TAMPA, Fla. – A dislocated jaw, broken ribs and 20 cases of cauliflower ear hasn't stopped Caroline Portugal from cage fighting.
"Take little diabetes syringes to remove the blood from the broken capillaries," Portugal said. "It definitely kicks your butt. It is the ultimate cardiovascular workout."
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Then there's Krizia Carr. She prefers aerial exercises.
Strength equals confidence," said Carr. "If you don't have that power, you doubt yourself, you think, oh my gosh, I don't want to let go. Whatever, you don't want to have that in the back of your mind because then you could make a fatal mistake."
Carr started flying on the trapeze when she was five years old. Carr said, "It's kind of like riding a bike. Once you learn the tricks, you are pretty much good for a while."
Jodi Hebert also runs through mud and scales walls to get her kicks.
Herbert explained, "You get up it, it's like, 'wow' I did that, and it's a 10 foot wall. And you're thinking when have I ever tried to climb a 10 foot wall ever in my life?"
Exercise physiologist Jeanmarie Scordino says people who don't train properly for extreme workouts can end up with knee, lower back, and shoulder problems.
"Some of the stuff that's done is so extreme, and the body is not yet prepared for it. You're inherently going to up the chance of injuries and there are also a lot of heart attacks that occur with a lot of these races," warned Scordino.
A study in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found benefits drop off the longer and harder you exercise and extreme workouts can damage your heart. Another study found runners were 19-percent less likely to die than non-runners but the benefits of exercise decreased for those who logged more than 20 miles a week. The bottom line is if you're going to go extreme, be safe and remember – extreme isn't for everyone.
Also, participation in sports like baseball and basketball are down 28 percent and 17 percent. But partaking in extreme sports like skateboarding is up 49 percent and snowboarding is up 51 percent.
Additional Information:
Extreme endurance exercise can be very dangerous. A review was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings and said that the longer and harder you exercise, the more your benefits begin to drop. Not only that, but the review also said that extreme workouts can be harmful to your heart. In an editorial in the journal Heart, cardiologists encourage people to take part in moderate exercise because that has the most benefits to the body. Overall, your body will be in better shape now and in the future, if you don't push it too hard. A study in 2012 discovered that people who run are 19% less likely to die than people who don't run. However runners who run more than 20 miles per week saw a decrease in benefits. Some researchers however argue that and are saying exercising over an hour doesn't decrease your health benefits but rather they remain the same, so you don't gain or lose. The battle between how much is too much will continue to be a debate for a long time.
(Source: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/cardio/can-extreme-endurance-exercise-kill)
POPULARITY OF EXTREME SPORTS TODAY: Extreme sports have become more popular. Traditional sports like football, soccer, basketball, and baseball are still very popular, but a new group of sports is gaining popularity. The top five extreme sports include inline skating, skateboarding, paintball, artificial wall climbing and snowboarding. Since 1987, this has caused a 28% decrease in baseball, a 17% decrease in basketball, and a 36% decrease in volleyball, while skateboarding has increased 49%.
(Sources: http://www.momsteam.com/sports/snowboarding/extreme-sports-ranking-high-in-popularity)
EFFECTS OF EXTREME SPORTS: Because of the intensity and danger of extreme sports some participants are getting hurt, and sometimes it even involves hospitalization. However reports are saying these sports aren't as dangerous as most people would think. In the past four years only 139 documented people were hospitalized from skateboarding injuries. Snowboarding has about four injuries per 1,000 boarders and most often they are from falling while attempting tricks. While there is still a chance of getting hurt in any sport, most are happy with the exercise children are receiving. Instead of sitting at home, kids are being active, which should help with the obesity impact in America if these sports continue to grow.
(Source: http://xtremesport4u.com/EXTREME-LAND-SPORTS/EXTREME-SPORT-GROWING-IN-POPULARITY/)