It’s rare to grow up in the United States and never set foot on a volleyball court, since the sport is a classic choice in school PE classes.  Not everyone has a good experience in P.E.—but if that includes you, don’t let it stop you from trying volleyball as an adult.  It’s not unusual to find that your abilities and interest in the game improve with age.

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When I started high school (all girls school, Upper East Side.  Draw yourself a mental picture), I was HEAVY.  Five-foot three inches (though I grew 3 more inches by the end of high school), 167lbs, and incredibly unhappy because all the other were tall, beautiful, cheerful, and most importantly, thin.  Not just regular thin and beautiful, either.  Every girl had hair shiny like an oil slick, teeth whiter than a new iPod, a perfect little waist, and legs as long as the freaking Bible. For the duration of my freshman, sophomore, and junior years, I was consumed with grief and an overwhelming desire to be tiny and perfect.

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1. Anybody can do it. You don't have to be super strong or be able to do even one pull-up. Take a lesson and learn how to be safe in about an hour.
2. It's not dangerous. Rock climbing gear is made to hold hundreds of pounds; it can definitely hold you.
3. Everyone is "afraid of heights." People assume that you can't be afraid as a climber, but I'm still petrified. You just get used to trusting your equipment and climbing partner.
4. It's a great date idea! Teamwork and trust push couples to new limits rarely experienced over a dinner date. If you already know how to climb, it's very impressive and usually very sexy.
5. Climbers are usually in good shape and pretty nice to look at. Don't worry if you aren't yet. Come climb and you'll get there.
6. It's fun. There is always something to climb that will make you want to go to the gym. The same thing might not be true for running on a treadmill.

While there are many more than ten reasons to exercise, here are ten that keep me going whenever I think about skipping a workout.

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A farm tool and parachute webbing have changed what may have been a fad into a fitness asset. We all work hard or want to. Our limitations in the gym are like anywhere else: our knowledge and the assets we use to achieve our goals. What started as a farm tool in the early 1900s, Kettlebells became resistance tool of choice for weightlifters in Russia.

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