A good majority of us live a sedentary life, sitting before the computer for long hours and taking up too much stress from our job to our head. People think this is a way of life and sitting inside an air-conditioned room on a lumbar support chair and concentrating on work for ten hours a day is a successful carrier. But that is not true, with advanced age, leading such lifestyle will only take a deleterious toll on one’s mental and physical health. Leading a sedentary lifestyle will wither out the bones and joints, helps in the accumulation of cholesterol in the body and will do much less in refreshing the mind.
To safeguard one’s mental and physical health, it is thus important to practice some activity, preferably some form of sports. This will not only develop a hobby for your leisure but will also help you to socialize and lead a holistically healthy life. Also, there is a clear advantage of choosing a sport over spending time is a gym, chasing a treadmill. Let us discuss the health benefits of playing sports and making it an integral part of our life routine.
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Advantages of Playing Sports
Getting involved in a sport over a period of time helps in keeping the body fat levels under control. This will be of much use for people over 40 years of age, as it reduces the risks of hypertension and heart attacks.
Regular sports activity helps in strengthening the bones and for women, it would be of great use as their blood calcium levels start to deplete after they are 30 years of age. Practicing some sort of sports as a family improves flexibility for both children and adults and helps in gaining stamina in the body.
By chasing a ball in a court or in the field, we surely develop excellent skills both physically and mentally and they will surely help us develop as a person holistically. Let us discuss the mental, physical and emotional benefits, a sports activity can bring to your life here.
Physical Health Benefits of Playing Sports
Playing sports is an excellent form of physical activity and exercise for the entire body. For instance, in a gym, you will be training your body parts through different equipment separately, for example, dumbbells for arms, treadmill for legs and abdomen, pull-ups for thorax and arms, etc. But while running around and playing a sport, you exercise your body as a whole and put each of your bones and muscle into action. although make sure you give your body enough protein to give the best benefits of playing. You can either use protein powder or good protein-rich food.
It helps in enhancing coordination between different body parts and improves concentration on the whole. You will be less likely to develop degenerative brain disorders later in your life such as Parkinson’s and Dementia.
The various state departments of Health and Human Services recommend all people to get at least 30 minutes of vigorous activity three times a week to keep them less prone to certain metabolic disorders.
Spending energy on a sport will starve diseases like diabetes, hypertension and joint disorders and helps you spend the rest of your life happily and healthily.
Body Mass Index is the indication of how healthy you are, as it is the ratio between one’s height to their weight. A BMI of greater than 20 is considered unhealthy and can pose a series of health threats for the individual. The center for disease prevention states that participating in a regular sport such as cycling, football, hockey or tennis will be highly effective in getting rid of additional calories. Thus, you will end up building muscles and not fat and helps in keeping your BMI within limits.
Spending a good amount of time during the day on your favorite sport helps you with long hours of quality sleep. It helps improve your attention and concentration the next day and renders a positive impact on your mood.
Psychological Benefits of Indulging in Sports
You can take some stress in your game, maybe to win over your opponent, but once you are out of the court, you can feel an excellent sense of refreshment. Your mind will be free from stressors and helps you to keep negative thoughts at bay. Regular exercising stimulates your glands to secrete endorphins and reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body. You will see yourself feeling optimistic and relaxed after the game.
Though there is no proven scientific co-relation between playing sports and depression, playing sports will surely escalate your mood and fill your mind with joy and happiness. It helps your brain to secrete more neurotransmitters responsible for ecstasy and happiness.
Indulging in regular sports keeps your mental abilities sharp. You will develop critical thinking skills and will be fine-tuning your judgment skills as well. Kids who indulge in sports will learn better and be smart in class as well.
Emotional and Social Benefits
Finally
Playing sports will definitely make you healthier, physically, mentally and emotionally. The advantages are pronounced better in children than adults as they get acquainted with the sport at a young age. They will grow to be active adults and will develop good leadership skills apart from projective strong academic qualities. So, we hope to find you in a sports field shortly with your family, as sports always has a lot of benefits to give and nothing to take back.