Adventure sports offer an excellent way to exercise outside, offering an engaging alternative to your typical gym routine that can help build muscle, burn fat and ultimately make you feel great!
But these activities may not be as risky as they seem; participants tend to develop strong bonds of camaraderie and trust among themselves.
Free Soloing
Free climbing can be exhilarating, yet falling from great heights is dangerous and potentially lethal. Most climbers opt to use rope and harness equipment for safety when ascending rock walls. But some adventurous souls choose free soloing – pushing beyond what equipment may allow – in pursuit of adventure.
Physical and mental training is required to successfully perform free soloing climbing, with one false move potentially being fatal. That’s why outdoor adventurers are drawn to it; author Jeff Smoot explored this fascination in his new book All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing, while speaking to The Seattle Times about what’s required to survive this potentially deadly sport.
Ice Climbing
Ice climbing is an exhilarating outdoor experience that demands guts, determination, and skill to scale frozen waterfalls and glaciers. Climbers gain immense satisfaction after successfully ascending an intimidating route while pushing themselves beyond their limitations physically and mentally.
To climb, you’ll require crampons (sharp metal frames that clip onto your shoes like those from Black Diamond), as well as an ice axe – both are essential in creating hand and footholds in the ice surface – and a harness which provides support as you climb.
Ice climbing can help improve balance, coordination, flexibility and agility while simultaneously strengthening upper body, leg and core muscles. Regular ice climbing sessions may even increase lung capacity and endurance while providing natural stress relief and providing an opportunity to be out in nature with friends.
Hang Gliding
Hang gliding is a thrilling and challenging adventure sport requiring special equipment. A glider is a small aircraft covered with fabric that provides lift. A pilot uses their weight shifts to control its course.
Soaring through the air can be an extremely relaxing and motivating way to reduce stress, while improving balance and coordination can benefit overall physical wellbeing. This sport also improves balance and coordination, contributing to overall physical wellness.
In order to fly, pilots must locate a source of upwardly moving air or “lift.” This air can come from several sources – for instance ridge lift when wind hits an obstacle such as a mountain and is deflected upward, or thermal lift where warm air rises from ground level.
Discovering hang gliding is a journey that starts by finding an experienced instructor and taking an introductory flight. From there, lessons typically consist of hill training, scooter towing/aerotowing training and weather guidance guidance.
Paragliding
Paragliding is an exciting sport that requires both skill and knowledge to master, offering many potential benefits from seeing the world differently, to making new friendships or simply the sensation of flight. Studies indicate it also offers health advantages: studies indicate it burns around 230 calories an hour while improving upper body strength as well as providing fresh air and vitamin D which enhances immunity systems.
Paragliding is one of the more accessible adventure sports, with minimal equipment requirements and safety precautions needed to enjoy it. Gliding can take place almost anywhere with suitable terrain and weather conditions allowing it. Nothing beats experiencing flying over scenic destinations while soar over all their beauty: exhilarating yet tranquil, paragliding is an amazing way to unplug from daily stressors while finding peace and serenity!
