The Skydiving Adrenaline Rush: A Thrill Like No Other!

One of the most talked about aspects of jumping out of an airplane is the adrenaline rush. Our sport is known for its high-energy, high-speed, high-stakes excitement. But people don’t realize that skydiving adrenaline is a special kind of rush. 

When it comes to high adrenaline, skydiving is tailor-made to deliver. There are a variety of skydiving benefits that are a direct result of how the brain processes this specific high-adrenaline situation. Let’s talk about what it feels like and why adrenaline is a force for good in your life. 

The Adrenaline Rush Sensation

It’s impossible to know what something like skydiving feels like without having done it. Luckily, there are plenty of us who do know that can summarize the sensations so first-timers have a sense of what to expect. 

In some situations, an adrenaline rush can feel stressful and scary. A job interview? Stressful. Running from a lion? Scary. But a cultivated adrenaline experience, like skydiving, allows you to enjoy the rush and harness the power it brings. 

Is skydiving euphoric? It certainly is! You might still feel stressed and scared before your jump, but that feeling is transformed as soon as you’re in flight. This is because you are in a (mostly) controlled environment, choosing to push yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone while achieving an amazing goal. 

You’ll feel the excitement in your chest and stomach, the tension in your muscles, the racing of your heart. And you’ll experience the liberation of flying freely through the sky with the knowledge that you have a parachute to catch you. Right after you leave the airplane door, your thumping heart will be bursting with joy.

Why Skydiving Triggers an Adrenaline Rush

We’ve answered, “Do you get an adrenaline rush from skydiving?” Next, let’s consider why skydiving boosts adrenaline – what exactly about catapulting yourself out of an airplane mid-flight triggers the adrenaline response? That may seem like a rhetorical question, but it’s worth digging into the science behind the skydiving adrenaline rush. 

Let’s start with what hormones are released when skydiving. Adrenaline, of course, but also noradrenaline (or norepinephrine), which triggers your neurons to communicate across other synapses. This combination results in focused senses and increased physicality. 

All of this happens because jumping into the wide open sky, even voluntarily, raises your brain’s fight or flight (no pun intended) response. Your amygdala recognizes your jump as a stressful and potentially dangerous situation that requires immediate, and heightened, attention. The amygdala sends a message to the hypothalamus, which sends a message to the adrenal gland, and the rest is (one of the best days ever in) history!

The Mental Benefits of an Adrenaline Rush

Beyond the incomparable fun of an adrenaline rush, there are plenty of mental benefits of skydiving that make the sport appealing beyond a quick fix. The incredible side effects of skydiving last long after you’ve landed back on Earth and will continue to change your life forever. 

Some of the benefits of adrenaline rush experiences include:

• Increased focus – Your senses will become hyper-engaged on the task at hand and you’ll think of nothing else outside of the immediate moment.
  
• Superhuman strength – The adrenaline pumping through your body quiets the voice that tells you you’re not strong enough and increases muscle capacity.
  
• Increased blood flow and respiration – The heart and lungs respond to increased adrenaline by kicking things up a notch so that your body can react quicker, stronger, and with more endurance
  
• Time dilation – This is sometimes called a flow state, and professional athletes often experience this in high-stakes competitions. Time, or at least your perception of it, will slow down so that you feel like you’re always one step ahead of what’s coming next. 

In other words, you’ll feel like you have superpowers!

Top Tips for Managing the Rush

Knowing what to expect is the first hurdle to dealing with the stress of a planned adrenaline rush. That’s the beauty of skydiving – we know exactly what’s about to happen, and can harness the benefits instead of running from them! Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your life-changing adrenaline adventure.

• Visualize – Anyone who’s ever been in a stressful situation will tell you that visualizing it going exactly as planned does wonders for calming nerves in the moment.
  
• Watch videos – Seeing other people (happily) go through exactly what you’re about to do will both prepare you for the process and remind you that you’re not alone!
  
• Keep breathing – Controlled breathing is an ancient relaxation technique that keeps your body regulated and your brain on task, and is perfect for skydiving!
  
• Don’t forget your body – Keep yourself fed and hydrated. If your body is in stasis, dealing with the stress will be a lot easier.
  
• Embrace the rush – That’s why you’re here! Prepare as much as you can, but when the time comes, enjoy it and let the rush take over. 

Find out how adrenaline can change your life and book your very own skydiving thrill today!