The alarm clock sets off – you get out of bed, check your phone, rush for work, get stuck in traffic, and sleep late at night to repeat it all over.
Your body drains with the mounting pressure of daily grind. It also needs a recharging break (read vacation).
Pairing adventure sports with a fly-and-flop getaway rewires your stress-laden mind. Whether you venture across the most perilous hiking trails or soothing rice paddies, an active holiday broadens your horizon. There is more to it than just rushing adrenaline and racing pulse.
Are you on a beach vacation?
Let’s catch a wave or climb those towering cliffs – of course, pina colada can wait!
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A hectic routine takes a toll on your mental health, and traveling offers a much-needed break. If you embark on an adventure in the meantime, you won’t only be relieving stress but also bringing a better coping mechanism back home.
In fact, Canadian researchers conducted a study involving over 800 lawyers to gauge the impact of adventure travel. The participants reported less stress and depression in job settings afterwards.
Passive vacation is good. But it neither stimulates stress response nor challenges your limits. To pick up this euphoria, you have to dive from a plane or jump off a cliff. Therefore, extreme sports are hailed as soul food, providing an outlet to shake off existing stress and stop it from sooting again.
You feel confident and complacent after finishing a voyage that involves risk, fear, and excitement. The most relished memories are the most daring ones!
Your aching feet or adverse weather might not allow further trekking, but you still push for another mile before it gets dark. And pitching a camp, at last, gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Adventure sports on vacation let you step out of your comfort zone. In other words, they lead to your personal growth. But the phenomenon is shrouded by misunderstandings. You don’t have to be a teenager with an addiction to near-death experiences.
The purpose of active travel is to remain mentally and physically active. Now you can take on rugged mountains or ride around Vietnam on a bicycle.
Adventure sports are medicine for psychological as well as physical well-being. Enjoy the sunset at the top of a boulder instead of a lounger. Physical exertion will help you stay fit in the best possible shape.
Water sports are great for your health. They strengthen metabolism and the immune system, reducing the risk of multiple cardiovascular and bone diseases. The dynamic activities are linked to improved sleep cycles as well.
Even people who can’t train on a treadmill feel pride in paddling a kayak.
Spending time with nature is healthy, so much so that doctors are advising park prescriptions nowadays. Adventure travel raises the bar higher with its stress-busting and calorie-burning effects.
An adventure trip abroad is the complete package. It prepares you to stay centered in the face of inevitabilities. You also learn practical tips and historical insights into new places.
Scientists now believe that active travel helps you excel at multitasking, decision-making, and problem-solving. A 50% increase in these skills was noticed in university research after a three-day hiking venture. It labelled unplugged outdoor activities as “Attention Restoration Therapy.”
The front part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, is responsible for creative aspects. And adventure sports as well as running and biking unclog it from stress and anxiety. They also contribute to expanding the hippocampus – this memory unit is otherwise damaged with age.
Undoubtedly, including physical exploits in your itinerary will make you a smarter and wiser person!
Adventure with buddies, family or a significant other makes a perfect bond-strengthening avenue! No one forgets seeing volcanoes up close and gliding over snow with skis on. Also, the people who are part of such events are forever etched into the memories.
Members of relaxation tours often have different schedules. Where someone wants to dine at a waterfront restaurant, others crash on the dance floor. On the other hand, vacations that involve organized sports let families play together and come closer.
The impact on the whole group is bigger than the sum of benefits received by each individual.
More importantly, you meet people from all over the world and forge new relationships. Having like-minded peers who watch your back and cheer for your success is a valuable resource.
Recreational sports always have an element of novelty, mystery, and uncertainty. While caving, you turn around the corner with only a headlamp to guide you, and kaboom – there lies an unknown gorge or grotto. You may rappel down the cavern or dive underwater to spice up the fun!
As long as you’re willing to go beyond the fence, nature is generous to show off its hidden gems.
Since adventure travel mostly takes place in remote and rural areas, it preserves the natural ecosystem and local economies. It’s because you dispose of your income among native merchants. Also, tour operators flock to set up facilities that create jobs.
You get a taste of a sustainable environment and diverse cultures in return.
Adventure-pumped vacations make you treasure an exuberant life with a clear, calm, and creative mind.
| Medium | High-risk | Low-risk |
| Water | Kiteboarding, Parasailing, Surfing, Scuba Diving | Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, Rowing, Rafting, Fishing, Snorkeling |
| Air | Paragliding, Hang Gliding, Skydiving, Kitesurfing, Parachuting, Wingsuit Flying | Zip Lining, Ballooning, Drone Racing |
| Snow | Skiing, Alpine Skiing, Ski Jumping, Snowboarding, Snocross | Sledding, Ice fishing, Yachting |
| Land | Bungee Jumping, Mountaineering, Trekking, Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking | Hiking, Zorbing, Scrambling, Orienteering, Camping, Cycling |
However, you must approach vigorous activities with caution. Get yourself fully equipped with the necessary knowledge, fitness, and safety gear. Take baby steps if you’re just starting out. Meanwhile, scramble a steep boulder before putting on a harness to climb top rock formations in Europe.
Besides all success and pride, adventure sports springboard you to the corridors of humility. You realize the vastness of nature by seeing the swathes of land from the apex and unforgiving waves breaking over shallow reefs.
Since you don’t have any reserved lifeline, is there any remorseless reason not to live this life to the fullest?