Shooting sports can be a significant boost to your personal well being, and ignoring their benefits is actually ignoring a great way to stimulate both brain function and physical exercise. Whether you are of a competitive nature or not, spending time at a gun range to hone your shooting skills is an excellent influence on building self-esteem, brain sequencing structure, and overall confidence in your thought and physical processing.
You probably thought this was going to be about taking out your frustrations shooting a gun, didn’t you? Although that is an understandable thought many unfamiliar with guns might assume, gun ownership is actually part of a much larger picture of respect and control, and frustrations are left behind with the attention shooting one requires.
Gun Ownership and Uses
With over 40% of American households in possession of legally owned firearms, we are in contact with them more often than we realize. Responsible gun owners don’t flaunt their firearms, and use them for their respective uses: hunting, competition, and self-defense.
No matter your reasoning for owning a gun, a responsibility to use it properly is part of that ownership, and that means being comfortable with shooting and loading it falls within that category. A gun is only as lethal as the aim of the person holding it, and being able to acquire your target and shoot steadily is important for any scenario that requires you to pull the trigger.
Hunters need to ensure they have a clean, humane shot when harvesting meat, and to avoid prolonged suffering of their prey. Competitive shooters need a clear shot for their own record, and those engaging in self-defense measures need to know their shot has stopping power for their own safety.
Mental and Physical Benefits of Shooting Sports
Heading to the range isn’t just to show off new firearms or pass the time every now and then (although there is nothing wrong with that either). Afterall, there is nothing wrong with learning the feel of another gun and trying something new out, or having a little friendly competition when you are curious about which shoots better- a 300 Blackout or 6.5 Creedmoor.
However, getting to the range should be a regular occurance to hone your shooting skills, keep your muscle memory sharp, and stay familiar with the guns you own. This is part of responsible ownership and is a way to keep your guns in good working order and also keep you familiar enough with it to notice if something isn’t working as it should.
Physical Strength
Physically, you are going to build arm and wrist strength, improve balance, and tighten your core muscles as you take aim and absorb the recoil before requiring your target. Moving, walking, and bending over are all part of the process as well- which helps keep you active and puts you into an active heart rate zone for improved health.
Vision Focusing
If you don’t wear glasses or contacts, this might not be known to you, but regular eye focusing exercises are incredibly important to your eye health. Shooting requires you to hone in on a target using sights, which forces your eyes to focus on both near and distant locations.
Mental Processing
Mentally, you need to be focused and learn to ignore distractions around you, all while having awareness of your surroundings. Although gun ranges are generally well respected and everyone looks out for one another, it is where lethal tools are being used, and you have to pay attention to what events are transpiring in your proximity.
Adrenaline Control
Taking a firing line and shooting raises your adrenaline. Adrenaline sends messages to the liver to break down glycogen, which provides your body with glucose – the main source of energy for your body and feeds your flight or flight response. This energy boost also raises your serotonin levels- which contributes to positive emotions. What does this science lesson mean? That it makes you feel good! But even more so, the excitement coursing through your body means you need to be able to focus and control that as well- allowing you to work through similar situations.
Self-Discipline
Everything mentioned above contributes to you having to both mentally and physically have self- control over your movements and emotions while you shoot. These practices are very relevant to your day to day life as well, and can provide you the practice to help recognize your body’s responses to various situations and help you respond in a manner that is conducive to the event.
Confidence and Mindset
Let’s face it, holding a firearm and understanding the power it has in your hands can make you feel both incredibly nervous and scared, and like you are on top of the world. BUT, and this is a big but, you need to know the difference between having that power, and controlling the power that makes you feel these ways. This is an incredible confidence booster to many because it allows them to process the situation and provides them the means of understanding what it means to hold, aim, and fire a gun.
Conclusion
Shooting sports are more than just a means to help fill your freezer or protect your family, it is a means to improve your overall health, and is an excellent way to build confidence and reduce stress through various shooting exercises.
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