Wear my active 13-year-old out this winter
August 30, 2020 4:35 PM Subscribe
My 13yo, a former competitive gymnast, is worried about how he will keep busy and moving when the weather gets bad. Help us think about ideas.
Before he left gymnastics 18 months ago, my son was used to practicing for up to 16 hours/week, up to five hours at a time. Since the shutdown in March, the only organized athletics he's had are twice-a-week outdoor "dryland" practices set up by his diving coach—trampoline work, and springboarding into mats.
He's been filling the gap by being outside a lot. He and his Border Collie do frisbee, practice tricks, take long walks, go swimming at the one open lake in our area that allows dogs. Our front yard is full of dog agility equipment; our back yard has three different trampolines in it.
Since leaving gymnastics, he's tried competitive cheerleading, diving, and trampoline & tumbling. Diving and T&T stuck, but all the pools are closed, as are all gyms. He'd be happy to give hip-hop dance, tap, or step a try, but those things aren't happening either. Martial arts! No. Parkour! No. Rockwall climbing! No.
Help us think about how he can get the kind of wear-you-out activity he needs come winter, if it's possible at all.
We've already talked about snowshoeing, cross-county and alpine skiing. Unfortunately, snowfall has become very iffy where we live in mid-Michigan so we can't rely on sports like these. He also likes things that require the kind of careful control of form diving and gymnastics require. He's proud of his skills and doesn't want to entirely lose them.
He also loves working with a coach. Since he was a toddler in the Guppy swim class, he has loved being coached. He likes riding a bike, but doesn't enjoy running.
He has occasionally been able to have a private lesson at a cheer gym near us, but it's an expensive option, and doesn't come anywhere near using his energy.
We're at a loss. Any and all ideas welcome.
Before he left gymnastics 18 months ago, my son was used to practicing for up to 16 hours/week, up to five hours at a time. Since the shutdown in March, the only organized athletics he's had are twice-a-week outdoor "dryland" practices set up by his diving coach—trampoline work, and springboarding into mats.
He's been filling the gap by being outside a lot. He and his Border Collie do frisbee, practice tricks, take long walks, go swimming at the one open lake in our area that allows dogs. Our front yard is full of dog agility equipment; our back yard has three different trampolines in it.
Since leaving gymnastics, he's tried competitive cheerleading, diving, and trampoline & tumbling. Diving and T&T stuck, but all the pools are closed, as are all gyms. He'd be happy to give hip-hop dance, tap, or step a try, but those things aren't happening either. Martial arts! No. Parkour! No. Rockwall climbing! No.
Help us think about how he can get the kind of wear-you-out activity he needs come winter, if it's possible at all.
We've already talked about snowshoeing, cross-county and alpine skiing. Unfortunately, snowfall has become very iffy where we live in mid-Michigan so we can't rely on sports like these. He also likes things that require the kind of careful control of form diving and gymnastics require. He's proud of his skills and doesn't want to entirely lose them.
He also loves working with a coach. Since he was a toddler in the Guppy swim class, he has loved being coached. He likes riding a bike, but doesn't enjoy running.
He has occasionally been able to have a private lesson at a cheer gym near us, but it's an expensive option, and doesn't come anywhere near using his energy.
We're at a loss. Any and all ideas welcome.
This is a bit more stationary than the activities you've described, and I'm not sure what your budget is for new equipment, but since he likes cycling, if he already has a bike, get him a trainer and subscription to a cycling workout app. There are a couple different styles of trainers - there's the kind that you attach the back wheel of your bike to, and there's the roller kind that best replicates actual road riding (there are also "direct drive" trainers that require removing the rear wheel, but those can get pretty expensive). Roller trainers are harder to master, but they're a great workout. They do require a lot of focus and attention, and you can't really zone out while riding them.
I haven't really used any of the workout apps yet (going to start using them this winter myself), but they seem to have enough variety of rides and instructors that it wouldn't get boring and repetitive to do a workout every day or 3-4 times a week.
posted by pdb at 4:57 PM on August 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
I haven't really used any of the workout apps yet (going to start using them this winter myself), but they seem to have enough variety of rides and instructors that it wouldn't get boring and repetitive to do a workout every day or 3-4 times a week.
posted by pdb at 4:57 PM on August 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
Parkour? My son (who is the human equivalent of a border collie in terms of energy metabolism) goes to a parkour gym where they take social distancing very seriously and sanitize everything often. Adults wear masks, and there are usually only five kids in the giant warehouse space at once. Gymnastic skills are definitely an asset. He likes to practice outside between classes and it is hugely energy consuming.
Oops. Edited because I realized he said no to parkour.
posted by unstrungharp at 4:59 PM on August 30, 2020
Oops. Edited because I realized he said no to parkour.
posted by unstrungharp at 4:59 PM on August 30, 2020
Martial Arts - either in person or many studios are offering online classes. He might especially enjoy tricking, which is kind of in line with the parkour suggestion.
