Airsoft is a sport that is rising in popularity, but has actually been around for quite some time. There are plenty of places where you can purchase Airsoft guns and accessories, both online and at brick and mortar stores, and numerous locations where you can go in order to find a good match with great people. This is a community of people who are always improving themselves and one another. But here are some specific reasons to get involved.
1. Physical Benefits
It’s very difficult to really get involved in Airsoft without seeing some significant physical improvements on a number of different levels. Most obviously, the actions of running, ducking, dodging, hiding, shooting, and jumping are fantastic cardiovascular exercises, ones that are sure to start showing benefits like weight loss and increased strength over time when paired with a healthy diet.
More than that, though, you also see a major increase in coordination and body control from activities like learning how to aim and shoot while hiding behind over. Being able to move quickly and quietly becomes more ingrained and starts to translate to the rest of your life. Further, you will start to develop your reactions to a much higher level, making your response times more rapid.
Finally, Airsoft builds endurance. The sheer amount of movement that is involved can leave a new player winded after only a couple of hours, but experienced players can go for half a day with hardly any breaks or dedicate whole weekends to the sport.
2. Mental Benefits
It’s not often that you really get a chance to cut back and relax. Sometimes when you’re on vacation, it’s hard not to check the phone for emails or text messages from the office. Even when you’re away from work, you’re not really away from work.
Airsoft gives you a perfect excuse to actually relax by putting you in a place where you can’t check your phone and should probably not even bring it with you onto the field. Instead, you have an excuse to really cut loose.
This is also a sport that gives you a much heightened awareness of the world around you. When you start to go out into matches, you learn to pay attention for small details. Tiny sounds or almost insignificant movements become enormous and easily noticed when you get used to paying attention for them. This makes you more attentive and gives you better reaction time.
Being involved in combat simulations like Airsoft matches can also be a huge boost to self confidence and image. There’s nothing that makes a person feel better about themselves then reliving a victory they had over the weekend when they were out with friends. That translates into a better outlook on the world and more success in your daily interactions.
Most importantly, from a mental perspective, it gives you a fun outlet to experience the feeling of danger and the attendant adrenaline without having to actually risk your life or health.
3. Social Benefits
While every group has its share of jerks, by and large the Airsoft community is a wonderful, welcoming group. People who play Airsoft are still in the stage where they are building a fan base for the sport, so they are always looking for other people to share their passion with.
As a result, you know that if you’re looking to get started, there are plenty of people ready and able to help you out and get you into a game. This can give you the opportunity to meet a diverse and interesting group of people and make friends that you might have never thought you would connect with before. There’s a place for almost everyone in the Airsoft community.
This is also a great way for people to bond with one another. Family members especially can find a common ground in the shared experience: fathers and sons, aunts and nieces, brothers, sisters, cousins, they all can become closer than before out on the Airsoft field.
These are just some of the myriad ways in which Airsoft can benefit you. Try it out as a hobby today and you may find that it’s the sport you’ve been looking for your entire life.
Photo by skhakirov
