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.
Base jumping is wicked dangerous, though I can definitely see its appeal.
I’ve been street luging and caving 🙂 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’ve also been skydiving, bungee jumping and a few other things 🙂 I really want to go hanggliding or paragliding!
Anne @ Unique Gifter recently posted..Honeymoon Gift Basket Ideas
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?
savvyscot recently posted..7 Extreme Sports for the Cheap Adrenaline Junkie
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.
Anne @ Unique Gifter recently posted..Honeymoon Gift Basket Ideas
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 🙂
😀 ! My next big one is Base Jumping…. better do it quick before little ones come along and I am banned forever! 😉
savvyscot recently posted..7 Extreme Sports for the Cheap Adrenaline Junkie
I’ve done some cliff jumping, skydiving, slacklining and freerunning before–I love it all! 🙂
The Happy Homeowner recently posted..Kick Your Debt to the Curb in Four Easy Steps
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!
Money Bulldog recently posted..Alternative Investments: Precious Metals
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.
Julian Hearn recently posted..The secrets to happiness and becoming a better person
I’ve never tried any of these sports either but base jumping off a cliff sounds pretty cool.
Chris @ Stumble Forward recently posted..How to Control Your Debt to Income Ratio – A Guide For Beginners
🙂 Glad you agree – going to try?
Those all look frightening!!!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..Parenting: Go the Fuck to Sleep
So which one are you going to try Holly?? 🙂
I would possibly zipline. Other than that, I would be afraid to hurt myself!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..Juicing Vegetables: My Unfrugal Obsession
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!)
Jordann @ My Alternate Life recently posted..Why I Care About What I Eat
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.
Jordann @ My Alternate Life recently posted..Why I Care About What I Eat
Though terrifying I *may* try zip lining…one day….I have a terrible irrational fear of heights.
Catherine recently posted..The Sexiest Thing My Money Has Bought
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.
Debt and the Gril recently posted..This is my 100th Post!!
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.
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..How to Retire in Ten Years, Regardless of Your Age
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.
[email protected] recently posted..Why you should NEVER buy gift vouchers
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 😉
KK @ Student Debt Survivor recently posted..Honoring Dr. King’s Birthday With a Day Off?
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.
Stephen S. recently posted..The New York Experience
Wow! That sounds awesome… cant wait to hear how that goes. I think we would get on like a house on fire! 🙂
Mountain biking (downhill or stunts or North Shore), capoeira (brazilian martial art/dance/acrobatics), racing criteriums on a road bike, racing cyclocross, true sprinting i.e. training for and racing as a sprinter 60m-400m, snowboarding, skiing, ball hockey (Canadian thing), AFL, high ball bouldering, trampoline, muay thai, and boxing.
Great Post! I’ve been an adrenaline junkie my entire life. I’d have to recommend downhill longboarding. I’ve done both downhill longboarding and street luge and I’d have to say that I got a much bigger rush from standing on my feet on the longboard than lying on my back on the street luge. Top speeds were similar for both.
Bull running is a good one aha
There are many misconceptions about extreme sports and about the people who do them.
For those who actively participate in any extreme sport they know that it isn’t just about the ‘rush’, although this is always a bonus.
It has as much to do with the freedom, the moment, the outstanding locations, the scenery and the people as it is to do with the rush. Far away from an office or a concrete jungle and noise. Blue skies, green fields, crystal clear waters. These all add to the experience and are as important as the sport itself.
In my experience as a skydiver I can spend 12 hours on a DZ and do 6 or more jumps throughout the day. If I can get their early enough and be their till the end I can do the sunrise and sunset jumps. Particularly awesome during a brisk winters day when the sky is at its cleanest and clearest.
So relaxing being around the most mellow people on the planet who all share the same outlook on that particular day. Focus is on safety, preparing, perfecting a particular move, having fun, enjoying the experience, relaxing and chatting. Then repeating as many times as the clouds, the daylight and the pilot permit.
Each jump will have two or three tandem students being taken up for their very first jump. Sitting next to them on the ride to altitude is an experience in itself because they ooze excitement, fear and anticipation. You can see it on their faces and hear it in their voices. Dry mouthed and trying to force a smile. We have a laugh and crack a few jokes and point out the loose stitching on their safety harness and tell them that the tandem master has forgotten to take his meds this morning so they best keep him awake etc. All in good humour. The real smile appears once they are out of the door, stable and realise that they can breath.
Blue skies
When your an adrenaline junkie you crave danger lol. Ive broken 4 bones which isnt too bad consider im a hardcore snowboarder
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