Ugh sorry I just saw he said no. Was it a particular experience that put him off?
posted by warriorqueen at 5:02 PM on August 30, 2020
Ugh sorry I just saw he said no. Was it a particular experience that put him off?
posted by warriorqueen at 5:02 PM on August 30, 2020
Aerial yoga? If you can find somewhere to hang the silks or get a rack, I think he'd really like it. Some of the poses are really challenging, and really tiring! And there are plenty of online teachers who can coach him.
posted by cooker girl at 5:14 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by cooker girl at 5:14 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
Yoga is not so much of a "wear you out" activity, but it could help him maintain and build on some of the skills and flexibility he likely developed as a gymnast and it can be done at home using videos. Another thing he might consider is belly dance. He could burn up a lot of energy there! There are tons of videos out there, and probably some online courses. Lots of belly dancers do yoga to help them with the flexibility, so maybe there's two things that might work synergistically for him.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:22 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:22 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Build a bouldering wall in the backyard? If it's sheltered he can use it during the winter...
posted by suelac at 5:35 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by suelac at 5:35 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
What about indoor racket sports like tennis or squash? Badminton? Not quite the same workout as 5 hours of tumbling but you can definitely work up a sweat while maintaining social distance.
posted by cgg at 5:38 PM on August 30, 2020
posted by cgg at 5:38 PM on August 30, 2020
What about indoor racket sports like tennis or squash? Badminton? Not quite the same workout as 5 hours of tumbling but you can definitely work up a sweat while maintaining social distance.
Breathing heavily in an enclosed room with a person for an hour is definitely dangerous, unless he does it with someone in his household.
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:54 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Breathing heavily in an enclosed room with a person for an hour is definitely dangerous, unless he does it with someone in his household.
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:54 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
For pure exhaustion, could he swim over the winter with a wetsuit and an open-water swim buoy? Add some drag if he's already powerful enough a swimmer that this isn't grueling enough.
For precision, try ballet and associated fitness/mechanics work specifically for male dancers with mdc@home (I can personally recommend their classes).
Also demanding is slackline yoga (and he might like the slackline alone).
posted by cocoagirl at 6:46 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
For precision, try ballet and associated fitness/mechanics work specifically for male dancers with mdc@home (I can personally recommend their classes).
Also demanding is slackline yoga (and he might like the slackline alone).
posted by cocoagirl at 6:46 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Jump rope! There's a boom in trick stuff, lots more on insta and tiktok too, and there are competitive teams all over the place. But you can jump rope alone in the driveway for....many hours IME.
posted by Charity Garfein at 6:51 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Charity Garfein at 6:51 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
Would he like winter biking? It is super popular up here in Alaska and I love it. If he has got a mountain bike you can get studded tires and he’d be in great shape for icy weather up through a few inches of snow. More snow than that and you’d want a fat tire bike that floats on powder and snowpack a little better...it’s an expensive option, but with my fat tire with studded tires I can go pretty much wherever I want in the winter in any conditions. Maybe try the studded mountain bike tires and if he likes that and wants more think about going all the way if it is appropriate/worth it in your weather? If not, the other way my cyclist buddies stay busy in the winter is a trainer + Zwift or similar, but inside is less fun than outside as a general rule.
posted by charmedimsure at 7:07 PM on August 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by charmedimsure at 7:07 PM on August 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
You could get a mini trampoline for indoors. It probably wouldn’t be as interesting as the tumbling he’s used to, but it would work off energy. There are aerobics-like videos for them (sometimes called “rebounding “).
posted by Comet Bug at 7:26 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Comet Bug at 7:26 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Came to say trick jumprope. But also, my contortion friends definitely train indoors, if he wants to add a handstanding circuit to his day.
posted by athirstforsalt at 7:33 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by athirstforsalt at 7:33 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Juggling? Once you're into the 4/5 balls and doing tricks there's a whole lot of hand/eye and precision type stuff going on. I recently was watching old Olympic rhythmic dance finals and a good half of it was throwing things around and catching them. If you juggle something like tennis balls that have been filled with lead shot (or pennies) so that they're heavy and don't roll when you drop them... you can keep up some good muscle tone and it can get really tiring. If you use plain tennis balls or rubber balls, you can bounce them off the ground, walls, ceilings, throw them high and behind you with a spin they'll bounce back over your head back into your hands.
