Ultimate Frisbee Provides Ultimate Workout

Photo: akeg, Flickr

It's something we've all done. Tossing a Frisbee around the yard or park can be a fun, relaxing activity. But for some, it's more of a serious competition -- not to mention, a tough workout.

Ultimate Frisbee, or just "Ultimate" as the players call it, is a growing sport around the world. With more than 800,000 male and female players in 42 countries, the Ultimate Players Association describes it as the best of both athletic worlds. "It combines the nonstop movement and athletic endurance of soccer with the aerial passing skills of football."

Players like Maria Mansini, who joined a team in Boston, find it's a good exercise outlet. "Frisbee is a way to trick yourself into getting a lot of exercise without focusing on the fact that I'm exercising," she recently told the Wall Street Journal.

Other players like nine-year veteran Monica Heger concur. "It's a fast-paced game which offers a lot of running and sprinting up and down the 70-yard field" she says. Ultimate also offers Heger and other players a sense of teamwork and community. "I started playing Ultimate in college because I had played sports all through high school and wanted to try something different," Heger says. "I kept playing because I love the game, the competition and camaraderie of being on a team. The entire community surrounds the sport. It's full of great people and some of my closest friends."

Running, sprinting, jumping and nonstop movement make Ultimate an ultimate workout for sure. It's no wonder it can burn over 500 calories an hour. Not to mention the priceless thrill that victory and competition can offer.

Newcomers can get involved and learn the sport by joining a local league. If Frisbee is not your thing, check out other alternative outdoor team sports like kickball, dodgeball or beach paddleball.