Top 10 Health Benefits of Paragliding

April 30, 2015

As both a recreational and competitive sport, paragliding suspends you from a parachute gliding hundreds of feet above the earth and offering a unique perspective of the surrounding environment. Not only is it a popular activity while on vacation, but it’s also a great sport that offers plenty of health benefits, both physically and mentally.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of paragliding:

Outdoors: Being outdoors is healthy on its own; fresh air, sunlight and exposure to nature all contribute to a boost in the immune system. The vitamin D from the sun contributes to strong bones and teeth and a healthy immune system. Lack of vitamin D can put you at risk for osteomalacia (soft bones) or osteoporosis (fragile bones).

Adrenaline rush: Being of top of the world, flying through the sky, chances are you will have adrenaline rushing through you. Your body responds to the rush of adrenaline, bringing with it a sense of excitement and a surge of energy. Adrenaline is a survival mechanism, necessary for overall health. You feel excited and energetic, with an increased awareness of the things around you when you are floating in the sky.

Body balance: Paragliding requires the exercise of your core and the deep postural muscles of the trunk and pelvis, and the abductor muscles of the thighs are continuously being conditioned. Paragliding will strengthen all of the muscles in the center of your body, providing more power to your other muscles and reducing the risk of injuries during everyday activities and strenuous exercises.

Upper body strength: It builds upper arm strength in controlling the parachute. Having a strong upper body improves your flexibility, mobility and range of motion. If your upper body strength deteriorates as you age, you are more prone to injuries, disease and a diminished quality of life.

Stress relief: When you are paragliding, you focus on what you are doing and on nothing else. You forget all your worries and the usual distractions of life. This intense focus with the adrenaline rush makes you feel cleansed both mentally and physically.

Burns calories: Paragliding is an energy burning sport, due to the immense adrenaline rush experienced while flying. You can burn 230 calories per hour for an average 150-pound person.

Creates confidence: You know the feeling that you get after you’ve achieved something “big”? Well, imagine that feeling times 10. It’s almost as if you’re a new person afterward. You can gain a life changing confidence boost for trying a new extreme and mind blowing experience.

Facing your fears: If you have a fear of heights, this is a great way to help you realize that you’re stronger than what you think you are. By trying this kind of extreme sport you’re proving to yourself that you are capable of anything that you set your mind to.

Breathtaking sights: When you’re thousands of feet up in the air, taking in nothing but the beauty of the world, the feel of freedom, and the intensity of life, everything about the way you view the world transforms into something much more positive and upbeat.

Freedom: While paragliding, you are literally free from gravity, the ground, your life and emotionally free from stresses, fears, or anything else that may put weight on your shoulders. Not only are you physically floating through the air like a bird but you are mentally floating, getting a healthy high of an adrenaline rush and an overwhelming view of the world below.

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