NSFW: Fitness friends. Is is too much to ask that you keep your damn clothes on?

Back in March, we wrote a Mamamia article about nude yoga.

Nude yoga is exactly what it sounds like: the practice of doing yoga without wearing any clothes. Apparently it does things like “free you from negative feelings about your body” and “allow you to be more accepting and deeper connected with yourself”.

We perved on the videos and the photos. We wondered if such a thing would ever take off in Sydney, and then promptly decided it wouldn’t be all that popular here, because we all love our Lululemon too much to let it go unworn.

Oh, how we laughed, feeling so safe and so far away from all that nudity.

And then our laughter came back to bite us on our (clothed) bums – because nude yoga has taken off here, and it’s become SO much more than just nude yoga.

It’s become nude fitness of all kinds. We repeat: Of. All. Kinds.

So if you don’t fancy getting all close and personal with your exposed vulva during a yoga sesh, you can try a different type of exercise, and join an increasing amount of people who are getting in on the nude trend.

Here are some of the options that await you, should you choose to go down the birthday-suited path:

1. Naked swimming.

Body and Soul recently wrote about the annual Sydney Skinny nude swimming event in Sydney Harbour, which has happened in February for the last two weeks. Just this year, over 700 people turned up to swim in their full, naked glory.

B&S interviewed Nigel Marsh, the founder and organiser of the event, who said that naked swimming “strips life back to its essentials, forces you to accept your real self and shake off the shackles modern society so often puts on us”:

I’m not an expert in why there’s global growth but I believe that people the world over are crying out for chances to be authentic and stop pretending… people come out of the ocean feeling happier, more positive, kinder and more connected. Without being religious, there’s a ‘baptismal vibe’ to it. You come out of the water somehow cleansed and focused anew on the future and what you can make of it.

You see that? If you’re feeling a little bit lost with your life, all you need is a baptism via nude swim in the harbour. Just watch out for the alleged sharks in there.

2. Naked hiking/canyoning.

Hiking in clothes is so 2013 – now, it’s all about REALLY getting connected with nature, and there are an increasing about of people stripping off before they head off for their mountain hikes.

This week, Angela Catterns from 2UE interviewed Tim (last name not supplied), who does naked bush walks and canyoning with a big group of people who call themselves the Fat Canyoners. And yes, they abseil down cliffs and through waterfalls, while completely nuddy.

“It’s often pull up at the car park, strip your clothes off, put them in the back pack in case you run into a group of Girl Guides, and then off you go,” Tim explained to Angela. “I grew up in a fairly conservative family… once you do it, it’s actually really nice. Feeling the breeze and the sunshine, the tactile feel of the plants… you get really immersed in nature and you feel really connected.”

Happily for Tim, he has not yet suffered any serious injuries from bush-bashing while in the nude (can you imagine the scratches?).

3. Naked cycling.

Believe it or not, this is actually a worldwide movement to promote – according to the below video – “a non-sexual means of expression by cyclists to promote awareness of bicycle safety, as well as, an Eco-friendly infrastructure.”

Yeah, we don’t quite understand either.

4. Naked skiing.

Despite the cold, there are some willing to strip off in the snow. Just this week, a naked Aussie skier made headlines when he competed against the best of the best at Thredbo’s event, Toyota One Hit Wonder.

He was an Aussie skier named Sam Ruttiman and he decided to try the 30-metre jump while wearing nothing but his helmet and his skis.

Unfortunately, Sam underestimated how fast he would fly through the air when sans-clothing, and had the crash-landing to beat all crash-landings, ending up with significant ski burns on his legs.

Watch the video below and try not to cringe in pain too much:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du1hRo4Yshc

We suppose the burns could have been, um, worse…

Would you ever try naked fitness?