The market for masochism is booming. Forget Ironman triathlons; now there are Deca Ironmans – ten Ironman triathlons in ten days – and endurance races like obstacle courses featuring ice-cold pools, 10 000-volt electric shocks, and tear gas. One of the most popular series, Tough Mudder, has attracted more than 3.5 million participants (20 000 of them with Tough Mudder tattoos) since it began in 2010. Often compared to a cult because of the zeal of its adherents, CrossFit has 15 000 plus locations and an estimated 4 million devotees – that's almost equal to the number of people living in Mpumalanga.
Where there’s pain, of course, there’s gain. That’s how training works: you stress your body so it adapts to handle more stress. But there are more agreeable ways of achieving results – in our airconditioned, centrally heated gyms – which implies it’s pain itself that many of us want.
So why should we seek suffering? Pain – when you choose it – brings more than stronger muscles and bragging rights. Scientists suggest that people seek it out to provide benefits that a comfortable existence just can’t deliver.
TIRING OF PLEASURE
YOU’D THINK that convenience, luxury, and all our feel-good purchases and pursuits would bring us happiness. Technology, for instance, has saved us from all kinds of hardships: hunter-gathering, cold showers, dial-up internet. Yet according to the World Health Organization, the most prevalent cause of disability on the planet is depression, affecting 322 million people; that’s an 18 percent increase since 2005.
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Men's Health South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Men's Health South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Last 7 Recipe You'll Ever Need
FADS COME AND GO. BUT GOOD EATING AND PROPER NUTRITION CHANGES VERY LITTLE. SO WE COMBED THROUGH ALL THE RECIPES IN MEN'S HEALTH'S 36-YEAR HISTORY TO FIND THE ONES THAT TRULY DELIVER ON BOTH FLAVOUR AND FUNCTION.
The Changing Face Of Cancer
While cancer rates are falling in older adults, they're increasing among younger age groups. It's a trend exposing holes in both diagnosis and care. It's also raised a new question for experts: how do you get vital and potentially life-saving information to people unaware they need it?
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 ADVENTURES
YOUR TIME OFF IS VALUABLE. TO BOOK YET ANOTHER FLY 'N' FLOP IS TO DO YOURSELF A DISSERVICE. THIS YEAR, BREAK FREE FROM THE POOLSIDE BAR AND GET YOUR KICKS IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS. FROM EXPEDITIONS IN FAR-FLUNG PLACES TO HIGH-OCTANE WEEKENDS CLOSER TO HOME, CONSIDER THESE YOUR FIRST STEPS OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.
4 WAYS TO REBOOT YOUR MINDSET
STRESSED ABOUT THE STATE OF THE WORLD AND/OR YOUR SANITY? WE'VE GOT FOUR SIMPLE BUT ESSENTIAL TOOLS TO HELP YOU ADAPT AND OVERCOME, THIS YEAR AND BEYOND.
TRAIN TO YOUR MAX
Cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important health markers when it comes to your overall wellbeing. Here's how Discovery Vitality Fitness gives you more ways than ever to fire up your engine.
SLUSH FUN
FROZEN DAIQUIRIS ARE REFRESHI AND ALSO SICKENINGLY SWEET. TRY A FROZEN PIMM'S CUP, WHICH HAS ALL THE FLAVOURS WITH WAY LESS SUGAR.
THE HEALTH SNOB'S GUIDE TO COLD-BREW COFFEE
BOTTLED COFFEE MIGHT BE ABUNDANT, BUT CAFFEINE AFICIONADOS MAKE THEIR OWN. FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO PREP A HEALTHY BREW FOR A REFRESHING PERK-ME-UP.
SUPP CHECK RECOVERY PACKAGE
COLLAGEN IS TOUTED AS THE GO-TO SUPP FOR BONE, SKIN AND JOINT HEALTH, PLUS FAST INJURY REPAIR. BUT DOES IT DELIVER? TIME TO GEN UP.
THE SEMI-COMPLETE USER'S GUIDE TO...THE SINUSES
FOR AS LONG AS sinuses have been around, aka forever, there has been a ton that scientists haven't figured out about them.
BULLISH
The Blue Bulls scrumhalf Embrose Papier is striving for greatness. Here's how he's putting in the right reps to make sure mind and muscle are firing in unison.