Most people consider archery as a sporting activity meant for athletes only. But, do you know, recent scientific researches have proved that it is a great fitness activity capable of providing remarkable health benefits to mind and body. It not only helps to develop new muscles and enhance flexibility but also increases concentration and keeps you active while doing any work.
Here are some reasons to include this sport in your daily work-out plans:
1. Burn Calories
Archery is a sport that helps to burn excessive fat in numerous ways. The activities of drawing a bow and walking on the ground for collecting arrows, properly expend energy and utilize calories. Some experts opine that during their efforts of winning an Olympic medal, archers burn approximately 1,084 calories, and 1,054 more calories in comparison to persons practicing for men’s 100 meters’ sprint. In the tournament, the bowmen have to walk around five miles every day that helps to melt about 100 to 150 calories every 35 minutes.
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2. Get Stability and strength
This sporting activity requires energy from the muscles of the core bodily parts. While drawing a bow, the tissues of hands, upper back, arms, and chest are stretched. Alongside, non-core physical areas like lower neck and rotator cuffs also move regularly. When you repeat the same physical movements daily, these tissues become more strong and flexible that further augment the overall fitness level.
3. Increase concentration power
While targeting their aim, archers have to focus only on one point. For this, they have to practice- avoiding noise, wind, nearby objects/people, and other distractions. The daily practice of maintaining a focus increases their concentration power and sense control which helps them in other routine activities also.
4. Maintaining Patience
Although, this sporting activity offers lots of fun and entertainment, yet sometimes failures can make you feel frustrated also. In such a situation, it becomes difficult to maintain a focus. To get mastery over the sport can be challenging, yet a good level of patience and endurance can boost your skills of learning the necessary techniques. According to the experts at Hunting Giant, when you adopt a suitable shooting training methodology with determination, it helps you practice patience despite difficulties and distractions. With time, you not only become a good archer but a better human being also.
5. Calmness and peace of mind
While focusing on the target, archers have to stay still and calm for several minutes. For this, they often do breathing exercises and activities that increase their concentration power. All such habits combinedly keep you calm and relaxed throughout a day. Thus, your mental health remains on an optimum level due to good control of emotions.
Read more: 8 Amazing Benefits of Working With Holistic Health Coach
6. Muscle development
Archery is a great technique to build new muscles in the legs and upper parts of the body. While holding the bow and stretching the string, all main bodily parts such as shoulders, arms, chest, hands, trunk, and legs are used. Exactly like in weight lifting exercises, the stress on these muscles is maintained for several minutes or seconds before the bowman releases the arrow. The same repeated activity leads to the development of new muscles and provides good shape to the body.
7. Boost self-confidence
To know the level of your self-confidence archery is one of the best media. This is because there is no other opponent except you and no one else can better measure your energy level than yourself. When you go through the training regularly, it helps you know the areas that require improvement. By successfully following recommended archery techniques, gradually your confidence level starts increasing. This helps you maintain resoluteness and the high spirit against all difficulties.
8. Provide Relaxation
Many times, daily routine activities make your mind slow and tired. Archery provides you an opportunity to relieve stress and feel fresh. The activities of releasing an arrow and watching it hit a target make you feel happy and relaxed instantly.
9. Improve coordination between hands and eyes
Another advantage of the sport is that it helps to improve coordination between eyes and hands. While focusing on the aim and taking a shot, the body remains in a constant position. The regular practice of such postures helps to improve the balance of the body. With time, it becomes normal for players to gain control of their all physical activities.
10. Flexibility in hands
Players require good control and flexibility on their hands while practicing archery. Under proper guidance, they learn to increase strength in their fingers and hands. Because they use all the muscles of their hands at the time of taking a shot and releasing an arrow, the stretchability of their grip and fingers expends more with time.
11. Socialization
Every human being needs socialization to maintain good mental health. And archery can be one of the best methods to achieve this aim. During tournaments, archers make groups with other players for scoring. They also get acquainted with new participants while entering the sports field. Sportspersons get a feeling of togetherness with others due to the same state of mind and physical activities. Everyone knows the value of teamwork, so, while working as a team, they support one another to get success.
Choosing the right type of bow
As archery is for everyone without the discrimination of gender, age, or abilities, the choice of the bows is also personal and specific. Whether you choose crossbows or shoot recurves, each bow comes with its unique qualities and characteristics. However, before picking the desired one it is essential to get good knowledge about them. Apart from this, an appropriate choice becomes difficult without trying shots of different types of bows. You can also discuss your needs with some professional archers to get the right one. Once you determine your bow style, the seller staff tailors the device to fit your requirements.
The archery sport demands focus, accuracy, determination, and physical perfection. While cultivating these qualities, your overall health is improved during the practice process. So, whether you join the sport for fun or participating in the Olympics, the related activities always prove beneficial for the body.