IJA 2016 - Extreme Juggling Highlights - Balls
posted by zengargoyle at 7:51 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
IJA 2016 - Extreme Juggling Highlights - Balls
posted by zengargoyle at 7:51 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Pole dancing. Hear me out (I realize how off the wall this suggestion is), pole dancing has an offshoot that’s been rebranded as pole fitness and there are international competitions now for both women and men. Pole dancing requires incredible strength, gymnastic ability, precision, and there’s certainly an opportunity for artistic expression through choreographed pieces if you want to add that feature. It also can be done inside with a pole and some padding installed in a basement or garage and there are even portable versions you can temporarily install in a room to practice and then take down. I have no idea about coaching, but the community around fitness pole dancing can’t be too big, I’d imagine there are opportunities to be coached. There are also lots of YouTube video tutorials and there must be message boards, etc. It takes a certain kind of kid to be into this, but maybe that kid is your son.
posted by quince at 8:41 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by quince at 8:41 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]
Your mention of "careful control" made me think of tai chi. There are online classes/coaching for that and for any kind of dance.
posted by entropyiswinning at 9:38 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by entropyiswinning at 9:38 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Get him a set of paralettes or rings so he can do gymnastics at home?
posted by zdravo at 10:08 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by zdravo at 10:08 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
I recommend ice skating. He would probably enjoy figure skating lessons if they're being offered and he might also enjoy just skating around to burn up energy or teaching himself tricks. If indoor rinks aren't open, maybe there's an outdoor rink or a frozen body of water where people skate.
posted by Redstart at 10:22 PM on August 30, 2020
posted by Redstart at 10:22 PM on August 30, 2020
This might seem nuts, but playing music. It's not exercise, but it's physical in a way and that type of learning is mentally exhausting. Piano, guitar, banjo, etc.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 11:04 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 11:04 PM on August 30, 2020 [3 favorites]
Came to say parallettes. Mr Tav really likes these ones.
posted by tavegyl at 11:36 PM on August 30, 2020
posted by tavegyl at 11:36 PM on August 30, 2020
Start a show shoveling business. It's exhausting work.
posted by Jacqueline at 11:53 PM on August 30, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by Jacqueline at 11:53 PM on August 30, 2020 [8 favorites]
Seconding pole dancing. It's something a lot of gymnasts transition to; a lot of overlap. An X-Pole can be easily ordered and installed in your home (very sturdy, can be adjusted for a variety of ceiling heights etc). There was already an active online-learning community (w schools, instructors, structured lessons) for this before the pandemic - now even more pole schools have gone online and teach online classes (group and individual).
It requires and trains a LOT of core strength. Would strongly recommend this. It also lends itself well to self-training / self-instruction, after you have an instructor teach you the basics.
posted by aielen at 12:21 AM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]
It requires and trains a LOT of core strength. Would strongly recommend this. It also lends itself well to self-training / self-instruction, after you have an instructor teach you the basics.
posted by aielen at 12:21 AM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Oops. Edited because I realized he said no to parkour.
He'd love it. Gyms of any kind are not open where we are.
posted by Orlop at 7:25 AM on August 31, 2020
He'd love it. Gyms of any kind are not open where we are.
posted by Orlop at 7:25 AM on August 31, 2020
Response by poster: I'm going to run some of these by him. I like the "pole dancing" option, juggling (which my partner can do, so he'd have a tutor for that), jumprope, trapeze or aerial silks, and shoveling snow for $. He loves money.
He'll be so happy when the gyms are able to open again.
posted by Orlop at 7:30 AM on August 31, 2020
He'll be so happy when the gyms are able to open again.
posted by Orlop at 7:30 AM on August 31, 2020
You can subscribe to the Peloton app even if you don't have a Peleton and there are all sorts of workouts on there. The instructors are very inspiring! They have everything: Yoga, meditation, strength training, running, etc. They have a lot of family-oriented classes that my kids love. You get little badges and rewards on the app for doing workouts, so the game element is fun too.
posted by Ostara at 8:03 AM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Ostara at 8:03 AM on August 31, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: He loves the idea of pole fitness, so thanks for that suggestion! It would never have occurred to me.
posted by Orlop at 8:09 AM on August 31, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Orlop at 8:09 AM on August 31, 2020 [3 favorites]
Can you purchase equipment? What about weightlifting? Specifically Olympic weightlifting (clean-and-jerk and snatch). They're pretty complicated movements to do properly and given his background he'd probably do really well at it. It would require coaching but he may be able to find one near him who was doing outdoor or garage gym instruction (and yes, even through the winter).
posted by Anonymous at 4:40 PM on August 31, 2020
posted by Anonymous at 4:40 PM on August 31, 2020
For pole fitness inspiration check out this guy from Cirque de Soleil: https://instagram.com/kocherin?igshid=5fkx9hyqe7m9 . There’s also calesthenics: https://instagram.com/simonsterstrength?igshid=1nzj3b1va97yd
posted by cantthinkofagoodname at 4:59 AM on September 2, 2020
posted by cantthinkofagoodname at 4:59 AM on September 2, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
(I've been enjoying unicycling indoors. . . but, it's not really a wear you out activity. It is a "make your core muscles sore" activity, at least for me.) Best wishes to you both.
posted by eotvos at 4:57 PM on August 30, 2020 [4 favorites]