of your body weight to remain steady.

Adventure requires stability. In fact, walking along steep cliffs, skiing down bumpy slopes, or riding a jet ski in choppy waters all benefit from a strong sense of balance.

Often, balance is forgotten. The importance of balance training stems to your ability to control your body position throughout dynamic conditions. No matter the sport, you will need to adapt your body position to stay upright. Your ability to stay aware of your body’s position can play a crucial role in your athletic performance. Just small improvements can have a huge impact on many other areas of your fitness training. An improvement in balance leads to improved coordination.

Here are great balance workouts to add to your routine:

• • One-Legged Strength Workouts (For example, single-leg deadlifts, single arm should press, or Bulgarian split squats)
  • Workouts with the use of a Bosu Ball
  • Standing/Single-Leg Yoga Poses (For example, tree pose or the handstand)

2. Coordination is the Way to Improve Your Adventure Performance

Okay, so you have your balance skills up to par. Now, it is the time to focus on moving all parts of your body in sync.

Coordination is the efficient movement of all parts of the body. Adventure requires smooth, accurate, and controlled muscle responses to the unpredictable situations thrown at you. It is all about the selection of the right movement at the right time. In other terms, you need to have a body ready to respond in a fluent manner. This will lead to an increase in athletic performance.

External conditions will require you to adapt your performance. As a matter of fact, this comes down to your coordination. The following coordination exercises are a great way to prepare for the unexpected.

• • Jump Rope
  • Juggling (Hand-eye coordination to develop control, rhythm, and timing.)
  • Slack Lining (Slack lining is the act of walking along a thin rope. This will require you to stay adaptive, as you will be constantly shifting all parts of your body to distribute your weight evenly. You must stay concentrated with every movement.)
    • Are you ready to increase coordination while preventing injuries? In fact, joint stability and the prevention of knee, ankle, and foot injuries are a direct result of slack lining. You will become a well-rounded athlete with the use of this in your training program.

3. Enhance Your Speed

Are you ready to become faster? Speed is all about moving your body in one direction quickly. In fact, speed is a key component to reach your best athletic performance.

But why is speed important? Even if you do not plan to become a runner, speed can have a number of benefits when heading out to perform adventure travel. So, regardless of your specific end goal, there is a place for speed in your fitness training.

Changing conditions require the ability to adapt. Speed comes in handy at these times. The best way to increase your speed is with a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program.

The program can be altered to fit your specific speed goals. This type of training involves working at your maximum level of effort, followed by short periods of rest in between sets. The training aims to teach your muscles, cardiovascular system, and mind to work at high levels of intensity. The length and difficulty of each interval is entirely up to you. Here are some exercises to increase your speed:

• • Forward-Back Sprints (Place two cones in a straight line. Sprint forward to the opposite cone, then jog back to the starting cone.)
  • Interval Runs (Interval runs consist of a sprint, slow jog while recovering, then repeat cycle for your desired length of time.)

4. Increase Your Athletic Performance With Power

Another component to support your athletic performance is power. Power is the combination of your speed and strength to create your maximum force. Essentially, the quicker you are able to create power, the better.

Power requires full-body strength and coordination. You are to work in sync with all parts of your body to create an effortless momentum. There are several strength workouts to include in your fitness routine to make sure you are building your ability to create powerful movements. Additionally, power works to strengthen your connective tissues as you build lean muscle. This is crucial for avoiding injury.

Adventure will put a high amount of stress on your body at times. Thus, make sure to prepare for this by adding power exercises to your routine.

• • Plyometric Box Jumps
  • Weighted Sled Sprints
  • Clean and Jerk Lifts

5. Work on Your Agility to Stay Adaptable

So, now it’s time to put together all four training skills thus far. Agility is the ability to move your body in a quick and easy manner. After all, moving your body requires the use of your balance, coordination, speed, and power.

When you are agile, you can prepare your body to be in the best position for the upcoming action. You have to be on your game. Action throughout your adventures will force you to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Your success will be dependent on how well you can handle these shifts.

Agility is important to staying safe and injury free while out there. Again, you must be ready to always change the position of your body if needed. The following agility workouts will have you ready for anything.

• • Ladder Drills (This is for quick foot speed and placement.)
  • Cone Drills (Cone drills can include sprints, slides, backpedals, and quick changes in direction to have you staying on your toes.)
  • Dot Drills (Start by jumping from one dot to the next in a X-shaped pattern. Include four dots to have you constantly changing your weight and direction.)
  • Lateral Plyometric Jumps (Jump from side to side over a line in the middle.)
  • Shuttle Runs (Sprint from cone to cone. You will have frequent changes in your direction to keep you adaptable.)

6. Quick Reaction Time Will Increase Your Athletic Performance

Are you interested in decreasing the time it takes you to respond? After all, reaction time is the amount of time it takes for you to adapt to something happening in your environment. The ability to respond successfully takes practice.

A short reaction time develops as you build up muscle memory. The best way to improve is to get out and perform that specific action. By all means, a close connection between your mind and body will not occur until you become familiar with your new experience.  This is the best path to shortening your reaction time.

Reaction time is a mental challenge, rather than just a physical one. The more knowledge and practice you have towards a specific sport, the better your reaction time. With this in mind, preparation is key for having a strong reaction time. The best way to be ready for change is to anticipate what is to come. For example, while skiing snow conditions are constantly changing when out in the mountains. Your reaction time is in response to recognizing changes in the conditions from your previous experience. After all, it is hard to adjust your performance when you lack the practice and experience.

Thus, reaction time is the combination of improving all other areas of your athletic performance. As a matter of fact, the only way to make giant leaps in your reaction time is to get out there. The more experience you have the better you will become.

Live a Life of Adventure Filled With Your Bucket List Items

These 6 powerful ways to increase your athletic performance will have you ready to take on the world. If you are serious about improving your fitness, add these strategies to your weekly routine. After all, a life of adventure will push your mental and physical boundaries and you need to be ready for it. Check out more tips at The Alpine Pursuit – Fitness.