Dreary, sun-deprived seasons have a way of putting even those with the perkiest of spirits in a downright funk. Is it just us or does this seem like the longest, wettest winter ever? Tucked inside, sitting behind your computer screen or curled up cellphone in hand, are you over the relentless rainfall and want something to look forward to?

We’ve got the positive boost your body needs: skydiving.

True, you may be wondering, pray tell, why skydiving is good for you. You know the usual suspects: eating healthy, taking your vitamins and drinking plenty of water…but skydiving? Really?

Well, yes really.

Positive skydiving side effects are broadly divided into physical effects and mental effects. Let’s check out the positive physical effects first.

Physical Effects

Endorphin Boost

The more well-known benefit of skydiving on the body is the endorphin boost you experience. Most refer to this as an “adrenaline rush.” Benefits of adrenaline rush include mental clarity, slight immune system boost, feelings of euphoria, and temporarily increased strength. You basically get to be super(wo)man for a moment!

Endurance

If you assume skydiving is falling with style, you’d be half right. The other half is that skydiving is a physical sport, and like other sports, it requires dexterity, agility, and strength.

When you skydive solo, the gear you heft about is around 20lbs. That’s 20lbs you’ll carry to the plane, hustling across the field after you land to make it up again, and repeat. If you’re really into it, you might do that 10-12 times a day! It can be quite physically demanding, but over time, you’ll develop the endurance you need to keep things rolling.

Baby Got Back (Muscles)

In freefall, you build up muscle memory and specific strength. Because of the back arched, belly down, hips pushing toward the earth position we assume to freefall with stability, you’ll engage muscles along your glutes, spine, and core.  After a few jumps, you’ll begin to notice muscles in your back you never knew you had! It’s good to compliment these developing muscles with a general and regular fitness program.

Improved Flexibility

Maintaining that nicely arched stable body position in freefall requires both strength and flexibility. As you practice more and more in the air, you’ll find your flexibility on the ground following suit. The inverse is true too. The more you work on flexibility on the ground with a nice round of stretching, the better you will be able to take on the body positions needed for various maneuvers in the air!

Mental Effects

Truth be told, the most long term effects of skydiving, take place in your mind.

Positive Perception Shift

Immediately upon landing from that first skydive, you’ll feel liberated, empowered, and ready to take on the world. Within the next few days, that positive perception will start to change the way you view challenges in your day to day. Things that may have once seemed intimidating now seem entirely manageable. After all, you took a leap. You conquered something from your wildest dreams. You left your comfort zone and you succeeded.

Gratitude

Consistently, positive psychology research has shown that gratitude is linked to greater happiness. Skydiving is a perfect way to become reacquainted with this simple, and yet, incredibly evasive feeling. Because of the joy you find in freefall, gratitude for daily gifts (sunshine, smiles, the very air you breathe) is somehow just a little easier to come by. With your head in the clouds, it’s easy to see just how beautiful the world is.

Support Of The Community

Connections with our peers is paramount for a healthy state of mind. Each of the people you meet at the drop zone have been brought together by something they truly love and cherish. This is their “happy place.” That is why there is such a welcoming vibe—a charming, vibrant energy in everyone you meet. Skydivers just “get” it. As you grow in the sport, the support and acceptance your skydiving community offers quickly proves to be invaluable.

Shake those winter blues, and get your knees in the breeze of the bright blue sky with Skydive Orange today!