Physical Activities that Young People Can Enjoy in Morocco

In morocco, young people can enjoy a wide variety of physical activities throughout the four seasons.

Physical activities are highly important and play a huge role in promoting health and fitness. However, studies have found that a significant percentage of youth in morocco are considered inactive.

Under the framework of the ATLS (Arab Teens Lifestyle Study), Cambridge University published a study in 2014 that aimed to detail the lifestyle of Moroccan adolescents.

The study revealed that one in five of the adolescents surveyed were inactive, while most participants reported consuming junk food, and approximately 50% consumed sugary drinks.

Moroccan youth’s lack of physical activities and unhealthy diets could lead to poor health, risk of developing various health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

Due to its diverse landscape and strategic geographic location, Morocco offers great destinations where Moroccans, as well as tourists, can enjoy numerous outdoor activities.

These activities vary from surfing the beach, trekking the golden desert to hiking the great hills and mountains.

No matter your age, engaging in physical activities is necessary for better and prosperous health. These are six physical activities that young enjoy in Morocco.

Hiking

One of the greatest physical activities young people can enjoy in Morocco is hiking. The northern kingdom has some of the top-notch hiking locations with beautiful panoramic views.

Hiking is also an important activity that benefits the body, mind, and soul. In addition, hiking in morocco allows you to experience rich and magnificent nature, enjoy the rocky coastlines, snow-covered mountains, and beautiful green valleys.

Nature is not the only thing that you will get to experience while hiking in Morocco. You will also have the opportunity to learn about Morocco’s history, culture, and traditions from the small Amazigh villagers in the mountains.

Some of the most famous hiking places in Morocco are, Toubkal National Park, which is the highest peak in North Africa at 4,167 meters above sea level., M’goun Massif, the third highest peak in Morocco at 4,071, and of course the Rif Mountain range with its beautiful nature and coastal views.

Surfing

In addition to its magical and historic inland cities, Morocco is also famous for its coastal towns and different beaches. The country’s coastline is 1,835 kilometers long and runs along both the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with perfect surfing conditions.

Surfing is a great physical activity to practice that will allow you to strengthen your muscles, enhance your balance and flexibility, as well as help you cope with stress and other negative emotions.

As a beginner, surfing in Morocco’s beaches can be easy due to the diverse surfing locations as well as the affordability to rent surfing boards and take surfing lessons.

Some of the best beaches to surf in are Tamraght and Aourir with great small waves for beginners as well as Taghazout, Rabat, Essaouira, and Agadir.

In addition to their great surfing conditions, these destinations are incredible retreats that have a laid-back and cool environment with intriguing historical sites, beautiful mural art, cozy cafes, and affordable different accommodation.

Trekking the Sahara desert

We can’t talk about the number of physical activities in Morocco young people can choose from without mentioning trekking the Sahara desert.

The Sahara desert is a destination that is very dear to Moroccans due to the ongoing conflict surrounding the zone. It is also one of the must-visit places in Morocco with its stunning golden dunes and stunning views that make the traveling experience an unforgettable one.

The two most common destinations where you can discover the Sahara deserts are Merzouga and Zagora. If you’ve never been there before, choosing to take a desert tour will make your traveling experience easier.

During your visit to the Sahara desert, you will be able to participate in many other outdoor activities besides trekking, such as camping, sunset watching, riding camels, star gazing, sand surfing, and quad bike riding.

Gardening

Morocco is full of beautiful and unique gardens with traditional décor and designs that combine the Islamic, Moorish, and French styles. These gardens can be very inspiring to start gardening either at home or in your community spaces.

Many might not think of gardening as physical activity in Morocco, which is why it is mostly neglected and does not get as much attention as it should.

In reality, gardening is an important physical activity that consists of planting, raking, cutting grass, shoveling, digging, and hauling soil. The intensity of these exercises can vary from moderate to vigorous depending on the type of plants and gardening.

Gardening can have great benefits for your mental health. Nature is where most humans feel at peace and where they go to relax, being surrounded by greenery can boost your mental state and boost your mood.

Martial arts

Other great physical activities that young people can practice in Morocco are martial arts. They are a great form of sport with exercises that provide many physical and mental benefits.

Martial arts is quite popular amongst Moroccans and testimony for that are the multiple great martial artists that represent Morocco today such as Fighter Youssef Zalal, kick Boxer Badr Hari, MMA fighter Khalid Ismail, taekwondo practitioner Nada Laaraj.

This sport consists of vigorous exercises that can help improve your strength, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, flexibility, control weight, as well as boost your mood, help you stay focused and centered.

Join a sport club

Whether it is football, handball, basketball, swimming, or even dancing, joining a sports club can be a great physical activity for youth to try in Morocco.

Fortunately, today you can find multiple sports clubs in your city that anyone of any age can join. Morocco has worked in recent years to create football, handball, and basketball grounds, as well as provided multi-purpose halls, centers for martial arts, gymnastics, and swimming pools.

Joining a sports club can be very motivational, especially for young people. It can be a great opportunity to build your athletic skills which can possibly lead to a future career, as well as develop your soft skills such as communication, patience, flexibility, and working under pressure.

Source: Chamaalight