What to Know About Orienteering, the ‘ Thinking Sport ’

If getting lost in the woods sounds like fun to you, you’d love orienteering. The sport involves navigating through unfamiliar terrain, often in a forest, to locations circled on a detailed topographic map. (These spots are typically marked by a flag, and participants record proof that they were there, sometimes with a small electronic device.) You can only use your map and a compass—no smartphones or GPS—to guide the way. Rather than following one specified route, people need to figure out what path makes the most sense, while maneuvering around obstacles like bodies of water, hills, or boulders. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] While it’s still under-the-radar in the U.S., thousands of spectators and participants consistently attend events throughout Europe. Orienteers—who range in age from children to seniors—show up to have adventurous fun, meet new friends in a beautiful setting, and enjoy a variety of mental and physical health benefits. Research suggests orienteering contributes to enhanced fitness (by improving aerobic capacity, flexibility, and speed), lower levels of psychological distress, and better brain health. “We brand it as a sport for life, because it’s adaptable to your skill and physical abilities,” says Emma Waddington, a graduate student in kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada who conducted a recent study about orienteering’s impact on the brain. She’s also an athlete ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Exercise & Fitness healthscienceclimate Source Type: news