How practicing a sport can change your life

Sport doesn't mean Gym

Let’s be real, we all know the benefits that come from doing exercise. Strength, health, resistance; those are the main things that come to mind when talking about exercising. But what happens when you want to exercise but you’re not a big fan of gyms?

Lifting weights and training with big machinery in a closed facility may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Also, most people have had enough of closed spaces during the last two years. What do you do when you want to exercise outdoors?

That’s why practicing a sport can be the best option for you if you’re not the type of person who enjoys training in a gym.

And before you ask, yes you can get all of the benefits of gym training from practicing a team sport or a sport in general, especially if your main goal is focused on your overall health rather than physical appearance.

Let’s see some of the things you’ll notice once you start practicing a sport.

Health benefits

Improve your cardiac health

Heart diseases are the number one cause of death in many countries, that’s why taking care of your cardiac system should be a priority. Practicing sports decreases the risks of heart disease and lowers your blood pressure like nothing else.

Sports that can contribute to your heart’s health are swimming, racket sports, and any aerobic activities.

Reduce the risk of diabetes

High-quality food is not available for many people, this is something that leaves most of us at risk of developing diabetes, especially if you have diabetic people in your family. Sports can help you through aerobic and strength building activities, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Reduce body fat

The spinal cord of weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. This can be achieved through sports that require short bursts of intense effort, like kickball! Also, any sport you practice will require you to burn a lot of calories; combined with a good diet you can lose weight more effectively than ever.

Social benefits

Socializing is like doing exercise: you need to move those muscles every once in a while. If your routine and work are making socializing harder for you, then you should try a sports team!

Team sports diversify your social connections

Most of the time, the only thing you’ll have in common with your teammates is the interest for the sport. This opens a window of opportunities of meeting new people and even making some contacts.

Teamwork

Especially for people who work independently, teamwork is a fun and healthy way in which you can bond with other people and practice patience, communication and trust.

Leadership

Teams need someone who guides them and values the best in every member, so a sport can be the perfect opportunity to test your leadership skills as well as your companionship and empathy.

Psychological benefits

Sports reduce stress and anxiety

It has been proved over and over again that exercising reduces the hormones that induce stress (cortisol and adrenaline), as well as amping up the production of hormones that help you stay in a better mood (like dopamine).

Improved self-esteem

even though our value should not be tied up to how we look, when we improve our appearance, we feel better than ever before. Sports help you improve your appearance and reach your fitness goals. Also, sports highlight your abilities, something that also improves your perception of yourself.

I’ve never practiced a sport… Can I start now?

Many people have been practicing a sport since they were little, but most people either ditch that sport or never practiced one. There’s a common myth that adults can’t practice certain disciplines, but that will always depend on you, how much you want to practice and how you start with that sport.

Still, you may find this list of the best sports to start practicing as an adult helpful.

How practicing a sport can change your life