Almost everyone has a phase in their life at which they have a goal to change their body in some way, sometimes it's putting on more weight by eating more food.
MOST times however is losing weight, almost everyone who is trying to change their body is trying to lose a couple of pounds of body fat. Many people succeed and many people fail.
There are many approaches that you can take if you are looking to change the fitness level and the recomposition of your body. Some people turn to fasting, some turn to lowering their calories and some people turn to exercise such as weightlifting and cardio.
There are many changes that you can make to your life that will allow you to become a much more fit version of yourself (as long as you try really hard).
However, one thing a LOT of people overlook is SPORTS!
Sports are a great way to be shedding a lot of body fat as well as having LOADS of fun AT THE SAME TIME!!!
In this article we will be going over the 5 ways that playing sports can help you become much healthier and more fit!
Table of Contents
1. Burns a LOT of Calories
The main thing about sports is that they are usually very heavy in doing cardio which burns a LOT of calories which WILL HELP IN BURNING BODY FAT!
Although doing cardio isn't for everyone, the sheer enjoyment from doing sports will make you forget that you are even tired!
Although that statement seems kind of questionable, go out and play a sport that you like, and you'll be surprised on the amount of calories that you burnt while also having LOADS OF FUN!
Here is an example of how many calories can be burned by playing sports as someone who is 185 pounds (Statistics provided by Harvard Health)
Sport | Calories burned in 30 Minutes |
Basketball (Scrimmage Game) | 336 Calories |
Soccer (General Play) | 294 Calories |
Rollerblading/Skating (Casual) | 461 Calories |
Hockey (Field and Ice) | 336 Calories |
As you can see, these are a LOT of calories that are being burned in the span of ONLY 30 MINUTES!
2. Increase in Strength and Muscle Tone
Believe it or not, sports aren't all cardio!
There are numerous sports such as basketball, wrestling, football, soccer and many more that require the use of many muscle groups in order to play.
The more you play these sports, the more you use the muscle groups that are involved in playing these sports. These repetitive movements allow you to grow that muscle tissue and get stronger.
I have a LOT of friends who were on my high school football team and they ALL noticed a HUGE increase in strength when they were playing football. Even after the season was over they were able to enjoy their newfound strength and muscle mass.
The BEST sports for increasing overall strength and muscle tone are football and wrestling, as they are very physically demanding sports.
3. Mental Health Benefits
Although mental health may not be a struggle for all, the mental pressure of not liking the way you look physically can be combated by playing sports.
Not only are sports a fun way to get in a nice workout, but it is also a healthy way for you to escape reality for a little while and have some genuine enjoyment.
Especially if you are playing sports with some friends, they can be a super fun way to get fit physically AND mentally.
Me personally, going to the gym and playing basketball has made me a much happier as a person as I have a healthy way hobby that I can enjoy and get benefits out of!
4. Mobility and Flexibility Benefits
LOTS of sports such as gymnastics, martial arts, volleyball and basketball provide a WIDE range of physical motions for the body.
By repeating these movements through sports, you will find yourself to be able to do a lot more athletic movements and you will be much more flexible and mobile.
This will help you right now AND in the future (when you are more prone to have issues with mobility and flexibility) so you can live your life without any hassle of being immobile.
5. Better Heart Health
Sports are a from of cardio, your cardiovascular health is another term for you heart health.
By constantly "training" your heart by doing sports and burning calories, you will find yourself with MUCH better heart health as you will find yourself to be less tired when doing anything physical.
Also, you will find that your heart will beat at a healthier pace (this applies if you are overweight as overweight individuals tends to have higher heart rates).
Overall, it is PROVEN that by doing more exercise for the heart, you will be able to reduce your risk of many heart related problems!
Conclusion
Overall, sports are a great, fun, beginner friendly way to start getting more fit.
Many people struggle with the exercise aspect of getting fit. Sports counters this by providing a fun way to burn a LOT of calories as well as to increase strength and muscle tone by doing repetitive movements that promote muscle growth.
Sports also provide other physical benefits such as increased mobility and flexibility that can help you avoid having problems when you are older.
Finally, sports are also a great way to improve your mental health, by exercising, improving your physical image and by having great friends to play sports with you, you get get healthier not just with the body, but with the mind as well!
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great time playing some sports!
Just a young man trying to bring fitness to the world!
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