Beyond the popular TV show is a welcoming sport with space for everyone
Ninja gyms are exploding in popularity across the country, driven largely by the fanfare around NBC’s American Ninja Warrior reality-competition series. But this extreme sport provides much more than weekly entertainment or an occasional adrenaline rush. Whether gymgoers dream of being cast on the show or are just adding some variety to their fitness regimens, ninja gyms offer benefits that members can’t get anywhere else.
“It’s full-body functional fitness,” says Sara Heesen, General Manager at Obstacle Academy, based in Eden Prairie, Minn. “It also gets you acquainted or reacquainted with your body in a way that I haven’t experienced. It gets all the tiny, little, hidden muscles that might get neglected or overlooked.”
Ninja workouts improve many physical qualities, like mobility, grip strength, bone density, and body-fat composition. However, the benefits extend beyond the body, instilling perseverance and teaching warriors-in-training to overcome fear.
“A lot of our clients might possess the strength to do a lot of obstacles in a gym until they get up onto that box and then have to commit to leaping to something, jumping off a trampoline, or swinging from something that’s a little bit higher off the ground than they might be comfortable with,” says Brian Redard, Corporate General Manager for ULTIFIT, an adult fitness program offered at Ultimate Ninjas facilities throughout the Midwest. “A lot of the progress seen in our gym is not just physical but mental.”
For those communities hoping to capitalize on the interest in ninja gyms and to help others achieve this level of physical and mental toughness, the focus starts with ninja gyms’ unique approach to fitness.
