It’s an intense game, considering the fact that you’re armed with a mask, ammunition and a paintball marker, but paintball is actually a fun, interactive way to build teamwork and get some exercise. Of course, the paintball gun is loaded with gelatin shells filled with a type of paint that marks a person or object when hit, so it’s an experience that will leave you covered in color!
Samir Becic, 4 times Number 1 Fitness Trainer in the world and HFR’s Top 10 Health Benefits of Paintball:
- Adds variety to regular routine: Paintball is a great activity for those who do not have time to hit the gym or want to do something active with friends. It’s also a great way to shake things up and get an intense exercise routine outside of your normal workout. If you’re looking for an alternative activity to escape the monotonous motions of a treadmill, paintball allows players to experience a full range of movements like running, climbing, ducking and tip-toeing behind enemies.
- Full body workout: Paintball involves crawling, diving, sprinting, dodging and shooting. Because the game is so fast paced and strategic, many players get so caught up in the action they don’t even realize how the body is benefiting. People who have difficulty sticking to a workout routine often claim motivation and boredom as the primary reasons. Paintball offers participants a more enjoyable way to tone up their body without ever having to even think about it as exercise.
- Increases endurance: When you play paintball you experience an incredible cardiovascular workout that boosts your endurance levels because of the extended amount of time spent on the field.
- Increases strength: Paintball will require you to be fast while lugging around a paintball gun and with all the safety gear. The main areas strengthened during paintball are the legs from running and squatting, the arms from shooting, and the core for stabilization of the body with all the equipment.
- Increases interpersonal skills and self-confidence: Paintball is primarily a team sport, which requires some amount of strategy and execution that can be done only when all the players work together as a team. It promotes team spirit and can also improve your leadership skills. Tense situations in the game often bring out the best in many players and boost their self confidence.
- Good for weight loss and overall health: Needless to say, paintball also aids in weight loss. The intense exercise gained from a session of paintball can improve sleep cycles and boost metabolism. Intense workouts also result in the release of endorphins that elevate your mood. Apart from burning more calories, regular exercise through paintball also reduces risk of heart diseases, blood pressure and depression.
- Major stress relief: Playing a rough game of paintball is one of the best ways to vent out your frustration without risking hurting others. Sometimes, venting your anger in the game can also help you improve your skills as a paintballer. The endorphins released during intense exercise also eliminate mental stress and bring a sense of calm.
- Promotes teamwork: Good teamwork is essential in paintball – your team must work together to make strategies and plans, and then be able to coordinate them. If you’re lacking a bit of teamwork in your office, why not arrange a day out with your colleagues and put yourselves to the test?
- It’s healthy to be outdoors: Working out outdoors actually boosts your mood, outlook, focus and immunity. According to a study from the University of Michigan, group nature walks are linked to enhanced mental health and positivity, as well as significantly lower levels of depression and feelings of stress. A study from Glasgow University showed that people who walked, biked, or ran in nature had a lower risk of poor mental health than people who worked out indoors.
- It’s fun!: Finally, who can say that having a bit of fun isn’t one of the major health benefits of paintball? The rush of adrenaline sparked by just running around and shooting opponents with pellets of dye brings back the inner child in us. Full of laughter and excitement, paintball makes a truly brilliant day out with friends.