Archery is one of the most interesting sports. Yet it’s one of the most underrated activities to try in order to get in shape.
So, does archery burn calories?
Yes, you may not realize it. But you’re burning calories every time you shoot arrows at the range. Not only does archery involve equipment and skills, but it’s also an unusual form of exercise that not many are aware of.
So, how many calories does archery burn? And why should you be trying it out? Let’s look at what archery has to offer by exploring the true calories burned per hour!
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Is archery a good workout?
It may not be as obvious as some of our other sports. Nevertheless, archery can offer a pretty decent workout. Depending on how much energy you put into it, shooting a bow can be one of those cardio-intensive sports.
Archery is an excellent upper body workout that also improves coordination and balance. Shooting a bow helps strengthens your core, hands, arms, chest, and shoulders.
But it offers more than physical health benefits. Archery also improves mental health by promoting confidence, patience, and focus.
Simply put, archery is a well-rounded workout that benefits you physically and emotionally.
Number of Calories Burn In Archery
So, how many calories do you burn doing archery? Well, it’s impossible to calculate exactly how many calories you burn in archery. Still, we can at least make an educated guess based on research and what we know about archery form and biomechanics.
According to a study by Havard University, you burn about 100 calories for 30 minutes of archery.
However, the number of calories can be a bit more or less depending on your body weight.
The heavier you are, the more calories you burn. For instance, a 185-pound person burns more calories from archery than a 125-pound person.
According to the archery calories burned calculator, you burn 2 calories per hour for every pound of weight. This means that a 150-pound archer burns 300 calories per hour, i.e., 150 x 2 = 300.
What muscles do archery work?
Does archery build muscle? The short answer is yes.
By most accounts, archery doesn’t do much for your muscles. Unlike weightlifting, it doesn’t use a lot of muscle groups, nor does it demand a great deal of physical exertion. That said, there are still some benefits to practicing archery.
For one thing, you need to draw your bow by pulling back with your arm and shoulder. Over time, that’s bound to build up some muscle in those areas.
In addition, archers need to hold their bow at full draw for extended periods of time—again, an exercise that works out different parts of your body. And then there’s conditioning—specifically, building up endurance so you can keep shooting without tiring out too quickly.
All told, it might not be as intense as other workouts. But that doesn’t mean archery is completely free from muscle-building effects. It just means they take longer to kick in.
Shooting bow targets different muscle groups. It builds and tones up chest, back, abdominal, lower back, and shoulder muscles. Also, it builds triceps, biceps, and deltoids.
Archery best practices to stay fit
Archery will make you fit. But don’t expect any miracles. Here are some best practices you need to incorporate for quicker and better results.
- Combine archery with a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating healthy by avoiding fast foods
- Increase the draw weight gradually. Just as in weightlifting, as you increase the weight, you build more muscle.
- Practice archery regularly. By simply repeating it again and again over time, you’ll build and tone your muscles tremendously.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that archery offers many health benefits, both physical and mental. So next time you’re looking for a way to incorporate exercise into your day, consider hitting up an archery range.
Archery will not only help you burn calories and build muscle, but it also provides an outlet for competition and stress relief.
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