Get out there.

The best adventure-sports schools and camps

WHITEWATER KAYAKING

Body Benefit: "It looks as if the paddle stroke is all arms, but the power actually comes from your torso," says pro kayaker Ben Selznick. As a resistance exercise, paddling is unique in that it works both sides of your body while strengthening your core, which results in better posture and tighter abs. Kayaking also provides a modest cardio workout and improves focus.

Muscles used: Shoulders, back, arms, lower back, and abs

Calorie burn: 410 per hour

Where to learn: Otter bar Lodge Kayak School, Forks of the Salmon, Ca With top instructors and front-door access to class III and IV rapids, Otter Bar is the nation's premier kayak school. The 7-day, $1,950 course includes all gear, meals, and lodging. Open from mid-April to late September. (530) 462-4772, otterbar.com

SCUBA DIVING

Body Benefit: You won't break a sweat diving, but you'll burn calories, your upper body will get a workout hauling gear, and your lower body will see heavy action finning against currents. Plus, scuba is a mind-body relaxation exercise. "Underwater, there are no phones and no e-mails, plus you're weightless," says Travis Gainsley, of Pro Dive USA. "It has a Zen aspect."

Muscles used: Quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, and abs

Calorie burn: 574 per hour

Where to learn: Pro Dive USA, Fort Lauderdale, FL Established in 1975, Pro Dive is widely considered the world's top scuba training center. Though Pro Dive can fast-track you from novice all the way to dive master in just 2 months, the 4-day open-water certification ($375) will have you diving on reefs and shipwrecks within hours. (800) 800-3483, prodiveusa.com

SNOWBOARDING

Body Benefit: On first thought, boarding doesn't seem like a workout--ride a lift up the mountain, slide back down. But, says Myra Foster, of Vermont's Stratton Mountain, "Your legs and hips are worked when you turn, and you use your abs to get up after you wipe out."

Muscles used: Hamstrings, quads, calves, abs, and ankles

Calorie burn: 574 per hour

Where to learn: Stratton Snow-board Camps, Stratton Mountain, VT Besides regularly hosting the U.S. Open of Snowboarding, Stratton Mountain opened its first board school in 1983 and today employs more than 50 instructors. Two-day clinics are offered from mid-November to mid-April for $340, which includes lodging. In March, Stratton offers a $450 3-day clinic taught by Olympic gold medalist Ross Powers. (800) 787-2886, stratton.com

MOUNTAIN BIKING

Body Benefit: "A big part of the draw of mountain biking is that it's a fitness sport, an exploring sport, and a technical-skills sport, all in one," says former mountain-bike champ John Stamstad. Besides being a hell of a cardio workout, mountain biking improves balance, coordination, and reaction time.

Muscles used: Quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors

Calorie burn: 697 per hour

Where to learn: Singletrack Ranch, Nationwide (AZ, OR, UT, VT, WV) Owned by John Stamstad himself, Singletrack specializes in improving the skills of intermediate and advanced bikers in epic destinations, such as Snowshoe, West Virginia, and Moab, Utah. The 3-day camps start at $900, which includes lodging, food, and personal attention from Stamstad. (206) 650-6014, singletrackranch.com

SURFING

Body Benefit: "When you're a beginner, surfing is a total cardio and upper-body workout, because you're constantly paddling out through the waves," says Izzy Paskowitz, a former pro long boarder and the current director at Paskowitz Surf Camp. Once you've learned to ride the waves back to shore, you'll develop core and leg strength and balance.

Muscles used: Arms, shoulders, back, abs, calves, and quads

Calorie burn: 246 per hour

Where to learn: Paskowitz Surf Camp, San Diego, CA Legendary within the surfing community, the Paskowitz family has been teaching beginners since 1972. Held June to September, Paskowitz Surf Camp's 6-day sessions include all-day instruction, equipment, food, and camping for $1,250 to $3,000. (949) 728-1000, paskowitz.com

Source Citation
"Get out there." Men's Health Oct. 2005: 187. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Nov. 2009. .

Gale Document Number:A142477153

Disclaimer:This information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional care.