T.J. Davenport pulls his way to the top of a 100-foot oak during a recreational tree climbing course at Camp Wyman in Eureka, Mo., last month. Such climbs offer good full-body workouts, advocates say.

What's Your Workout: Tree Climbing Ann Koenig is an urban forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation. In her downtime, she's up in the trees -- as a competitive tree climber.

Watching climbing at the Paris Olympics makes it seem as if it’s a sport that would be completely out of the question for a weekend athlete. The speed, strength and dexterity with which the ...