Calisthenics will set you free.

How often do you find yourself petrified that everyone is looking at you and “whatcouldtheybethinking”? We are worried about potentially doing anything that makes us stand out too much so we never even try new, scary but exciting things.

Somehow pretending to be invisible seems a good idea when we are young and anybody doing something bold seems crazy. Calisthenics and outdoor training will help you this. The freedom of being out in the open air with potentially every passer-by sneaking a peek at what you are doing is wildly liberating. This can be uncomfortable at first if you are only used to training in the gym with few or no onlookers. If this is you now, don’t let it throw you and keep at it, you’ll go far.

It helps to remember that if you have chosen such a visually impressive sport, you will draw attention because you’re doing something so completely different from others and that’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean that what you’re doing is for attention but that you are confident in your skills and comfortable in your own skin to do what you enjoy and to do it wherever. Despite the existence of outdoor gyms for likeminded enthusiasts to gather at, calisthenics was born in the streets with no equipment and just a whole lot of inventiveness and the desire to move in unorthodox ways.

Calisthenics can be practised everywhere. Whether you’re a freestyle, endurance or strength athlete, you’ll find places that allow you to work on or showcase your skills. You notice every branch, ledge or pole as an opportunity to hang off it and do some cool move or flip.

You’ll climb up without a care in the world as to who’s looking or what they could be thinking because this is your life and your freedom to do whatever makes you happy.