3 Fall Activities That’ll Have You Training Like ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio

Some people like to hide indoors when the cool weather approaches, but not ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

When the mountains of his native Baguio City reach the low 60s in the fall, the 26-year-old Filipino loves to step outdoors and get active. Whether hiking, biking, or running, he does it all.

Over the next few months, expect Pacio to increase the amount of time he spends exercising outdoors. The reigning strawweight king is going to defend his belt against top-ranked contender Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks at ONE 164 on December 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

If you want to train like Pacio is for his upcoming showdown with the American, here are three activities you can do this fall.

Hiking For Happiness And Heart Health

The fall season is a perfect time to take a hike, and hiking is an excellent way to clear your mind and strengthen your heart. So, put on some protective shoes and walk up mountains, through forests, or along trails.

Hiking lets you clear your mind and concentrate on your breathing. The Zen-like experience of navigating rugged paths or strolling alongside humming rivers, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, will increase your levels of happiness. However, it also has numerous physical benefits.

Fall hikes improve cardiovascular function by forcing your heart to work harder, which will benefit you later on in the ring or on the mats. Furthermore, it can help you build balance, increase bone density, and slim down.

Biking To Increase Strength And Improve Coordination

Many of us haven’t ridden a bike since we were kids, but it’s an excellent activity to increase strength and improve coordination this fall. That said, get your bike and helmet out of the garage and start pedaling around your neighborhood, to the beach, or down a path.

Because of the amount of power you have to exert while pedaling, biking has been shown to build leg muscle and strength, which will certainly help when doing roundhouse or push kicks on the pads and bags in the gym.

Moreover, biking improves balance and coordination. When you pedal a bike, many muscle groups in both your upper and lower body work together to propel you forward. This coordination also carries over into the gym, where it’s needed for balancing on one foot while kicking.

Running For Weight-Loss And To Deepen Friendships

Running in the fall can include participating in a 5k or challenging yourself in a half-marathon. Moreover, because of how many calories the activity burns, running could help keep the holiday weight off.

But aside from the physical benefits of running, the act of putting your feet to the pavement also teaches you how to push yourself even when you’re bored, tired, or simply uncomfortable.

And running doesn’t have to be something you do all alone. You can include your friends, family, teammates, or — like Pacio — even your dog. Similarly to sparring and grappling with teammates, running with others helps deepen bonds because you’re pushing each other past your limits.