What lies in the essence of extreme sports that makes them so alluring and interesting? It’s certainly fun for other people to be mere spectators, but how do participants feel at those moments? Is it just the adrenaline rush that makes them go out and indulge in risky situations? If so, no wonder “normal” people find extreme sportspersons crazy and unhinged. However, there’s surely much more to them than just participating and surviving a dangerous set of circumstances. If you’ve ever wondered what makes people immerse themselves in extreme sports, keep on reading and find out what are the things that they gain, both mentally and physically.
Is it adrenaline?
Adrenaline is a neurotransmitter that stimulates the heart to beat faster, increasing the flow of blood to some muscle areas, which causes our mind to stay alert in emergency situations. But this actually isn’t what drives extreme sportsperson. The main reason that makes them come back after their first successful try is dopamine. It stimulates pleasure, motivation, and especially the reward system. When you do something well, it makes you feel good, as you get a reward for your accomplishment, so you’re motivated to do it again. These emotional highs are the things that cause “an addiction” to extreme sports. This is how many people start, but later everyone develops other motives and enjoys the benefits of the sports they’re doing.
Stay relaxed
Extreme sportspersons seem fearless and it seems like they have a death wish because they do such dangerous things. However, that’s certainly not true. Fear and risk-taking have an important role to play in personal development. When you embrace the risk you’re taking, you’ll think about it, imagine it in more detail and try to prepare for everything that might happen. Fear is a healthy experience as it will teach you how to stay alert and relaxed when something unpredictable happens. Letting panic consume you in these kinds of situations is the worst thing you could do, as you won’t be able to think clearly.
Learn to make good judgments
Another important aspect of extreme sports is that they teach you how to stay composed and make good judgments in situations when each second counts. Dedicating yourself to an extreme sport means studying a lot about natural phenomena and the things you can’t influence in any way. Having a firm basis of theoretical knowledge means that you’ll be ready to face any situation and react in a timely manner making the best possible judgment. This is one of the most important things if you want to protect yourself. Also, it’s important to have proper and well-maintained equipment to reduce any possible damage. The next time you go out and wear your Alpinestars motorcycle gear, you’ll be prepared to enjoy your ride on any slippery road both mentally and physically. Developing a sense of good judgment will be of help in your everyday life as well.
Gain self-confidence
When you observe athletes who do incredible things, you probably think to yourself that there’s no way that you’d be able to do that. However, it’s not like they started their careers yesterday and they became one of the best today. Accomplishing something big takes time, a lot of practice and dedication. When you set your mind to accomplish something physically daunting as this, you will start to gain a lot of self-confidence somewhere on the way towards that goal. Even if you don’t ask for validation from other people, you will feel proud of yourself for managing to come that far. This is a nice way to gain self-confidence to take on your daily challenges and improve in other areas, too.
The satisfaction extreme sports offer is an important factor in fostering a sense of accomplishment and well-being. They also serve as a form of social interaction. You can strengthen the bonds with your friends, as you probably won’t jump from the plane alone, or make new ones who share the same interests.