Archery has a lot of health benefits, both physical and mental. With the New Year, there has never been a better time to start archery!
Whether you are a beginner or you are returning to archery, there are many benefits you can get from archery. You will be able to burn calories, build strength and grow your self-confidence.
On average, you can burn about 100-150 calories every 30 minutes doing archery. The calories are burnt through the physical act of shooting and walking to and from the target to collect your arrows.
The most obvious health benefit that archery can give is it builds strength. While you won't end up looking like a bodybuilder, it helps with core and arm strength.
Archery uses short bursts of energy. Using the core and arms to draw the bow builds these muscles, along with the rotator cuffs, upper back muscles, and hands.
By practicing correctly and often, the tissues in the areas that are used will strengthen and grow. It is similar to lifting weights, in the way that you will hold your shot at full draw for a matter of seconds before shooting. This will allow tension to build in the muscles, thus making them stronger.
Archery is proven to provide a meditative state of mind, which helps improve your mood, easing anxiety and depression. It is incredibly important, especially at the minute, to do activities that help promote positive mental health, while getting you outdoors and keeping you active.
Shooting a bow can also help filter out all distractions as you focus on your form and technique. By setting aside external worries or negative thoughts, even for a short time, you can build a positive mental attitude towards the sport and wider life.
Participating in exercise will help increase energy through the boost in oxygen circulating around the body. An increase in oxygen supports the mitochondria’s energy production, which will help keep the body functioning well and give more energy.
Whether you are in school, working, or retired, being able to improve your focus is a great attribute to have. Archery can aid this benefit as you need to focus on each individual arrow that is shot. It will also help you keep calm in high-pressure situations.
Archery is inherently a very social sport, so growing up in the sport will help build social skills in children. It is also an individual sport that also has team elements. When at training or in a competition, there are usually a lot of people around who are willing to chat between ends, offer support and share knowledge.
To find a club near you and begin your archery journey today visit our club finder.
You can also find beginner's courses and taster sessions in our experience finder.
