Why are extreme sports so addictive?

The routine and life in the city somewhat limit the probability of experiencing very strong emotions. Normally our brain looks for escape routes to achieve a sensation of well-being and general relaxation, but many times, due to whatever circumstances, we do not come to the conclusion that practicing sports may be exactly what our body needs, let alone stop. to think about practicing an extreme sport.

In today's post we are going to break some of the myths generated about extreme sports and we are going to show you the almost endless list of benefits that exposing the body to the power of adrenaline brings.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT EXTREME SPORTS THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH?

Extreme sports are no longer a thing for “adrenaline freaks” or athletes addicted to putting their lives at risk. They have become very popular practices in society, which have even surpassed traditional sports in number of practitioners. The risk factor always accompanies them, but with the evolution and mass practice of these sports, innumerable security measures have been implemented that favor a real danger that is somewhat more relative than that experienced a few years ago.

Today, people who do extreme sports are not considered irresponsible, quite the contrary. The new extreme athlete is a person who seeks to connect with nature at its highest level, who is fully aware of himself, knows his limits and his needs, and loves the sport he practices, he does not do it solely and exclusively for the adrenaline that generates your body.

Extreme sports are, indeed, very addictive, and there are scientific laws that demonstrate and corroborate it:

Adrenaline: when skydiving, canoeing or jumping off a bridge, our airways dilate and More oxygenated blood circulates to the arteries. A hormone called adrenaline is secreted, and it has been shown that human beings need it and enjoy it. It is the one that tells us that we must flee from danger. It helps us move faster, feel stronger and more tolerant of pain.

Endorphin: On the other hand, extreme sports release a hormone called endorphin in our body, commonly referred to as the happiness hormone. It is the well-being that is felt after releasing the adrenaline. When we release endorphins we find ourselves in an atmosphere of relaxation and happiness, there is no tension or stress.

Although there is a high percentage of adherence to these practices, our brain gets used to this sensation and begins to normalize it, which is why most athletes vary the sport they practice and constantly seek new challenges.

On the other hand, another of the characteristics that makes this type of sport addictive is that it reunites you with nature and offers you points of view about it that you had not considered before and makes you live in it in a new way. different way.

Extreme sports help you create new experiences and challenges. Falling into the routine is very easy. Being amazed to see stories of overcoming and seeing how others are adding achievements in their lives, much more. Practicing extreme sports starts an endless chain of ambitions and goals. They help you increase your self-esteem.

WE LISTEN TO EXPERTS TALK ABOUT EXTREME SPORTS

Eric Brymer, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology and his colleague Professor Robert Schweitzer carried out a study on the addiction generated in athletes towards extreme sports such as climbing, downhill of rivers, skydiving or bungee jumping.

For Brymer, "extreme sports have become a global phenomenon and we are witnessing unprecedented interest." In addition, he added that participation in sports such as basketball or golf had decreased exponentially in relation to the increase in the practice of sports considered risky. Extreme sporting event companies are becoming a “billion dollar industry”.

For his part, Schweitzer stated in the study that “Far from the traditional assumptions that focus on risk, participation in extreme sports helps to have more positive psychological experiences and expresses human values ​​such as humility, harmony, creativity , spirituality and a vital sense of self that enriches everyday life.

The research concludes by stating that people who practice this type of sports are not at all irresponsible athletes with a desire to put their lives in the hands of chance. They are people who are perfectly trained to practice their sport and want to live experiences that absorb their body and mind and change their lives.

LISTENING TO TESTIMONIALS

We have spoken with rock climbers and athletes who tend to practice skydiving and bungee jumping and we have asked them about their feelings during the practice. We want to know if what scholars on the subject say is true: do you really feel such full happiness? Is the connection and harmony with nature real and tangible?

We accompany Guillermo Muñoz , an experienced rock climber to one of his frequent ascent sessions in the Tena Valley, in Aragon. After several hours observing their precise, conscious and meditated movements. Guillermo came down with a different look than the one he had left us before starting to climb, and we began to ask him. He assured us, still gasping for breath from the effort, that what he feels when he climbs is that time stops, condenses, there is only him and the rock before him. He doesn't care about anything else, he feels how nature and he merge becoming one. You can appreciate the tones of the rock, the sand it gives off and every nook, every crevice and every space that the mountain offers you to climb a little higher.

A few days later we met with Santiago Grimaldi, an athlete who is fond of outdoor sports and bungee jumping. He told us that, even falling at great speed, vertically and upside down, he was much more aware of the space in which he found himself, of the beauty of nature, its colors and the ways in which it is presented.

TRAVIS PASTRANA: THE KING OF EXTREME SPORTS AND ADRENALINE.

If we want to refer to an internationally known symbol of extreme sports, we must refer to Travis Pastrana, an American car and motorcycle racer addicted to adrenaline and all kinds of sports that involve risk. He has taken extreme sports to another level by jumping from planes without a parachute, jumping from the roof of one building to another, separated by a distance of 20 meters, and at a height of 6, riding a motorcycle, crossing a lake on a motor trike, or do the double back flip at the X Games, or jump out of a plane, again without a parachute, over the cliffs of the Grand Canyon.

For many, Travis is a role model, for others a madman. What is clear is that he has no perception of fear and carries infinite self-confidence with him.

His adventures with him have caused him about 60 broken bones throughout his body; he has had a dislocated spine, has lost ligaments in his knees and has surgeries on his tibia, fibula, back and elbow...

You don't have to become the next Travis Pastrana or jump into the depths of the Grand Canyon, but we do encourage you to try the extreme sport so you too can get excited about describing the feeling afterward. We will be delighted to listen to your story!