| If you're a true extreme sports fan, then you've | | | | more so. However, the mental conditioning is also |
| seen the incredible stunts of the Yasutoko | | | | an integral part of successfully training someone in |
| brothers... you're aware of the legend of Tony | | | | the world of extreme sports. |
| Hawk... and you've seen more than one brave | | | | Even if it doesn't look like it, concentration plays a |
| climber swing from ledge to ledge along a | | | | large part in extreme sports. The mind can't |
| complex artificial cliff face. Extreme sports | | | | afford distractions like nausea and migraine |
| professionals make it look easy, but the reality is | | | | headaches when you're several feet from the |
| that it is not. In fact, extreme sports require an | | | | ground and you're trying to figure out how many |
| extraordinary degree of precision and coordination | | | | times you can spin your body before you have |
| that borders on a need for perfection. In very | | | | to get back into landing position. Besides that, |
| few sports is one's sense of timing critical not | | | | your mind must also be attuned such that your |
| only to winning, but also to preventing serious, | | | | coordination is perfect, allowing you to impress |
| life-threatening injuries. Extreme sports are tagged | | | | people by pulling off nearly impossible stunts and |
| such for a very good reason. | | | | tricks. |
| For casual fans of extreme sports such as | | | | Interestingly, unlike other sports, the only real |
| skateboarding, aggressive in-line skating, and ice | | | | way to practice for extreme sports is to basically |
| climbing, the slightest mistake or a sudden burst | | | | do the same things, but without the competitive |
| of muscle spasms during competition can do | | | | setting. Which means that a person has to |
| more than just cause them to lose the game. | | | | expose himself to the same risks that he would |
| Forgetting to take a muscle relaxant at the right | | | | while in an exhibition or competition. Practicing for |
| time or losing your timing to mae that critical grab | | | | an extreme sport means that you have to take |
| could potentially lead to serious injuries or a fatal | | | | the same measures to avoid muscle spasms, |
| accident. | | | | nausea, migraine headaches, knee pain, lower back |
| All the dangers involved in doing extreme sports | | | | pain, and whatnot that you would if there was a |
| make it even more unbelievable when people like | | | | cash prize on the line. |
| Tony Hawk, Fabiola da Silva, and Matt Hoffman | | | | However, in contrast to the increased risk to |
| make it look so easy when they perform in their | | | | one's person if one gets these sorts of problems |
| respective extreme sports. The slightest | | | | in the middle of a "run," there is a lessened risk of |
| mistiming in getting one's body back to a proper | | | | the typical extreme sports athlete to actually |
| landing position could result in broken limbs, or | | | | develop an obvious physical problem. Extreme |
| worse. Muscle spasms can also be a problem for | | | | sports athletes tend to be serious about their |
| other sports. For sports that involve incredible | | | | training, but somehow maintain a generally |
| feats of physical coordination and strength, such | | | | laid-back attitude. This may seem rather |
| as ice climbing, any sort of muscle problem at the | | | | contradictory, but most athletes in this sport |
| wrong time can result in a drop from a great | | | | aren't as obsessive as athletes in other sports |
| height. | | | | are. There is a distinct lack of anxiety towards |
| The various physical hazards involved in extreme | | | | things like muscle structure and physical |
| sports require the same degree of dedicated | | | | dominance, as the sports tend to put more |
| practice and muscle training as other sports, if not | | | | emphasis on coordination and style. |