With the popularity of the Hunger Games and its inspiring heroine, Katniss Everdeen, it’s not surprising that the best-selling book and blockbuster film franchise have given rise to some fitness trends.
You can expect girls this year to be asking not for Barbie dolls but for bows and arrows and time at archery shooting ranges. Katniss Everdeen is supremely skilled as an archer, and so the girls who want to emulate her are drawn to the sport.
This is a good thing. Archery has many health benefits. Archery is a physically demanding sport that requires upper body strength, coordination, balance, and mental focus. At the competitive level, “archers can walk as much as 5 miles while performing common tasks at the archery range and moving from one position to another.”
And according to this article, the benefits of archery go beyond the physical. For example, archery is a wonderful example of an inclusive sport. Nondisabled and disabled people can both participate. It’s also financially accessible for those wishing just to have fun (though costs go up at the competitive level).
It not only improves mental focus, it also allows people to practice patience. And though we may not all be able to bring down the Capitol, archery can have a positive impact on self-confidence.
Maybe archery isn’t for you, but if you belong to the New York Sports Club you can take a “Train Like a Tribute” fitness class. The class subjects participants to challenges like: Katniss Killers, Peeta Pull-Ups, Finnick Trident Presses, and Peacekeeper Battle Ropes.
It’s not quite the apparently gruelling 5 months of workouts the actors playing tributes actually endured, but it’s a nice way to get devoted fans into the gym for a fun, challenging workout. Here are Sam Clafin and Jena Malone talking about the training:
