The Surprising Health Benefits of Doing Extreme Sports

The Surprising Health Benefits of Doing Extreme Sports

More and more people are into extreme sports nowadays. People do it for fun, people do it for the adrenaline rush and some are, simply put, daredevils. Exploring human capabilities is fun and these sports are a true proof of that. Of course, doing an extreme sport serves as a great physical exercise which is considered to be common knowledge. However, that’s not the end of the story. The vast majority of people aren’t aware of the fact that there are quite a few health benefits that come along with these sports. Let’s take a look at a handpicked few that will leave you speechless.

Mental stability

It may sound odd but doing extreme sports is great for your brain. Wondering how? Well, these activities make you face mental and physical challenges that you would never face in any other situation. For example, it has been proven that by jumping out of a plane, human brain gets altered. To be more precise, the chemical makeup of our brain gets shifted and all of a sudden we feel euphoria and pleasure. What’s even more interesting is the fact that extreme sports practice our ability to stay calm in the face of danger. Thanks to that, people learn how to keep their cool in all situations, the fear, stress and anxiety get transformed into fuel that improves mental stability. Gradually, as we overcome challenges, we become mentally sound and boost our self-confidence.

Being humble

How could it be that extreme sports can teach us a lesson in humility? Well, there is a study that proves exactly that. According to a study from 2009, doing these sports can make people more humble. A team of researchers from Victoria University and the University of Wollongong conducted research where they had 15 participants take part in various extreme sports. The results stated that these close encounters with death, intense fear and the sole realization that Mother Nature is far greater than humans provided participants with a sense of courage but it also gave them a profound sense of humility.

Disease prevention factor

Doing extreme sports maintains health and overall well-being in the long run. For example, people who like surfing have strong hearts because of their hobby. It’s all about the cardiovascular health, it’s about the fact that the vast majority of these sports get your heart rate up in no time. That’s how one strengthens their heart. By improving human’s core strengths, these sports in turn improve the health of human’s heart. Moreover, physiotherapists have found that paragliding mitigates chronic pain symptoms as well as arthritis. Various more dangerous disciplines have also been linked with prevention of chronic disease such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Crazy, right? Well, it may sound like that but it’s true.

Fear management

Looking at the first paragraph, one could sense that extreme sports could have something to do with fear management, too. Every person in this whole wide world struggles with fear of some kind from time to time. However, those who do these sports are able to transform that fear into a positive experience. Rare are those who aren’t scared before jumping out of a plane during their first time. Rare are those who don’t feel fear before their first bungee jump. However, doing these things and safely making it to the other side reduces one’s fear response. And that’s how you learn to manage fear better.

Better balance

The vast majority of adrenaline-filling sports basically force you to improve your balance. The body has to adapt to various situations and conditions and that’s how people boost leg strengths and facilitate joint mobility. When you do that, you become ready to take on whatever physical trial or tribulation may come. By improving balance, people reduce risks of suffering serious injuries. It’s simple, when you don’t fall, you don’t get hurt. Take a look at mountain biking, that sport requires constant balancing and legwork. That’s why you rarely see a mountain biker limp.

Conclusion

Obviously, you now have more than enough reasons to embark on a thrilling experience. While getting stronger, you get your adrenaline dose and so many other beneficial things. You’ll reduce stress, up the ante when it comes to self-esteem and activate your muscles like never before. The list goes on and on and now it’s your turn to act.