7 Health Benefits of Using a bow and arrow

[Updated 1 July 2022] The first bow and arrow were used some 50,000 B.C., making archery one of the world’s oldest sports. Unlike other sports, the archer’s performance is directly related to their levels of strength, endurance, and coordination.

It’s no surprise that archery has lasted so long and even been recognized as a competitive Olympic sport in some cases. If you wish to brush up your skills and become a renowned hunter or increase your expertise and compete in a competition, consider the following seven health advantages of archery.

1. Improve your focus

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There are three critical areas for an archer to focus. The first and obvious one is the target, the second is its form, and the last is managing to ignore all distractions from the environment. To get the most out of your practice, you must stay focused, calm, and perform high-pressure situations with grace.

2. Increase your strength

When drawing a correctly drawn target, you’ll need your arms, chest, core, and shoulders muscles. Archery shooting is similar to weightlifting in that you must be able to maintain your draw for several seconds at a time to ensure that you aim correctly and effectively. The more you practice, the stronger you’ll get.

3. Take your balance and coordination to a whole new level

Coordination may be improved only by practicing regularly, but balance is required if you want to succeed with archery. When shooting and aiming, the body must be as still as possible. That’s why you’ll eventually have complete control over your body’s balance, allowing your shots to be more and more accurate.

4. Burn calories

Archery is a physically demanding sport. Drawing a bow for 30 minutes or less can help you burn up to 140 calories. Doing so for an hour on a regular basis might be the equivalent of a decent gym session when nothing interesting happens.

5. Boost your confidence level

Higher self-esteem is the result of improved methodology. Whether you’re competing against yourself or others, it’s undeniable that archery can help you gain more confidence in your bow shots, especially if you practice at least twice to three times per week.

6. Maintain your mental health

Archery has a beneficial influence on your physical and mental health since it helps you clear your mind to be one with the arrow. You’ll learn how to aim precisely to overcome distraction, procrastination and even improve your organizational skills.

7. Learn to socialize with other archers and hunters

Archery, in general, is a social game since you’ll need the help of an experienced archer when you’re just getting started. In some competitions, teams of archers with a range of ages from 6 to 80 must collaborate to achieve the same objective, much like our hunting ancestors did.