You may view fly fishing as some form of leisure activity but did you know that it has some health benefits that may surprise you? Fly fishing involves catching fish by attracting them using small artificial insects using a net fixed on a fishing rod. Those who participate in this activity get physical, mental, psychological, and social benefits as a result. In this piece, we shall have a look at 7 ways that fly fishing is advantageous to your health.
You Get a Total Body Workout
Fly fishing helps you burn out 500 to 1500 calories as a result of the wading, casting, and reeling in fish. Just make sure you keep safe as you’ll need special fishing shoes like these while walking up the river. This helps in the upper body workout with minimal strains on the wrists. It is the best way you can subject your body to exercise without even noticing. You will be having an outdoor activity that leaves your body feeling better.
This activity allows a low impact exercise as well as counterbalance especially to those people who spend long hours sitting. Instead of standing in the same position for long, you can stretch your legs or walk around to prevent stiffness. As you continue fishing, you will be working on your legs, core as well as back muscles partly as a result of the water current that you have to work against.
Improves the Mood
In the process of fly fishing, you are enjoying adventure while breathing in the fresh air. This is very beneficial to both the physical and mental health of a person. The melatonin levels of your brain are entertained to reduce the feeling of fatigue or depression. The hustle and bustle of everyday life drain the mental health of an individual, be it school work, job, family or the general social life.
Through fly fishing, you get the opportunity to free your mind and recharge your brain once again. The attention you focus on the activity and the rapid reactions strengthens the mind. The excitement of catching a fish boosts dopamine in the brain that generally enhances the mood. You will as well re-energize your entire body being outdoors something you might not experience while indoors.
Reduces Stress
Everybody around you complains of stress from time to time if not all the time. Most of these people are looking forward to a break from their daily busy schedules. Fly fishing can come in as the perfect solution in such a case. It allows you time to be in a peaceful place away from the normal activities of everyday life.
The carefulness you embrace during fly fishing will give you some form of meditation time that is good for stress relief. If you have ever met frequent fishers you can tell how their days are normally free of stress. You will hear them share about how the fishing activity was, the new encounters, the beautiful views, the wildlife they could have come across, and how exciting their entire day was.
Enhances Social Engagements
We all know that we need each other in life. We need to have a healthy interaction with other people from time to time. Fly fishing gives you the opportunity to spend time with an old friend or get to meet new ones along the way.
You can also choose to do it alone if you need time to meditate, it is allowed but it is advisable to do it alongside other people. You are safer to go fly fishing with people around you in case of an accident. It is also much fun fishing together with people so that you can share experiences, laughs, and any other challenges that you may face in the process.
Lower Cortisol Levels
It is believed that those people who take part in fly fishing experience lower cortisol levels than those who do not. This belief is also supported by a study that shows how Iraq war veterans that participated during fly fishing experienced Lower cortisol levels than the ones who did not. Research also has it that they experienced better sleep, had reduced depression and anxiety levels, less stress and were likely not to experience PTSD related symptoms.
Nature also Enhances Healing
Time in nature improves your mental and emotional growth in general. Nature also offers amazing healing properties for physical injuries. Nature is known to reduce unnecessary swelling according to various studies. When it comes to fly fishing, standing on cold waters may be one way of helping an inflamed ankle or knee to reduce the inflammation.
Nature is also believed to be good at improving eyesight. When you get exposed to nature for longer hours, there is a chance that it decreases nearsightedness in both adults and children. Whilst nature can be a natural remedy, it’s worth saying that if your eyesight is deteriorating, you should visit www.pureoptical.co.uk.
It Encourages Togetherness
Fly fishing encourages togetherness between family, friends, and loved ones. It is one of the reasons people come together to spend quality time. You can tag along with family or friends even if they do not enjoy fly fishing as much as you do. They can enjoy it for the first time doing it around you strengthening the bonds between you. You will get to enjoy nature together, and naturally feel more connected and cooperative as you enjoy the fly fishing activity.
The inspiration you all experience from nature and getting time to spend outdoor together with your loved ones is a great way to build the connection. You will get the chance to celebrate each other’s catches, and spend the rare time together away from the distractions from phones or tablets.
Wrapping up
So, now you know how important fly fishing can be to your health. It is a great way to unwind away from the day to day business. The waters will lower your blood pressure, stress, and allow you time to reconnect with nature. You get to enjoy some meditation moments and gain some clarity of life in general. If you thinking of planning a trip away from the normal activities of the day, consider taking the inexpensive fly fishing experience!
