If you are in an area of the country where hunting isn’t just popular, it is a way of life, you may already be aware of the various health benefits that hunting provides. If hunting is not as familiar to you, you may be one of the many people who would not really associate hunting as being an activity that is not only a hobby or pastime but is an activity that actually promotes a healthy lifestyle too. Here are 3 ways hunting is good for your health.
Encourages Good Mental Health
Hunters are familiar with the amount of patience and mental stamina that it takes to be a hunter. They can spend hours on their feet or crunched down in a camouflaged shelter for days just to get the perfect shot. James Swan, writer and contributor for espn.com, wrote an article about the link between hunting and mental health. In the article, Swan points to research that hunters associate the act of being out in nature to lower stress levels, socialization with other hunters and leading to overall better mental health.
Requires Extensive Exercise
Hunters walk a lot. They are on their feet for hours, walk and hike through rough terrain, not to mention lugging all the weight of their rifles, all of the weight of the tents, sleeping bags and other camping equipment. That is on top of also hauling the meat home to prep and prepare for their families. Hunting can be so intensive physically at times that many hunters start to train for the hunting season with a regimented fitness routine that they follow in their offseason. In summary, hunting burns a lot of calories and is a very intense workout.
Provides Healthy Protein
Game meat may not be for everybody, but the truth is that game meat is a great source of healthy, lean protein with very little fat. The website outdoorlife.com provides a comprehensive nutritional guide to various wild game animals in North America, if you want further information about these specific sources of protein. It is also important to note that wild game also has the most nutritious diets of any protein source, compared to the chicken or beef you would find at the grocery store.
Next time hunting season rolls around in your neck of the woods, you may want to consider taking the plunge and at least giving it a whirl. Hunters report a better connection to the great outdoors and lower stress levels, it is one great workout and calorie burner and you come away with a great source of lean and healthy protein to feed your family with.
