Archery has been around for ages and there are many forms of it as it is utilized for a lot of applications. In this article, we may mainly be talking about the sport but, in general, archery is also used in hunting, the acquisition of food, and an overall hobby for a lot of people all around the world. Also, you are going to know what are the physical benefits to be obtained from archery.
Given that archery is a physical activity then it’s almost certain that our body can benefit from it. But there’s more to archery than just a form of exercise, there are also indirect or not so obvious benefits from it that we may take advantage of.
Here are some of the benefits one may obtain from archery.
What are the physical benefits to be obtained from archery | In-depth discussion
It strengthens our body
Archery as a physical game, hobby, or sport is surely going to be beneficial for our physical health. It develops muscle groups in our body that are unique for this kind of sport.
These are the muscle regions in your arms, chest, hands, and of course, shoulders. As you practice every day to improve your skillsets, slowly but surely you will get your body steadily healthy throughout the process.
How come, isn’t archery a stationary sport? It’s natural to think that because yeah, archers are always oftentimes only seen standing, positioning, and releasing their shots. But what is not realized most of the time, is that while the archer stretches in position and tension is applied to their muscles and kept at that for a while before releasing the shot, these muscle groups are getting one heck of a workout.
And then you add into the equation the repetitive nature of this sport then you have yourself an intense workout day in and day out as you practice and eventually compete.
As experts say, while cardio exercises let you lose weight and exercise your body (especially your heart) as you move, exercises like stretching get your muscles burning even if you’re already not performing the said activity. Thus, making it an effective form of burning fats or calories too.
Archery offers strength training closely resembling that for weightlifters. Surprising, huh? But it’s true. Your body also develops flexibility, making you healthier, stronger, and adaptable each day. Archery then also ultimately will improve your posture.
Hand-eye coordination
Some people are just gifted with hand-eye coordination. These people are most likely going to become athletes or musicians. But there’s no reason why, with perseverance and discipline, one cannot improve his/her hand-eye coordination.
Archery is a sport that’s meant to do just that for anyone. Hand-eye coordination is more like multitasking and as you practice your aim and shot at the same time, you condition your brain to focus and do multiple major and minor decisions at the same time, not to mention the physical applications that are put into action during one single shot.
Archery will also improve your balance and in time, you will have full control of your body because of this sport. After all, a huge aspect of the sport is training your muscle memory so that you may react almost instantly without losing focus in varying situations.
Whether the going gets tough or you are at your best during a competition, it won’t matter if you’ve practiced scenarios over and over again, thus, honing your hand-eye coordination skills.
You get to relax
In archery, you are not expected to perform intense physical routines like in team sports like basketball or football, so it’s actually a multidimensional form of exercise and it’s more relaxing. Don’t get us wrong, archery can get intense too and tiring, especially if you factor in the emotional and mental aspect of the sport but for most archers, having to focus, aim, and release a shot can be very relaxing.
It’s like you’re shutting down the world putting it on mute as you focus solely on the task at hand. Having that ability yields many benefits and is very underrated. Archery just puts your mind and body on a whole different dimension that it’s just you, your bow, and your target.
This process also helps you be productive. It’s got an indirect effect too that going to find its way into your daily life. Once you learn how to focus, you can be more productive in any other chore or form of work. You eliminate procrastination and find yourself much-needed time for additional relaxation.
You see, sports, in general, are activities that help us get through our daily lives more than anything. A relaxed body leads to a relaxed mind and it’s always going to a win-win situation for you.
Archery is just a great form of exercise for anyone. Lift your bow and arrow, you get to walk a lot, and you get to practice your routine a lot too which leads to a healthier you. You’ll probably lose around 300 calories per hour while shooting arrows.
You may will be interested to know more about bow sights for accurate hunting experience.
Other benefits from archery
As mentioned, archery is more than just a physical sport. It’s also a sport that requires a lot of focus and thinking. It’s also a game of the minds. Here are a few benefits that that aspect brings.
Develops confidence
As with any sport, archery is a confidence booster. Accomplishing something albeit small milestones can be very inspiring and affect one’s daily life. You can’t measure the number of people that have improved their lives because of sports.
Sometimes, a little bit of competition can go a long way for a person’s morale. And archery, trust us when we say, that it’s one of the most competitive fields there is even if it may not look like it.
People who’ve got low confidence at first can find it hard or intimidating to make new connections. But with sports such as archery, even though we might think about it as an individual’s sport can actually open up a whole new world for a person especially a child or teen.
You will find a unique and niche group in archery that you’ll belong and this will do a lot of good for an individual. They can open up to people and develop certain social skills that would then be useful in the long run or as they grow up.
Socialization leads to improved mental health and if that’s one takeaway that you may get from this sport, then you’re already a winner by the end of the day.
Helps develop patience
Hunting is a patient sport and so is archery. When you’re out hunting game, it might take time before you get a satisfying catch and so you need a lot of patience. Stalking and hunting your prey won’t be easy and so you’d need to develop certain skills for it too.
With archery, improving your game, being consistent, and improving your aim are all essential skills that you should hone day in and day out. That requires a lot of patience. If you have dreams to be the best then that too requires a lot of patience and sacrifice.
Practicing patience in the sport of archery can once again make its way into your daily life and patience acquire your life’s goals can help a lot for your future endeavors.
Anyone can try Archery!
Relatively anyone can try out archery! There are no limits to it. Young and old and even people with disabilities may give it a shot with special equipment. And, don’t be discouraged with buying the right equipment at first, just make use of what you can afford or have access to at first.
And most of all, just like basketball or soccer, you can just find an open space where you can practice while observing proper safety practices of course. We encourage anyone who’s got the slight interest for it to give it a try!
Here are some basic archery dos and don’ts to get you prepared
- Please don’t make noise when others are shooting whether it’s practice or tournament. Please be mindful that everyone else is concentrating and as mentioned above, archery is a game of focus and concentration. You don’t want others to break yours so be sure to not do the same thing for them. The same thing can be said when you are packing up. Do it quietly.
- Always remember what it felt like to be a newbie and always be accommodating to newcomers. Remember, archery unlike team sports like basketball or soccer is not as popular all around the world and so not a lot of individual usually takes it up. So be kind, offer beginners some tips as they start their journey.
- Keep children out of the field at all times. Always think safety first for everyone. You are launching arrows here and if you are not careful, someone might get hit, we definitely don’t want that.
- Do not touch anyone else’s equipment without asking for permission. Be respectful.
- Help other players look for missing arrows or collect them, that’s proper archery etiquette.
- Do not touch arrows in the target unless scoring is complete especially for competitions.
Final Words
Archery is a great way to utilize your muscle groups and get some physical benefits. A lot of people don’t realize the amount of exercise that is involved in archery. As a result, they also don’t realize the amount of strength and endurance that is required. It is also a lot of fun and can be utilized by a lot of people. When you are going to get into archery, there are many things that you need to know. You do not want to make a mistake and ruin your equipment.
A lot of people have a hard time drawing their bow because they don’t draw it back far enough. You must always bring the arrow back to eye level when shooting an arrow at a target.