How To Improve Slacklining Skills (Exercises & Activities)

Slacklining involves climbing on an elasticized nylon or polyester line 1″ or 2″ in width that is attached to two trees and walking from one end to the other without falling off. Easier said than done but once you get good at it, you can increase the challenge with some tricks and longer distances.

While slacklining offers a number of potential benefits such as the challenge, improved balance, a test of your concentration and something to do with your friends and family, there’s another reason:

It’s fun.

Slacklining can be a really fun activity and a great way to spend some time outdoors.

The problem with slacklining is it can take some time to learn and the last thing you want to do is give up too early and think you’ll never be able to be good enough to have fun.

With that in mind, here are some exercises, activities and tips to improve your slacklining even when you’re not actually slacklining.

Exercises to improve your slacklining skills

You can improve a number of the skills required for slacklining with exercises that target specific muscles and parts of your body.

Let’s take a close look at some exercises you can do to improve your slacklining skills.

Core exercises – The plank, crunches, bridges and other exercises can be done at home and don’t require weights. Be careful when working your back but the average person’s core muscles are weak and there are exercises such as these ones that can work on them and make them stronger.

Squats – Squats are considered a core exercise for building muscle when using weights. You don’t have to lift weights though to get benefits for slacklining. Doing body weight squats can help build muscle but even if that’s not a goal, it’s a toning exercise that helps to improve flexibility and balance which you’ll need when slacklining.

Lateral raises – Ever wonder why boxers drop their gloves during fights, leaving themselves open to getting hit? It’s hard to keep your arms up! It’s tiring and takes energy. Holding your arms over your head and waving them back and forth to balance yourself on the slackline can get tiring. Using even light dumbbells for lateral raises can help to work your shoulders and get you used to holding your arms up.

Single leg deadlift – Balance is of course an important aspect of slacklining but what if you don’t have access to a slackline? You can try balancing exercises such as walking carefully on parking lot concrete curbs or another solid but narrow surface to test your balance. Doing an exercise such as single leg deadlifts can also improve your balance.

What sorts of activities can improve your slacklining?

While some people are happy to slackline regularly and for hours on end, you might not be able or willing to spend that much time on it. What can you do to improve your balance, flexibility and other required skills when you’re not slacklining?

Here are some activities you can partake in to improve your slacklining without actually doing it, especially in the instance where you experience harsh winters and don’t want to slackline during this cold season.

Yoga – Did you know that yoga slacklining is actually a thing? Yoga on its own is a low impact way to stretch, relax, reduce stress, concentrate, clear your mind and improve flexibility all at once. Some of the moves and stretches you learn might be incorporated into slackline tricks particularly ones involving sitting on the slackline or balancing on one leg, to name but two.

Martial arts – When I was younger, I took both Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do and found both martial arts to be challenging in terms both athletically and mentally. Depending on the martial art in question, learning one can improve discipline, concentration, balance, flexibility and confidence, all of which you’re going to use when slacklining.

Parkour – A parkour is an obstacle course of sorts, typically found in a park or other public area, that involves running, climbing and jumping activities but without use of weights or similar equipment. You can work your balance, concentration and flexibility among other things.

Rock climbing – Indoor or outdoor rock climbing can not only be a fun activity but is one that simultaneously tests your coordination, flexibility and strength.

Rappelling – Rappelling is the opposite of rock climbing: It’s going down the mountain or wall that you just climbed with a winch. It’ll help improve your strength and balance to a degree as you’re positioning your feet on the mountain or wall and slowly let yourself down.

Rap jumping – Also known as abseiling and Australian rappelling, this is a fun activity that I tried in New Zealand a few years after it was popularized. Rather than rappelling down a mountain with your back to the ground, you face the ground and with help of a winch, basically walk – or rap jump – down the mountain towards the ground! It’ll improve your strength and provides an exhilarating feeling as you’re staring at the ground the whole way down.

Tightrope walking – Gaining access to a tightrope is probably the hardest thing to find on this list but it’s also the closest thing to slacklining you’ll find. Standing on a tightrope and trying to keep your balance will undoubtedly help your slacklining skills with practice.

Slacklining tricks – Learning even a few basic slacklining tricks can not only help you get more comfortable on the slackline, it can help you incorporate aspects of some of the exercises and activities we referred to above. The more you’re able to do on the slackline the more likely you are to keep slacklining.

Summary

When searching for exercises or activities to improve your slacklining look for ones that talk about your core, abs, obliques, balance, concentration, flexibility and things like that. Each of these traits are ones you’ll work when slacklining.

Ready to keep learning? Check out my article called 10 Slackline Mistakes Beginners Make and keep going!