There is more to hunting than the stereotyped meaning that it got from the public. People only think of hunting as a manner of killing a certain type of animal and put them on display on a wall to serve as a trophy. They even wondered why hunting is considered an outdoor activity when for them, hunters only sit around at the corner and wait for their hunt to appear.
Little do they know that hunting requires a lot of physical and mental training. You are risking your lives when you go out there in the wild without any proper training and exercise. Relying on websites for information or lessons about hunting, such as Eating The Wild, isn’t enough to step foot in the hunt. It would be best if you were physically and mentally ready. That is why hunting gives a lot of health benefits to most hunters. If you want to know more about this, then read on. Here are 5 health benefits that you will gain when you go hunting.
1. Physical Enhancement
This outdoor activity can enhance your physical traits drastically. Whether you are preparing or you are in the middle of a hunt, you will have to exert a huge amount of physical strength. Before going to a hunt, you must be physically ready, which means you have to work out and lift weights.
The average weight of a hunting bow with the full gear is around 6-7 pounds, while the average weight of a hunting rifle and the scope, barrels, and load would be at about 9 pounds. Imagine carrying that all the time for hours with no time to play around. The thought of you walking in the middle of the woods is frightening, so you always have to be on guard. You have to get prepared by working out and doing physical training.
2. Increase Stamina
Hunting requires a lot of stamina because you always walk or run during a hunt. If you slack around, you will be as good as dead. You absolutely need to keep moving while carrying that 9-pound hunting rifle and your gears. There are also situations where you have to swim across a river or climb a tall tree to get to your destination. You cannot do all of those if you have weak stamina.
That is why you have to do exercises where you can increase your stamina, like cardio workouts. Also, doing this outdoor activity involves the need to scout the forest first, make traps, cook your meals, build some fortresses, climb tall trees, cross some rivers, hike a mountain, and many more. All these require massive endurance and stamina, both mind and body.
3. Boost Mental Strength
Hunting doesn’t only require physical strength. In fact, when you are going to hunt, mental strength is far more important. Hunting needs a lot of focus, and you must sharpen your presence of mind. You need to be alert and cautious all the time. No slacking around since you are in a life-or-death situation. Hunting greatly requires self-discipline to control oneself and patience to know when to pull the trigger or release the bow.
You will find yourself sharpening your senses and becoming aware of your surroundings for you to notice the little movement of plants, trees, and animals. You might even find yourself noticing the slight change in the wind and temperature. The bottom line is, hunting can develop your mental health improving your focus, presence of mind, alertness, discipline, and patience.
4. Relaxation
Hunting is one efficient way to release stress, forget everything and calm down, all while enjoying the beauty of nature. Feeling the fresh air, listening to the river, and enjoying the sun relaxes your mind and soul. With all the toxicity that you experience every day, it is good to unwind once in a while.
5. Great Source of Nutrition
Hunting is all about survival, so you eat what you get from your hunt. You get to eat fresh meat, sweet natural fruits, and healthy vegetables. This will give you a break from all those toxic junk foods, fast foods, and preservatives. You can freshen your body and even detoxify from the everyday food you eat in the city.
