Participating in adventure activities, within reason of course, has scientifically been proven to be good for you. With the ability to stimulate you mentally, physically and even emotionally, these are definitely not activities to overlook. If you haven’t dabbled in a few of the rejuvenating pursuits that adventure encompasses, you can find out why you should and how to do so safely here.

What are adventure activities?

The term ‘adventure’ may initially intimidate a beginner, as it’s sometimes associated with life-threatening adventure activities. However, many people are currently undertaking a number of these activities which are actually contributing to their well-being. Adventure activities could include anything from hiking, bungee jumping and skydiving to dirt biking, kayaking, deep sea diving, fishing and even bird watching.

Why adventure is good for you?

As mentioned before, studies have suggested that adventure activity contributes towards one’s well-being:

• Exercise: Adventure activities often provide the opportunity for vigorous exercise. The activity you embark upon will determine the type of exercise and degree of strenuous activity involved.

• Relax Your Mind: Seeing new a sight often opens up your mind, providing clarity and restoring your thinking. Life’s events and the circumstances you find yourself in may often leave you reeling. To get some clarity, the best thing to do is to make your way to your nearest hilltop and take in all that nature has to offer.

• Improve Your Problem Solving: Being in a situation which may not always unfold as planned provides you the opportunity to give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘thinking on your feet’. It definitely improves your lateral thinking.

• Confidence Building: After conquering one adventure, there’s a good chance that you would feel inclined to try another. Adventure activities often become addictive and play a massive role in building your confidence. It enables you to challenge yourself to do bigger and better things.

Being Smart About Your Adventures

For every adventure you will find a list of safety precautions. Skydiving, dirt biking and kayaking to mention a few, all have different rules and regulations. Be sure to understand the activity well in advance before trying it out, and be sure to have a guide on-hand for your first few attempts.

 It is preferable to venture out in groups and have a buddy system of sorts in place, just to ensure that you’re never entirely alone in emergency situations.

 Once you've gotten hooked to the adventure games, you will find yourself planning adventure weekends away and trips with fellow adventurers.

Don't Pack Too Much

When going on an adventure spree, travel light and ensure that you have the basics first. Water, food and a flashlight, then survey the kind of weight you can carry with you. Generally, a rucksack with a change of clothes or two should be enough plus the basic necessities.

Get Insurance

Make sure you have enough coverage for anything adventurous you're planning to do, whether you’re rock climbing or scuba diving, check your life insurance as it never hurts to review your life coverage. And this definitely is something to bear in mind if dirt biking is your adventure of choice, be sure to have the right coverage before venturing out. People often overlook this, yet motorcycles are far more vulnerable to damage than other vehicles, so please bear this in mind when you hit the dirt tracks.

All this talk of being safe may have you thinking cautiously again (which stopped you from getting involved before) but this is all just responsible preparation. You’re done sitting comfortably in the house –adventure is calling and you’re up to the challenge!

Special thanks to Jane Klue for providing this article. She is the first guest author on SpiritStrike.com!

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