Musicians, music aficionados and film fans alike flock to Colorado's outdoor amphitheater, Red Rocks, from across the world.But a new genre of entertainment has started taking over the site -- fitness."There's something almost primitive about being able to come out and watch the sunrise in this natural setting," said Jordan Bishop, assistant director of marketing and communications with Denver Arts and Venues, which manages Red Rocks.Every morning, residents and fitness enthusiasts from around the country make the steep trek up to the amphitheater in Morrison at first light to get in their daily workout. Situated at 6,450 feet above sea level, it is a naturally occurring site on 868 acres of land between the Denver metro area and the Rocky Mountains. Known for its ideal acoustics, the area is now drawing thousands of people to train for hikes, bicycle races and marathons."I like to hike a lot and I climb a lot of 14ers," said Brian Lee, a Littleton resident. "So hiking up the stairs is a great place to train."Lee is like several others who use the venue's elevation, location and views to not only burn some calories, but also to train their bodies to do more with less."When you deprive the body of oxygen in small ways, you increase the number of red blood cells and mitochondrial powerhouses in the cells," said Aaron Roppolo, a health and fitness expert with Red Rocks Community College. "It's why you see so many athletes here who can go to other areas, like Boston for the marathon, and just wreck it -- we get to cheat."Working out at elevation and outside, Roppolo said, has several key benefits.According to his studies, exercising outside helps individuals maintain good physiological and emotional health. By being outside, the body has more access to more vitamin D, increasing hormone production, decreasing stress and helping the body lose weight and maintain vital functions, such as circadian rhythm and sleep. He also noted that outdoor activity has a psychological impact, providing strong social and motivational ties."People who work out outside typically have more fun," he said. For him, exercising outside with others motivates him to go further, work out longer and train harder. "There's more to look at instead of a wall or TV, so they work out around 8 to 12 percent longer."Those social and physiological aspects are exactly what brought Boston resident Megan Flood and her friend and Denver resident, Stefani Von Holfum, to Red Rocks early one morning in May."Ever since I saw the video from the Dave Matthews show here I had to come here," Flood said after climbing up the 130 steps to the top of the amphitheater. "When I found out you could work out here, well, Stefi was my willing participant friend who would get up at the crack of dawn ... You don't get any free oxygen out in Denver, so it's tough, but I may have some burpees and pushups in me.""For me," Von Holfum said, "It's the way it works the body -- and it's a beautiful place."Lee, Flood and Von Holfum do a variety of exercises. From running up and down the stairs, hopping up or jogging the individual rows to burpees, frog jumps and pushups, they use creativity to push their bodies each workout. The variety is something Lee said he loves about Red Rocks."People are up there, coming with their own workouts, doing crab crawls, doing yoga at the top," he said. "There's a lot of innovation there."Along with running the stairs, there are other several challenging options.Often, visitors do partner workouts, or hike or bike on the trails. Local trainers bring small classes for workouts. The management team, Denver Arts and Venues, also offers weekly exercise classes throughout the spring and summer and hosts a fitness expo -- Fitness on the Rocks -- once a year, to give people a variety of workout options."I think it's a reflection of the general visitors that we get," Bishop said. "With how fitness-minded people are in this area, it's kind of a bucket list thing -- 'I have to climb the stairs at Red Rocks' -- it's become one of those items in the fitness world."For the past four years, Denver Arts and Venues hosts Yoga on the Rocks and the Red Rocks Fitness Challenge, each of which draws 175 to 2,000 individuals, depending on the week. Each class, held at 7 a.m., provides attendees either an hour of traditional yoga or a variety of full-body workout -- crossfit, weights, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) exercises -- every week. Each class has personal trainers to help attendees get the most from their workout, no matter their age, physical ability or level."It's not just body types," said Brandon Tosti, the Yoga on the Rocks and Fitness Challenge program manager. "We have Iron Men and Iron Women and we have general people who just want to be healthy -- you're part of the team."Whether part of a team or just running the stairs solo, doing any type of exercise, especially ones you enjoy, Roppolo said, is the best way to work out."Do more of what you love and less of what you don't," he said. "If you enjoy working out outside, then find ways to do that."And Lee, who loves to run and hike, does just that."I start at the bottom and once I get to the top -- the view -- it's just breathtaking," Lee said. "You can see all the way from the airport to Denver. It's amazing."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Achieving-a-natural-high,214421?branding=15
No comments:
Post a Comment