Adrenaline junkies love extreme sports and there’s a good physiological reason for that.
As far as extreme sports go, running with the bulls in Pamplona basically, physio-chemically speaking, does the same thing to your body that illicit drugs do – only with an added chance of death by bull.
When you’re in dangerous situations, hormones released in your system give you the same rush as cocaine and heroin. Norepinephrine, dopamine, and endorphins are all released in your body when you take part in extreme sports like running with the bulls.
The Physiology Behind Extreme Sports
The endorphins push you through the pain of what you’re experiencing, but norepinephrine and dopamine enhance your performance. In other words, they make you stronger. They make you last longer.
And science tells us how addicting these drugs are, but we also know how much more powerful our natural versions are. Endorphins are 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to Psychology Today.
Just like a drug addict, we become addicted to the highs that our own bodies produce.
Why Cheap Activities Suit the Adrenaline Junkie
A drug addict will have to do more and more of the drugs they look for to get the same high they used to get with the first hit.
And so will an adrenaline junkie.
The more extreme the sport, the more dangerous the activity, the more the sportsman will have to compete to get the equivalent of his first high – going higher, deeper, or faster than ever each time.
So if you’re an adrenaline junkie looking for your next extreme sport, but find yourself without the money to satisfy your need, check out the following activities to satisfy your need and save your money.
Top 7 Extreme Sports for the Cheap Adrenaline Junkie
Zip Lining
Zip lining is gliding along a zip cord strung between two points at a high enough height to make it exciting. And in UK, at Liskeard Cornwall, you have the Adrenaline Quarry – the longest zip line in UK – already set up for you. You don’t have to get and maintain your own equipment. Get thrown off a cliff for £12.50, or for free if you can get a group of 10+ to go – http://www.adrenalinquarry.co.uk/price/
Base Jumping
At that same Adrenaline Quarry, you can pay to base jump. Or you can find your own spots and do it for free. If you want to make it a super rush, jump into Blue Lagoon – in January.
Street Luge
Street luging is perfect rush for speed lovers. Once you’ve advanced at the sport, you can easily reach speeds of 80mph. Relying on gravity and your own expertise in manuevering the board, and donning the full span of safety gear, you fly down the road dodging and turning – trying to stay atop your board. A pro board will cost £400 to £1000+, but it is much cheaper to make your own, here is construction guide. http://www.auldovertheroad.com/lugeboard.htm#guides
Caving
Caving is a sport that you made need a hand in at first, but walking beneath the Earth’s surface with the threat of entrapment and other dangers makes this adrenaline rush like no other. Joining a caving club like Westminster Speleological Club http://www.wsg.org.uk/online/join/ for a small fee of £52 per year is a good way to get started.
Ironman UK
The endurance event of all endurance events, the Ironman Triathalon has been held every year since 1978. Typically, it takes 17 hours to complete the circuit of swimming (3.86km), biking (180.25km) and running (42.2km) and many compete, not to win it, but to complete it or to beat their personal best at it. Traditionally held in Hawaii, there are events all over the world, and the Ironman UK will be held in June 2013.
Highlining
Highlining, a form of slacklining, is walking a tight rope that isn’t tight. And may often be done over water (then called waterlining). Without the use of safety equipment, you try to get across the height without falling and breaking anything – or worse.
Parkour/FreeRunning
Looking for the ultimate in free extreme sport activities? Look down at your two feet. It doesn’t get any cheaper than that. Parkour and freerunning is little more than running an obstacle course that you and your friends set up. Make it as difficult or as dangerous as you can for the ultimate free adrenaline high.
What extreme sports do you recommend for saving money and getting thrills?
This was a guest post by Julian Hearn, a friend and also the Founder of Happier a super friendly money saving community.
Alrighty – I have not been ziplining, as it doesn’t terribly interest me. There is a new one in my town actually, it opened last summer.
I’ve been slacklining, but suck badly enough when I’m only a foot off of the ground! Never tried parkour though I know someone who was into it long before it hit the mainstream.
I really want to go hanggliding or paragliding!
Base jumping is wicked dangerous, though I can definitely see its appeal.
I’ve been street luging and caving
I’ve also been skydiving, bungee jumping and a few other things
Zipling is surprisingly fun… I tried it in Roatan (Honduras) and it was insanely fast!! I have also been skydiving, caving and bungee jumping which i LOVED!! Next one for me is a Base Jump!
How was street luging when you tried?
It was fun, but in a different sort of way that I don’t truly appreciate, because I did it in high school. My friends built a street luge in shop class, heh. Then we had this system on a mostly abandoned hill where a car would lead and a car would follow, to make sure nothing happened from other cars. It was pretty nuts! I never went very far at all.
That sounds INSANE!!!!!!! I would love to try this now. The reason I have to be scared would be getting run over!!!
You are a bit of an adrenaline-junkie too huh?
All of this sounds like so much fun! Going to add most of these to my bucket list
I’ve done some cliff jumping, skydiving, slacklining and freerunning before–I love it all!
We would get on VERY well!
Street Luge has always looked pretty mental to me when I’ve seen it on the TV, Love to give it a go!
I wouldn’t know where to start… it is the one thing that scares me most… even more than base jumping!!
Yes the advert for the red bull street luge does look crazy, some of the crashes look pretty nasty, and those are the crashes they show in the adverts I but there were some worst ones that can’t show.
I’ve never tried any of these sports either but base jumping off a cliff sounds pretty cool.
Those all look frightening!!!
So which one are you going to try Holly??
I would possibly zipline. Other than that, I would be afraid to hurt myself!
I think I’m the opposite of an adrenaline junkie. I would, at some point in my life, life to complete a tough mudder though (google it, it’s terrifying!)
I am already entering 2 of these this year!
One in June and the other in October… training is already underway! You should do it too….
Wow seriously? that is amazing! I’m training for my first half marathon this spring, if that goes alright, I’ll feel more confident about my chance of surviving a tough mudder.
Though terrifying I *may* try zip lining…one day….I have a terrible irrational fear of heights.
Wow, these are a little too much for me. I always kind of wanted to jump out of a plane and parachute down. Don’t know if I will ever have the guts to do it.
I must be too old because the only one that sounded fun was ziplining. There are lots of hang gliders, ultralight plane, and paragliders here. I guess because of the thin air? I’ve been asked to go up on an ultralight, but just can’t bring myself to do it. Maybe someday.
I hear you Kim, I’m 40 now and a lot of these sound a little too dangerous for me. Especially now I got a little boy, I don’t want him to go up with a father, so base jumping and a few others are now off limits.
I’ve always thought that I’d like to try ziplining. The other extreme sports don’t really appeal to me. I guess I’m just boring
I’m such an adrenaline junkie. I’m having a large order of the physio-chemically high with a chance of death by bull this July.
Wow! That sounds awesome… cant wait to hear how that goes. I think we would get on like a house on fire!