Is Skydiving Like A Workout?

When you think of a workout, images of gyms, treadmills, and yoga mats come to mind. But what about skydiving? Does jumping out of an airplane count as exercise? Yes! And we can back it up, too!

A workout typically involves physical exertion, some cardiovascular demands, a bit of strength, endurance, mental engagement, and a recovery period. The different stages of a skydive employ these attributes and more! Let’s dive into the connection between skydiving and body. 

Is Skydiving A Sport? 

A sport is an activity (usually with some competitive aspect) that involves physical exertion, skill, and strategy. Skydiving embodies these characteristics, and the mental and physical skydiving benefits are mega! 

Physical exertion. 

Skydiving engages multiple muscle groups and gets the heart rate pumping. Skydivers carry heavy (25-50 lbs) gear into an airplane, which takes agility and core strength. 

During freefall, jumpers maintain an arched position as they cut through wind at around 120 mph! Contrary to what skydiving may look like, it isn’t passive floating – you have to make an active effort to maintain stability. Solo jumpers have to find the perfect balance of relaxation and engagement of their core, legs, arms, shoulders, and even their hands. 

What about tandem students? Don’t worry, you won’t be tasked with carrying gear or flaring the canopy (more on this later), but you’ll also have to perform the arch position and lift your legs at the hips at landing.

Cardiovascular demand. 

Workouts often spike your heart rate in a good way, and skydiving is no exception. It’s one of the most exciting activities you can do – way more thrilling than a yoga session! 

Like other extreme sports, skydiving triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, which initiates a surge of adrenaline and causes the heart rate to increase rapidly. But don’t look at skydiving as scary – it’s about conquering fear! It’s exhilarating and empowering! The rush you feel is positive, like backflipping into the ocean. It’s not the kind of doom feeling you get when you, say, narrowly avoid a car wreck. 

Strength. 

Skydiving isn’t the same thing as lifting weights, or as we like to call it: picking things up and putting them down! Resisting the air in freefall is one thing, but the real workout comes when we steer the parachute and land it – which is called completing a flare. Envision doing a muscle-up on a pull-up bar, that’s what a flare is like. 

Endurance. 

Stamina, stamina, stamina! Tough workouts require your brain to say “yes” even when your body is begging you to stop. Experienced skydivers who jump multiple times in one day have to practice serious physical stamina. Floor work while packing your parachute. Legs walking (or running) to the airfield. Upper body carrying your rig. And every muscle everywhere during the actual jump! Again and again, all day long. Yes, tough … and 100% worth it.

First-time skydivers experience a great exercise in mental endurance – despite the nerves, you’re saying yes to a new adventure! 

Mental engagement. 

Workouts demand mental focus – whether it’s pushing through the last rep or maintaining a state of mindfulness. Well, if each of these is like a mental 5K, skydiving is a mental marathon! 

Skydiving is a sport that requires hyper-awareness. How? Think of it like this … when you’re driving through a sleepy town at 25 mph, you’re chill; relaxed. Thinking about this and that as you mosey on down the road. Zipping down a six-lane interstate during rush hour, on the other hand, is a very different story – you’ve got to be engaged to keep yourself and others safe. This is what skydiving is like! 

Things happen very quickly when you’re skydiving, and the consequences are huge if you aren’t laser-focused. As odd as it sounds, this is one reason skydivers (yes, even one-timers) can find such mental clarity from jumping. 

Recovery. 

Once the adrenaline from a solid pump or sick jump wears off, the soreness sets in. You know –  that gooood type of sore! Hydration, stretching, and rest are essential to recovery after a typical workout and in skydiving. To avoid feeling too zonked after a skydive, we suggest staying satiated and hydrated throughout the process. 

How Many Calories Does Skydiving Burn? 

One skydive can burn around 200 calories. But remember, everyone is different! Do you lose weight while skydiving? Sure?? Skydiving is exercise, and it does burn some calories, so, in theory, you could lose some weight by taking the leap. But is constant skydiving a healthy weight-loss regimen? Nah. 

Skydiver Exercise: Jump Prep 

How physically demanding is skydiving? For a licensed jumper who’s in the sky as much as possible, pretty physically demanding. Many skydivers are active on the ground too – cycling, running, climbing, rowing, you name it. Working those muscle groups down here supports your performance up there, and vice versa. With all things exercise, stretching is a great way to get ready for go time. 

As we’ve noted, tandem skydivers do have a role to play during a jump, but it’s not intense. Tandem skydiving takes a lot of stress off the body because you have a professional instructor doing the hard stuff. The kind of jump prep you need to do is get a good night’s rest, eat well, and stay hydrated. For the best experience, bring your best self to the dropzone!

So, Is Skydiving A Good Workout? 

Skydiving is a fabulous workout! It may not tick all the same boxes as your usual workout, but it comes pretty dang close. PLUS, it wraps the benefits of a nice gym sesh into a package that feels a whole lot more like an adventure than a chore! 

Skydiving is the full-body workout you don’t even realize you’ve accomplished until you go home at the end of the day. Are you ready for the best day ever? Book your skydive today!