Is Skydiving More Mental Than Physical?

Skydiving is often perceived as demanding a certain amount of physical skill and a good amount of courage. While physical strength is definitely important when it comes to jumping out of airplanes and operating parachutes, many experienced skydivers will tell you that skydiving is actually more about mental resilience than physical capabilities! It’s often said that skydiving is 90% mental and 10% physical.

Why Is Skydiving More Mental Than Physical?

Skydiving challenges both the mind and body, but the mental aspect often plays a more significant and lasting role. Understanding and managing fear, maintaining focus, and making split-second, life-saving decisions are all key to a successful jump. Let’s explore the mental and physical demands of skydiving and the life-changing benefits of skydiving for mental health and overall life skills!

The Mental Aspect of Skydiving

Overcoming Fear

One of the biggest hurdles in skydiving – whether it is your first jump or your thousandth – is overcoming fear. Every single jump a skydiver takes carries a certain amount of anxiety and “fear of the unknown.” The thought of taking a huge risk by jumping out of an airplane from thousands of feet in the air can be terrifying. Whether it is fear of heights, fear of equipment failure, or fear of the unknown – skydiving has a way of challenging you to take a leap of faith.

Luckily, we’ve been in the skydiving biz for quite some time (since 1977 to be exact) and have mastered the art of overcoming fear through these helpful techniques:

Know the Facts
If you mention you’re going skydiving to anybody, the most common response you’ll get is something along the lines of “you’re crazy” or “that’s dangerous”! While skydiving certainly carries inherent risk like many other adrenaline-soaked activities, the safety statistics (especially for tandem skydiving) are actually pretty good! In 2023, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) reported 10 fatalities out of the 3.65 million jumps performed, none of which were tandem jumps. Over the last decade, there has been an average of one fatality per 500,000 tandem jumps – making the chance of dying on the tandem skydive about 0.002% for every 1,000 jumps. While we would never say skydiving is safe, we can say that skydiving is statistically safer than it’s ever been! Reminding yourself of these facts can help you relax and focus on enjoying the moment.

Visualization
You may have heard that the mind is a powerful thing – it’s true! A great way to prepare your mind and body for skydiving is by visualizing a successful jump before the actual jump happens. Close your eyes and picture yourself on the airplane, riding up to 13,500 ft. Take note of how it makes you feel when you visualize the door opening, sitting on the edge of the airplane, and jumping out. This almost tricks your brain into having already experienced these sensations before so that when the real thing happens, you’ll be ready! Remind yourself of the safety facts, trust in your professional skydiving instructor, and let go.

Breathe
Focus on taking nice, controlled breaths to calm the nerves and reduce anxiety. In high-stress situations our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode. Taking deep breaths triggers your body to relax and lets it know, “Hey! We’re okay!” Practice being mindful of each breath, feeling your lungs expand as you inhale, and squeezing the air out on exhale. Each breath welcoming calmness, and releasing fear.

Get in the Zone

Focus and Concentration
Staying focused during a skydive is critical for safety, as well as enjoyment. Distractions can quickly lead to mistakes, which forces you to develop strategies to maintain concentration while on the jump. Mindfulness – or being present in the moment – helps keep your mind on the task at hand.

The “Zone” Mentality
Skydivers often talk about being in the “zone” or achieving a flow state. This is a mental state where you’re fully immersed and performing at your best. Achieving this state involves focusing on the process rather than the outcome, concentrating on each step of the jump rather than the end result. Confidence plays a significant role as well; trusting in your training, natural instincts, and experience helps you stay in this flow state. When you reach this mental state, you’ll perform better and feel more connected to the experience, improving safety and helping you achieve a higher, more “euphoric” state.

The Physical Demands of Skydiving

Is skydiving a sport? Yep, it sure is – an “extreme” sport to be exact. While you don’t necessarily have to be extremely physically fit to skydive, it does require a bit of strength, flexibility, and coordination. 

Being in decent shape ensures that you can handle the physical aspects of the jump and reduces the risk of injury. Flexibility is important for maneuvering in the airplane as well as in the air during freefall. Core strength and upper body strength are helpful when it comes time to operate the parachute and land back on solid ground. 

For most experienced skydivers, skydiving involves more than just the jump itself. Physical tasks such as packing the parachute, handling heavy gear, and walking to and from the landing area are all a part of the process. Packing the parachute requires attention to detail and a unique amount of physical effort to get your big parachute packed neatly into a small container – almost every skydiver has a story or two about wrestling with unruly stows and closing loops. Forget the skydiving part, packing the parachute alone is a workout in itself!

The Effects of Skydiving on the Brain: Huge Benefits!

“What does skydiving do for you mentally”, you ask?! Well, the psychology of skydiving can change your entire life. It is a powerful tool for reducing stress and managing anxiety! The adrenaline rush and sense of accomplishment after a jump can have lasting positive effects on your mental state and offer a wonderful sense of calm and clarity – a hearty mental reset.

Skydiving challenges your mind by building resilience, problem-solving skills, and focus. Overcoming the fear of skydiving can boost your confidence in handling other challenges life throws at you. It’s amazing how jumping out of an airplane can provide many transformative experiences of personal growth, contributing to a more fulfilling life.

Just ask any skydiver at the dropzone how skydiving has changed their life and listen to their stories – you can bet they all have a unique story to tell about their personal growth journey. Start writing your story by booking a skydive at Virginia’s premier drop zone, Skydive Orange! Blue skies.