So, I’ve been trying to get back in shape, you know, the usual. And I stumbled upon this thing called “duo sports.” The idea is basically picking two different sports to mix things up and, I guess, work different muscle groups. Sounds kinda cool, right? So I gave it a shot.
My “Duo Sports” Experiment
First, I picked my two sports. I went with swimming and, believe it or not, rock climbing. I figured swimming is good for overall cardio and, like, low-impact stuff. And climbing… well, I always thought it looked fun, and I wanted to build some upper body strength. Pretty ambitious, I know.
I started with swimming. Let me tell you, I was way more out of shape than I thought. I managed a few laps, feeling like a beached whale most of the time. But hey, I did it. I stuck to it a few times a week, just trying to build up some basic endurance.
- First week: Barely survived 20 minutes of swimming. Felt like death.
- Second week: Made it to 30 minutes, with lots of breaks. Still felt like death.
- Third week: 40 minutes! Small victories, people!
Then came the climbing. I found a local gym with a beginner’s wall. My first time? Hilarious. I flailed around like a spider monkey that’s lost its grip. My arms were screaming after, like, five minutes. But the instructor was super helpful, showing me some basic techniques, how to use my legs more, and not just rely on my (non-existent) arm strength.
- First climb: Reached maybe halfway up the easiest wall. Arms = jelly.
- Second climb: Got a bit further, started to understand the footwork thing.
- Third climb: Actually made it to the top of a beginner wall! Felt like a superhero (a very tired superhero).
I’m still at the very beginning of my “duo sports” journey. It is super tough. I alternated between swimming and climbing, giving my muscles time to recover. I felt sore all the time, but in a good way, you know? Like I was actually doing something.
It’s been a couple of months now, and I’m definitely seeing some progress. I can swim for longer without feeling like I’m going to drown, and I can climb a bit higher and with better technique. More importantly, I actually enjoyed it. Switching between the two sports kept things interesting, and I never got bored.
I will be keeping up with the duo sport for the long run!
