Ninja Courses: Combining Fitness and Play

By Allison Abel, Greenfields Oudoor Fitness

Ninja courses have hit the park scene! Once seen only on TV and in a smattering of private gyms, these exciting and eminently challenging courses are now being made available in public spaces. As kids start to age out of playgrounds, ninja courses can be great ways to motivate them to stay active in a way that’s enjoyable and involves competition. Those admiring athletes swinging, jumping, and climbing around nearly-impossible obstacles can now enjoy the same adrenaline surge themselveswithout having to audition.

Ninja courses have surged in popularity in recent years, owing to the popularity of the hit TV show American Ninja Warrior. A key factor of the appeal of ninja training lies in the fact that while the courses require a great degree of athleticism to complete successfully, they can be used by those without background or training in mainstream competition sports. Reminiscent of a playground, they do a great job of bridging the gap between play and fitness. Rigorous enough to challenge even the most advanced athlete yet also containing basic features such as cargo nets that virtually anyone can use, they fill a niche for a demographic that may not engage with traditional amenities.

Additionally, while traditional sports typically require strict attention to form and extreme amounts of repetition during practice, ninja training is relatively unstructured, and courses and obstacles can be traversed a number of different ways. Nonetheless, the obstacles require a great deal of athleticism, especially upper body, core, and grip strength, as well as high levels of balance and coordination. In addition, traversing the courses enhances agility and stamina and builds mental toughness. With the arrival of ninja courses built for public spaces, park visitors can enjoy the challenge and push their limits on specially-designed outdoor courses available to the public.

One high school in New Mexico that recently installed a course has seen tremendous benefit in the short time it’s been available to students. With their high energy levels and enthusiasm for new activities, high school students are a perfect demographic for ninja training. School administrators have observed how students that weren’t involved in sports and who weren’t academically inclined gravitated toward the course. Some then discovered their natural upper body strength and were able to channel their energies into activities such as wrestling - activities they hadn’t realized they had any aptitude for. What was originally thought by some administrators to be an odd fit for a high school with its strong resemblance to a playground turned into a popular and valuable amenity for the student body, something that gave students a way to release energy and build their confidence.

A park agency looking to create a ninja training course at one of their sites will want to select a highly visible location. Fall height considerations will be similar to those of playgrounds, so mulch or poured-in-place rubber should be used. Course layouts can be closed loops or s-shapes. Including features from courses on the popular TV show - such as cheese walls, quintuple steps, and especially the warped wall at the end - will enhance the course’s appeal, especially to devotees of the show. Other features now available in outdoor ninja courses include swinging ropes, rings, wingnuts, and more.

Are you ready to create a ninja training destination at your park? Ninja courses can spur a little healthy competition between friends or even within oneself. Ninja training is not for the faint of heart, but it’s a great new way to get active outdoors and have fun doing it. Those looking for a unique new twist on fitness will find it a fun and engaging way to push their limits.