Why Do People Follow Extreme Sports and Does It Destroy Your Psyche?
Every year the number of adherents of extreme sports increases due to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the growing popularity of sports around the world. People are attracted not only by the desire to train but also by the risk that makes it possible to feel confident and stronger.
As you know, the more people start doing some kind of sport, the more stereotypes appear around it. We will look at the main reasons why people follow extreme sports and whether it affects your health.
What Happens to the Body During Exercise?
During extreme sports, you will receive a constant charge of positive emotions. Problems will fade into the background when you race at high speed from the slope. Extreme is not about monotonously repetitive exercises. You will always find new experiences, tracks, people, and locations there. Your accomplishments will greatly inspire and delight you. Skills, although not essential, will allow you to feel the euphoria for which extreme athletes live.
What else happens to our body, besides feeling immense pleasure? There is no single opinion. The first position is very popular, and it lies in the fact that there are no “adrenaline addicts.” During exercise, dopamine is released. It is a natural stimulant that produces a partly analgesic, partly euphoric effect. It is also said that under the influence of cyclic extreme loads, substances are produced that resemble amphetamines. These are endogenous natural stimulants, thanks to which a person experiences interest in the activity and favorable feelings.
To draw similarities more vividly we can think of gambling. When people play in online casinos, they also produce stimulants, when they win money. The desire to win is inherent in every person’s mind. When you lose, you crave for more and seek to get everything back. Whether you are playing BetSoft casino games or placing bets you are in a constant state of getting more, becoming euphoric.
What is the Danger of Extreme Sports?
Every sport has its own “risk zones”, from muscle strains to spinal injuries. And in extreme sports, deaths are not uncommon. The most dangerous sport is deservedly considered base jumping.
Base jumping is an extreme sport that uses a special parachute to jump from fixed objects.
The reason is simple: the duration of the flight is minimal, so the athlete simply does not have time to concentrate if any obstacle arises. But there are two options for the development of events: either increase the number of training sessions and persevere towards your goal or completely abandon this activity.
Compared to professional sports, in pairs figure skating, for example, a partner may not hold a partner in support, a figure skater may fall unsuccessfully and receive serious head injuries, and these are also risks incompatible with life, or remain paralyzed after a spinal injury due to unsuccessful fall. But, in the case of figure skating, such situations are more an exception than a rule with the correct preparation of athletes, when falling, there is a chance to survive, and this cannot be in extreme sports, so there must be a greater degree of concentration when performing tricks.
Often one can come across the opinion that extreme sports change the mental state, increasing the tension of a person and expressing such mental phenomena as anxiety, stress, frustration, crisis, aggressive reactions, and anger. But there is a contradiction in such statements because the feeling of euphoria from achieving an incredible goal cannot negatively affect the neuropsychic state of a person.
In extreme sports, there is no danger or threat to the psyche. Athletes will not deliberately take risks, they will check and recheck their equipment in advance according to safety protocols. Many people consider extreme athletes to be reckless people because of their image component.
Is There an Extreme Addiction?
Psychologists suggest that there is some kind of extreme gene with which the craving for risky actions is transmitted, expanding the boundaries of life and forcing us to overcome fear. A person who constantly needs to seek thrills must have a biogenetic dependence on difficult living conditions. Is there any reason why some people cannot live without extreme sports, while others bypass them?
There is no specific gene. So far, no such unique combination of proteins and amino acids has been identified that makes one person more extreme than another. Passion for such sports is connected, on the one hand, with culture and education, and on the other hand, with physical abilities.
Have Extreme Sports Become More Popular?
A large number of people run away from their problems in everyday life, doing extreme sports. There are enough people who want to get thrilling impressions among people of all ages and professions.
The mass desire to make something beautiful away from people is a natural desire. But now it has become more accessible, because earlier, in order to purchase equipment, you had to order from friends at the factory, but not everyone had such an opportunity.
In short, following extreme sports requires strong will and every person should know the dangers before going for it. Of course, the feelings that the sense of extreme can cause are pleasing, but taking care of your life is also necessary.