Obviously it is in our best interest to encourage you to take up archery, but did you know there are lots of benefits to the sport.
Firstly archery really is all inclusive, literally anyone can take part. Young children can take part (although soft archery is perhaps a better introduction for very young kids), people who are physically fit can take part, people who are not very active can take part, people with varying disabilities can take part – there is even a world famous archer who is legally blind!
Archery improves upper body strength as it is mostly the muscles in the upper body that are used to draw back the string. The muscles in the arms, shoulders, back and core muscles are all involved in pulling and holding the string. Over time, this repeated motion helps to build muscle just as it would with any other exercise.
Archery is also brilliant for improving hand-eye co-ordination, focusing on and aiming at a target requires you to co-ordinate your view of the target with the action of your hands on the bow. Over time your aim improves as your hand eye co-ordination improves too.
Focus and patience are also improved as you need to be able to ignore distractions and focus on your shot. It is a sport that requires patience as its about accuracy rather than speed. This can help you learn to cope better with high pressure situations and many people find archery to be a great stress reliver.
Of course there is the social aspect of archery – most people who take up archery do it in either a club setting, or a setting such as ours with small group sessions. Everyone there will have at least one shared interest – archery! Socialising with like-minded people is an easy way to make new friends, and for children it is great for teaching social skills they will need throughout life.
