Three Extreme Adventure Activities You Can Enjoy with a Healthy Heart
You know about the benefits that exercise and other physical activities do to the heart. Living an active lifestyle maintains a healthy weight, promotes proper blood flow, and lowers one’s risk for certain diseases such as coronary heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Basically, physical activity improves our overall health. Keeping reading for some extreme adventure activities.
Too Much Is Too Much
Although being physically active benefits you in more ways than one, getting too active may do you more harm than good.
In fact, research shows that long-term training and competing in extreme and endurance events can result in heart damage and certain heart rhythm disorders.
Heart damage is often detected through biomarkers found in the blood. These biomarkers act as “damage indicators.” Usually, these indicators disappear by themselves. But with long-term extreme physical stress, the damage becomes permanent and may cause the heart to adapt and “remodel” itself. These physical changes—which may include scarring and thickening of the cardiac walls—can eventually increase one’s risk for heart problems.
While this is a common scenario among athletes and extreme hobbyists, people who are genetically at risk for heart disease are the most vulnerable.
A Healthy Dose of Adventure
Since extreme activities may spell trouble for at-risk individuals, it is advisable to participate in intense activities only if you are well trained and experienced. Moreover, it is best that you are free of any health risks for you to fully enjoy these heart-pumping activities.
With the right conditions, it is totally fine to feel the adrenaline hurtle through your veins every once in a while. There are some extreme adventures like taking a flight in a spitfire that you can definitely try with a healthy heart.
1. Zip-Lining
Zoom past treetops at dizzying heights with zip-lining. A no-fuss extreme activity, zip-lining will look like child’s play to hard-core adrenaline junkies. Think of it like careening on a swinging tire on your backyard when you were a kid—but ten times more!
Zip-lining puts you above high ground and lets you swing through a thick cable across the other side. Of course, you will be securely attached to a safety harness all throughout the activity. Sliding to the other side simply makes you feel like you’re flying, all while enjoying nature’s magnificent beauty. It gives off just the right amount of high, making it easily a favorite adventure activity among the young and old.
2. River Rafting
If you’re more of a water-adventure person, river rafting will suit you best. Navigate through treacherous rapids, avoid dangerous boulders, and hurtle downstream with a paddle in your hands. Best of all, get past them all in one piece! River rafting involves hopping in an inflatable raft and paddling your way into rough, turbulent waters. Colorado is known for its incredible rafting rivers. Maybe check out rafting in Colorado Springs during the late season to avoid the very turbulent rapids from the snowmelt.
Some rivers, like the Tully River in Cairns, let you experience up to forty-five rapids. The black-water rafting near Auckland also boasts a water adventure underneath eerie caves and past underground waterfalls! River rafting is truly an exhilarating adventure that will keep your heart racing, adrenaline pumping, and clothes dripping.
3. Bungee Jumping
If diving through the air headfirst like a human yo-yo is your way of extreme fun, bungee jumping is the way to go. Only a few dare to try this extreme sport, but those who do get to experience an out-of-this-world adventure that will leave them either awestruck or ecstatic in the end.
In this activity, you will be situated on higher ground with an elastic rope tied to your ankles. The next thing to do is stand on a ledge one minute and jump on another. The elastic rope prevents you from hitting the ground, so you only bounce back up and down until you’re unlatched on the ground.
Safety First
To prevent any safety and health-related incidents and to fully enjoy these activities, it is advisable to seek your doctor’s counsel first before participating. People who may have health conditions such as high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and breathing disorders may not be allowed to join in some of these activities.
In case of any health-related incident, medics may use certain devices such as a portable pulse oximetry sensor to check if your blood is getting enough oxygen. After the assessment, the necessary interventions will then take place.
Trying out these adventures is surely a treat that you should experience at least once in your lifetime. However, your safety should always come first. When in doubt, don’t stress it out. There are many other activities out there that you will enjoy without putting your health in danger.
