3 Extreme Sports to Revive Your Adventurous Spirit

*Guest Post by Lauren Hale

Now might be a good time to create an adventure bucket list to fill the void left by being at home for far too long. If you are a thrill seeker at heart, you may be ready to start planning activities for the future. So why not consider extreme sports? In recent years, many new extreme-adventure activities have cropped up and enamored adrenaline junkies from all over the world. People love these activities so much that they are willing to travel around globe for the best experiences. 

Is your adventurous spirit clamoring for excitement and thrill yet? If the answer is yes, here are three exciting activities to try this year to get your adrenaline rushing and blood pumping.

Surfing

If you are a massive fan of going to the beach, surfing is the perfect extreme sport to get into this year. Swimming is fun, but let’s face it, it doesn’t get your heart racing the same way surfing does. Surfing is one of the most challenging sports to learn and the most exhilarating as well.  

Surfers practice for months and years to improve their skills in riding waves, but many seasoned surfers who have been doing it for years will say that they are far from reaching the pinnacle of their skill levels. So if you are looking for a sport that will challenge you for a lifetime, surfing might be the perfect hobby for you.

To learn surfing, visit a local surf spot to register for classes and learn basic techniques, skills, and the ethics of the sport. Anyone can learn how to surf, but you will definitely have a greater advantage if you also know how to swim.

Snowboarding

If the sea is not your cup of tea, you can still do another kind of surfing, but this time it would be on the snow. Snowboarding is a popular winter sport that will challenge you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Learning the sport requires excellent coordination, balance, skill, and physicality. Mastering this sport takes a whole lot of practice and experience. However, once you start, you may find it difficult to put that snowboard away.

There are basic principles, techniques, and skills you need to learn before you can successfully cruise down a snow-covered mountainside without falling on your face. These fundamentals are not something you can learn simply by watching YouTube videos. You absolutely need to learn from an experienced instructor. 

Injuries are fairly common in tough sports like snowboarding. Having a snowboarding instructor to guide you will reduce your risk of injuries. However, muscle strains can often happen because of the high-impact nature of the sport. If your muscles are tired and stressed, try using kinesiology tapes to ease the discomfort and soreness which will also help accelerate the recovery process.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is another realm of basic cycling but one that is hair-raising and adrenaline-inducing, perfect for the extreme sport enthusiast. Mountain bikers are required to navigate through rough, tricky terrains and climb steep, stony mountainsides followed by descending hills while avoiding obstacles. The challenge and the excitement of mountain biking really never end.

The sport is also very popular among Americans with over 8.69 million participants in 2018. The United States has several mountain biking destinations for riders of different levels. Vermont, for example, has a bevy of mountains and trails that are favorite go-to places for avid mountain bikers. Mountain bikers of all levels favor Mountain Bikes 29er as the most popular and capable bicycle for all types of trail riding. These bikes offer a multitude of performance benefits such as better momentum and better traction control making riding easier, faster, safer, and more fun.

Mountain biking will challenge you both physically and mentally; therefore, training and conditioning are essential before getting into the hobby. Many cyclists invest in cycling training gadgets such as power meters, fitness trackers, and bike computers. These gadgets keep track of their performance and help create structured training routines that target weaknesses while bolstering strengths. If you are serious about mountain biking, you may want to consider these tools to improve your skills. You can find quality bikes and biking accessories at this Seattle mountain bike shop.

Safety First

Extreme sports offer a ton of thrill and excitement, but they are not labeled extreme for no reason. Most of these activities are as risky as they are fun which makes them all the more exhilarating for the people who participate in them. In any case, it is immensely important to prioritize your safety at all times. Because of the high risk, a single accident can lead to distressing outcomes or, worse, a permanent consequence.

Have you ever participated in extreme sports? What was your experience? Are you an adrenaline junkie or do you prefer lighter, less intense activities?

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

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