Shooting for a Total Body Workout in 2025

As we step into 2025, many of us are looking for new ways to stay active and improve overall wellness. While shooting isn’t going to offer a workout rivaling a spin class or running a marathon. Ditto when compared to swimming a mile.

Although the caloric burn rate might be minimal with shooting, the sport does offer a number of health benefits that go beyond working up a sweat.

Physical benefits include increased strength, stamina, balance, and hand-eye coordination. It takes arm and wrist strength to fire a pistol, while shooting a rifle calls for arm and upper body strength. Remaining still in your shooting stance, meanwhile, requires strong core muscles.

Then there’s the mental fitness aspect. Shooting sports require eliminating outside distractions and focusing on the target. It’s crucial to maintain tunnel vision while ensuring proper finger placement and breathing so your hunting and shooting ammo hits its target. 

With adrenaline levels increasing prior to shooting, this leads to the breakdown of glycogen and the subsequent release of glucose, the latter providing energy for the body.Slow and steady breathing is crucial to successful shooting. This breathing pattern has a calming effect that can be applied to shooting and other aspects of life.

Equally important is self-discipline and the willingness to practice while maintaining consistent and proper technique. While others are practicing sports that are considered cooler and offer more of a workout, shooters reap such subtle benefits as greater focus and concentration.

So, if you’re setting your sights on a total body workout in 2025, shooting sports are right on target.