Skydiving: One of the Most Fun and Extreme Sports
Many people include skydiving on their wishlist of activities to try. For those who have tried it and are in love with this extreme sport, it brings great advantages. Skydiving puts anyone who dares to experience it, to the test.
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to jump from thousands of meters in the air, just as if you were flying? Skydiving allows you to feel this sensation.
For many, it may sound unthinkable, or an activity that is only done to fulfill the yearning for adrenaline. But there are also those people who regularly practice this sport.
Next, we’ll delve into the benefits and risks of this activity. What do you need to begin? Is it only recommended for certain individuals? Keep reading to find out more.
Benefits of skydiving
Beyond the risks involved in any extreme sport, skydiving also offers great virtues for those who practice it. Some of these are:
1. Generates adrenaline
Situations of danger (that are controlled and use safety measures) cause the body to release adrenaline. It’s a hormone that serves to put our body on alert, ready to react to any threat.
The resulting biological effects are the contraction of the blood vessels, (except in the skeletal muscles), the dilation of the respiratory tract and the increase in heart rate; all in order to enhance an immediate response.
Also, our brains become much more active and the senses become more acute. The body is placed in a state of total focus on the external stimuli that are causing the feelings of danger.
All this combines to make the body understand its limits and explore new challenges, which it may have never experienced before. The change in the usual metabolism is extremely productive. After an extreme activity, you’ll feel energetic and extremely relaxed.
2. Improves physical performance
For the aforementioned metabolic actions, the body acquires capacities that may be new or unusual. In these moments, your reactions and reflexes are much faster, just as your strength will also reach new levels.
In the same way, resistance and speed multiply. Have you noticed how, in situations of danger, you manage to run faster than before? This is the effect of adrenaline on the body: it awakens all of our potentials.
3. Strengthens the musculature
Like many other physical activities, skydiving requires physical effort to practice it. During the fall, we will need to contract the core muscles to obtain stability and control; likewise, firm arms are required to hold the parachute.
At the time of landing, leg strength is necessary to control the fall. Of course, all of this generates the same benefits as conventional sports: calories are burned, endorphins are released and the overall strength of the musculature is improved.
4. Overcoming fear
There are a few people who want to jump from around 3000 meters in height, just for pleasure. But this is what skydiving is all about: you have to open your mind, know your limits and view life from another perspective. Is there a more radical way to remove yourself from the comfort zone? After doing so, you will feel confident, almost invincible.
Safety procedures for skydiving
Logically, skydiving isn’t just about getting on a plane, putting on the parachute and jumping. It requires certain conditions and training to enjoy this experience, in order to eliminate as many risks as possible.
In general, professional institutions that offer this entertainment -both for beginners and advanced participants- provide adequate equipment. The equipment must be in good condition and have mandatory preventive measures.
Also, trained instructors will usually accompany people or groups, on each jump. Their function is to verify that everything is properly positioned before the jump, as well as to give the coordinates for opening the parachutes and overseeing the landing preparation. In addition, during tandem jumps, instructors are responsible for handling the parachute.
Contraindications
Because it’s an activity that takes the body to its limits, skydiving isn’t recommended for those suffering from heart or respiratory problems. In general, people who suffer from chronic conditions are prohibited from performing this activity.
In addition, and logically, people who are under the influence of any medication or who have ingested toxic substances – alcohol or drugs – will not be allowed to skydive.
Before the start of the session, certain information must be provided to the instructor, who is responsible for evaluating who is fit to skydive and who isn’t.
If you want to experience new and extreme sensations, stop thinking about it! Skydiving is a great option. Many people who have tried it claim to feel like a new person after the jump! In fact, they repeat the activity time and time again. Undoubtedly, skydiving is an alternative in extreme sports, that should be on our list of things to experience.
