"Virtual
Triumphs"
Whether it's climbing Everest on a stepper or racing on a treadmill, in-gym
challenges can motivate and reward, says Joanna Legh
Fancy running to Paris, climbing Everest or cycling the Tour de France? These days it's all possible from the comfort of your gym, given a little imagination.
While all good cardio equipment has pre-set programmes where you can test yourself and record the results, there's also a whole world of virtual challenges out there if you want to take things a step further. Add your name to the list of Everest record attempts on the VersaClimber for example, or enter the World Indoor Rowing Championships without going anywhere near the water.
Given that these challenges have been used by the likes of Ranulph Fiennes and Steve Redgrave to prepare for extreme record attempts over many years, the benefits for the elite are indisputable. But can virtual challenges inspire the rest of us to a higher level of fitness, or are they just a chance for the super-fit to shine even more brightly?
'For those who really believe they can win, such competitions can create a positive challenge to improve fitness, but this will only be a small percentage of gym members,' says sports psychologist Andy Barton from The Sporting Mind practice in London.
'For the majority, the satisfaction of beating the others to the top prize is not a realistic possibility. Their reward will come from breaking the task down into manageable chunks, and succeeding in their personal mini-challenges on the way,' says Barton. 'In fact, this is a vital motivation technique for the competitive group too. Even Lance Armstrong will set targets for each stage of the Tour de France, and have mini-goals within each of those stages.'
Johanna Legh
