Fitness, Food and Fashion at the Urban Fit Days

Keenvibe at the Urban Fit Days
Keenvibe at the Urban Fit Days

We presented Keenvibe at the Urban Fit Days in Berlin to connect with other players in the fitness industry. Here is what it was like and what’s new in fitness, food and fashion.

The event took place at the Postbahnhof in Berlin last weekend, on the 27th and 28th of August 2016. The location had a very rough feel to it, offered lots of space indoors as well as outdoors – it was just what you need for a fair like the Urban Fit Days. Sports people came from near and far to enjoy a huge variety of workouts, presentations and learn about new products in the fitness industry.

Fitness

Workouts at the Urban Fit Days
Workouts at the Urban Fit Days

Many sports that I had not seen before were on display. For example, jumping fitness is a group workout on trampolines, rockout workout is a drumming inspired group workout and hot pod yoga is yoga in a heated, futuristic, inflatable tent.
A lot of workouts focused on functional movement – Cross Fit, Calisthenics definitely seem to gain a lot of traction

Food

Clean Eating, PaleoPeople have long realized that a healthy diet is key to a healthy life. What exactly should be part of a healthy diet, still gets you many different answers. Clean-eating, for example, focuses on eating only unprocessed foods. Paleo goes even further by restricting your meals to what was eaten in the Paleolithic era. On the other end of the scale, you get the supplement industry. For every aspect of your sports performance that you might want to improve, you can get a supplement. Ultimately, everyone has to find the right balance between taste, convenience and the feeling that you actually know what you eat.

Fashion

This is not about the clothes you wear. It’s about where the trend goes and what is fashionable in the fitness industry. Here is what I noticed:

  • Variety and Balance
    People tend to do more than a single type of sports, they tend to try out new things and focus on functionality.
  • Back to basics
    Functional movements, unprocessed foods, workouts without machines, shoes that provide a barefoot experience, training outdoors all go to show how much people want to get back to life in it’s purest form.
  • Digitization
    Going back to basics does not mean you shouldn’t take advantage of technology. Quite the contrary: Apps will help you relax after your workout (Bluetens), find the way to happiness (Wellio), track your running technique (evalu), find others for sports in a world of globalisation (Keenvibe).
  • Less commitment to memberships
    Apps such as GymEntry and Keenvibe try and provide people the means to be more spontaneous when it comes to their training.

Trends at the Urban Fit DaysThere was a lot to take in at the Urban Fit Days. For sports people, it was definitely worth going. The workouts alone should be reason enough to attend for anyone interested in sports and according to the organizers, there will be a next time.

Let us know if you want to know more about any of the aspects above!

 

Experience an alpine adventure on a Via Ferrata


The iron roads or fixed-rope climbing routes have been around for over a hundred years. Once used to allow fast movement in the mountains, they have emerged into a popular sport and promise alpine fun. The sights and thrills that have been reserved for experienced alpine climbers before, are now accessible to a wider range of people.

In a via ferrata the climber is protected by being secured to a steel cable that is fixed to the wall along the route. There can also be ladders and footholds to cross the most difficult and dangerous paths. These aids allow more and more people to reach breathtaking places and experience an unforgettable adventure. Imagine being 200 meters above the ground in a steep wall with your feet on a small ledge.

Not every via ferrata is the same, there are several difficulty levels. They range from A to E and get progressively more difficult and dangerous. A is easy, fun and doable by the average person. From B onwards you need a level of fitness and when going a C route with kids, think about securing them with an extra rope. From level D onwards you should have some climbing experience because you might encounter longer vertical parts or even overhanging cliffs. You shouldn’t go these without appropriate gear or with kids. E is for experienced climbers only, be sure to carefully plan the route. Please remember that the difficulty levels are just an approximation, in the end you are responsible and need to be aware of your own limitations.

What equipment do you need to walk or climb a via ferrata ? There are via ferrata kits you can buy or often rent from local shops and mountain guides. They consist of a climbing belt that can be secured to the steel rope in the wall. In the worst case, the kit will stop your fall so you can get back to the route and continue. You also need to bring a helmet in case of falling rocks. Gloves are a nice addition to protect your hands. Lower difficulties can be done in your normal hiking gear but the more difficult routes require climbing shoes. As in all alpine adventures pack enough water, food, appropriate clothes and sunscreen. Before you enter a route, be sure to check the mountain guides advice and the weather conditions.

The most important accessory when going on one of the vie ferrate? A climbing partner or group. Not only because it is safer in case of an accident, but mostly because of the fun. Who should take your picture on a particularly steep part of the climb with the amazing sight ? Who to encourage you to go on? That you can do it and just need to put that foot a little bit higher to reach the next step? Who to shout to about the breathtaking view? And who to share the post climb excitement with when you have reached the end of the ropes and look over the drops and climbs you have mastered?

Vie ferrate might be safe enough to go alone but seriously, who would want to when sports are so much more fun together?