Free Essay Sample: Obstacle Training

Origin and history

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Obstacle Courses concern tough exercises designed to facilitate body fitness. A participant in obstacle courses train through tough terrains and encounter advances challenges resulting from the advancement of training requirements. Originally developed for military and warrior physical fitness these exercises are tough to both the physical body strength and challenging to mental development. They have been performed for ages and often result in injuries.

Claimed Training Purpose and Physiological Benefits

Obstacle training is becoming increasingly popular (Lund, Turris, McDonald & Lewis, 2015). Due to the trending eventualities during such exercises, the activities and preparations concerning such events might encounter review. Besides benefits, these challenges involve imaginable risky activities (Greenberg et al., 2014). Obstacle courses purpose to improve physical body strength. Obstacle training assists in physical and mental development. Research supports claims that such training has been deemed effective in reducing injury risk for patients dealing with intellectual challenges (Van Hanegem, Enkelaar, Smulders, & Weerdesteyn, 2013).

Researchers have found that often, participants in obstacle runs suffer injuries inflicted by falls. Such training sponsors intellectual stability and improves muscle control (Van Hanegem, Enkelaar, Smulders, & Weerdesteyn, 2013). Another purpose of engaging in obstacle courses is to facilitate team building (Van Hanegem, Enkelaar, Smulders, & Weerdesteyn, 2013). Challenging events during this exercises sponsor social interaction with fellow participants (Van Hanegem, Enkelaar, Smulders, & Weerdesteyn, 2013).

Scientific critique including limitations, positives, negatives

Obstacle courses subject people to difficult and physically straining conditions, which often result in injuries (Eichner, 2014). Trainers looking to improve their body strength and build physical structure are at times required to seek medical attention because of injuries (Eichner, 2014). Obviously, requiring medical attention can mean that a professional career concerning sports might be limited depending of the extent of injury suffered.

Obstacle challenges also offer entertainment. These training exercises are both physically strengthening and socially awakening; they provide an opportunity for participants to engage in social events bonding (Eichner, 2014). Through interaction during obstacles courses people learn to open up to their peers and start valuable relationships. These courses are a good way of sponsoring team building. The challenges involved help people to interact and develop intercommunication abilities hence improving teamwork attitude (Eichner, 2014).

These challenges provide an opportunity to triumph over physical challenges. Tests are not only beneficial to body structure improvement, but also help people to achieve psychological satisfaction. Completing a task of obstacle course allows a person the opportunity to achieve such success (Eichner, 2014). People find challenges to be entertaining and presenting of emotionally inspiring events.

However, the mentioned benefits do not come without risks. Often, participants suffer injuries and end up in such situations that require medical assistance and therapy. Obstacle courses can result in deaths and disability (Eichner, 2014). In injury records resulting from such challenges it is evident that much success achieved due to exercises, a substantial number of people are injured during exercise. For example, during the year 2013, a participant in tough mudder activities died from drowning (Eichner, 2014). In a similar event during the year 2013, thirty-eight patients sort medical attention in Pennsylvania (Eichner, 2014).

Obstacle courses have also been blamed for other cases of injury and death. Due to the design of challenges and inclusion of dangerous circumstances such as those involving electricity and high wall climbing, people experience injuries unique to obstacle courses. Paralysis is one of the many risks that participants face. Falling during the exercise of high wall climbing often results in paralysis (Eichner, 2014).

Personal Critique and Insights

I find that obstacles courses are event were people could achieve psychological satisfaction, physical health, and enjoy engaging in physical activities. I participated in tough mudder for the last past 3 years. My first engagement is such was in Temecula, where I was in the company of my friend. It was a day of much success as in conquered the challenge, though in not in professional record time. It took five hours to go through all the challenges set. I found that such physical challenge helps build the physical strength when, consistency and frequent involvement occur.

To me that obstacle courses are an opportunity to challenge a person`s mental and physical confines. The most challenging aspect of tough mudder challenge includes crossing monkey bars over a huge pool of water, which I did not succeed to beat. Such exercise requires that a participant have a well-formed upper body. In my experience, tough mudder does not necessarily result in extreme injuries as I only suffered muscle cramp. After engaging in events of more physical activity, my second year of participation in obstacle training was easier as I had developed a more elaborate physic.

Summary and Conclusions

Considering the much preference for physically empowering exercises these events are most likely here to stay. Obstacle runs assist people to develop physically and acquire social skills (Eichner, 2014). The trends concerning the review of obstacle run environments are here to stay. Due to the very dangerous eventualities of obstacle running medical emergencies have become a tradition and are forcing the improvement of exercise environments to reduce risks (Greenberg et al., 2014).

References

Eichner, E. (2014). Tough Mudder Injuries, Triathlon Drownings, and Team Rhabdomyolysis in the Navy. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 13(2), 66-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000044

Greenberg, M., Kim, P., Duprey, R., Jayant, D., Steinweg, B., Preiss, B., & Barr, G. (2014). Unique Obstacle Race Injuries at an Extreme Sports Event: A Case Series. Annals Of Emergency Medicine, 63(3), 361-366. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2013.10.008

Lund, A., Turris, S., McDonald, R., & Lewis, K. (2015). On-Site Management of Medical Encounters During Obstacle Adventure Course Participation. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 14(3), 182-190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000161

Van Hanegem, E., Enkelaar, L., Smulders, E., & Weerdesteyn, V. (2013). Obstacle course training can improve mobility and prevent falls in people with intellectual disabilities. Journal Of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(5), 485-492. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jir.12045