For some people, exercise should get your heart racing for two reasons. One, to physically increase the blood flow to the muscles to perform said exercise. Two, out of sheer, unbridled fear of the potential danger the exercise presents to their fleshy, mortal bodies.
Welcome to the world of extreme sports, enjoyed by people who sprinkle chilli flakes on their cornflakes on a morning. Experience the thrills from the safety of your sofa with our list highlighting the most extreme sports.
Sitting on a plank of wood and hurtling down an active volcano
If you’ve ever done snowboarding and thought to yourself ‘This needs to be more brutal’, then volcano boarding is for you. Swapping out soft snow for hard, sharp volcanic rock and a snowboard for a wooden sled, this isn’t a sport for the faint of heart.
Oh, and switch up the mountain for an active volcano. If that doesn’t get the blood pumping, nothing will.
With loose rocks forming the mountain side of the volcano, the surface has a lot more friction than with snow. Still, the ride is very fast, and with volcanic rock churning, breaking, and flying up, riders must wear protective gear to prevent any cuts as they ride down at speeds of up to 80mph. Of course, fall off, and your face is liable to end up with a few tears…
Throwing yourself out of an aeroplane while doing the ironing
Let’s face it, many of us have been standing doing the ironing wondering if there was any way to make this horrifically boring task more exciting.
If you are one of these people, consider taking up Extreme Ironing. This sport has been around for over 12 years and requires participants to take their iron, ironing board, and creasing laundry to extreme locations to do a spot of ironing. There have been many different examples of Extreme Ironing — from skydiving while ironing to ironing atop a mountain.
BASE Jumping
As a wise man once said, “if at first you don’t succeed, avoid skydiving”. But if that’s not enough to give you a dose of adrenaline, then BASE (building, antenna, span, and earth) jumping has just the thing for you. Bringing the ground closer and giving jumpers nothing but a packed parachute, you’ll be chucking yourself off some terrifying heights without the aid of an aeroplane to give to the wiggle room of a higher altitude.
But just how extreme is this sport? Well, according to one study by K. Soreide et al, after reviewing 20,850 BASE jumps between 1995 and 2005 at the Kjerag massif in Norway, the conclusion was that BASE jumping was between five and eight times more dangerous than skydiving when it came to injury or death.
Downhill Mountain Biking
If you’re a fan of riding mountain bikes, but fancy taking it up a notch, take a look at downhill mountain biking. With drops, rocks, and jumps littering your fast-paced route down the mountain side, this extreme sport can potentially take you to literal cliff edges and skirting around hundred-feet-drops!
But the thrill of the ride is only part of its appeal — according to one report, 62 per cent of mountain bikers travel as part of their hobby in order to find new, exciting trails, and 22 per cent enjoy seeing new places as a result of their mountain bike travels. So, for those looking to see new places and get the heart racing, this is certainly for you!
Despite the risks, the people who partake in these sports are willing to accept the dangers in exchange for the irreplaceable experiences they offer. Would you be willing to try one of these extreme sports?