Reasons to Play Sport
If you have been thinking of taking up a new sport then chances are that you’re picking a sport you’re interested in or that you enjoyed as a kid and just want to do it again as a way to pass the time and have a little fun.
However playing a sport is actually much better for you than all that. While we shouldn’t knock ‘just having fun’ (that is the filling in the sandwich of life after all), playing sports is also very good for us and can help us to improve ourselves in many ways. Here we will look at what those are.
Of course playing sports is incredibly good for our health. First and foremost it will get our heart rate up which will train our heart (it’s a muscle after all) and reduce our chances of heart attack or stroke. Furthermore though this will also improve our body’s ability to make and use energy, and this will ensure that we can engage in any activity for considerably longer before we start gasping for air and wheezing. On top of all that, there’s also the fact that sport is good for our muscles, and by running around a lot you’ll cause tiny microtears in your muscle fiber that get heled and lead to hypertrophy – the technical term for muscle growth.
And as though that wasn’t enough you will gain more benefits from the chemicals and hormones produced when you play sports – you’ll find that you end up producing more growth hormone which will help your body to heal wounds and fight colds, and more testosterone which will build your muscle and burn your fat.
You’ll lose fat, you’ll get fresh air… there are countless health benefits to sports, and the good news is that unlike the gym this is actually fun meaning you’re more likely to continue.
Mental Performance
Playing sports isn’t just good for the body, but also the mind. The exertion alone will first of all improve your memory and your alertness and any form of CV can have those effects. At the same time though the fact that you need to be so aware of what’s going on around you, and that you need to plan strategies and read the minds of the opponents and perform under pressure will all make you quicker witted and more alert. Ever wonder why the jocks at school never stumbled over their words?
Sociability
Playing sports is of course a highly sociable activity. It’s something you can do with your friends, a shared interest, and a perfect way to develop teamwork and leadership skills. Whether you just play sports or hit the pub afterward this can cement friendships but it can also help you to generally be better at interacting in a group – and hanging out with other people is also very good for your mental health yet again. And if you don’t play the sports with your friends then this is also a great way to bond with the kids or the family at large.
Chad Moreau is passionate about writing on sports on his bolg. He has come up with his recent blog on hockey training to provide help to the folks with online training programs.
cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by vramak