Recreational sports can be a lot of fun, as well as a good way to stay in shape. But that’s not all. These sports have many benefits, which can vary from one sport to another, but are similar in helping you maintain your overall health and remaining socially active, no matter your age. So, here are some benefits of recreational sports you may not have known about.
Stress relief
Physical activity can help you get rid of all the stress that you’ve built up dealing with everyday problems. When you work out, your mind wanders off your problems and any stressors, leaving you with mostly positive thoughts. Exercising helps reduce the level of stress hormones in your body, while stimulating endorphin production. Endorphins are chemicals produced by your central nervous system, and their main function is to make you feel better, causing pleasure, pain relief and even euphoria. Basically, they do what prescription anti-anxiety pills do, but without all the side effects and risk of addiction. So, by releasing these chemicals through recreational exercise, your body lowers the stress levels and makes you feel upbeat and better about yourself and the world.
Better mood
Whether you decide to take long walks, go jogging, work out in a gym or opt for a team sport, any recreational activity will help boost your mood. As mentioned above, physical activity will trigger chemicals in your brain and make you feel relaxed and happier. In particular, team sports are great for unwinding, giving you a chance to connect with your teammates, friends or family members in a healthy, recreational ambience. When participating in team sports, such as soccer, you learn how to put the wellbeing of others above your own, to overcome problems and solve them for the benefit of the team. And the best thing is, it doesn’t have to be a professional practice. You can get portable lightweight soccer goals for your backyard and spend quality time with your kids or have fun with your friends. It will leave you feeling more self-confident and will help reduce anxiety or depression by bonding with others and working towards a common goal (pun intended).
Weight regulation
Issues with weight can only be partially solved through regulating our diet, making recreational exercise an important way to control your weight. Whichever type of physical exercise you opt for, it will help you deal with this problem. And although it may seem that certain individual sports, like cycling, jogging or gym practice are the most effective way to burn calories, don’t forget that most team sports require you to run and are pretty aerobic, allowing you to stay within your desired weight limits. By maintaining a healthy weight, you reduce the chances of getting diabetes, high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels.
Improved health
Last, but definitely not least, recreational sports are very beneficial to your health. Being physically active might help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. It may also prevent some types of cancer. It strengthens your bones and muscles, making it less likely to get osteoporosis. It enhances your flexibility, stamina, coordination and balance, improves the condition of your cardiovascular system and can add years to your life. It’s also very helpful for those who suffer from insomnia, since it might drastically improve the quality of sleep. Plus, when you work out, you sweat, which is a way for your body to get rid of any toxins. Sports can also make your mind sharper, especially competitive team sports, where you have to think and react quickly and in coordination with your teammates in order to reach victory for your team. However, before joining any team, you should be aware that some team sports, like ice hockey or American football can lead to injuries, like sprains or broken limbs, but also concussions and brain trauma.
There is a whole list of good reasons to take up a recreational sport. For the sake of your health and mental wellbeing, choose the one that best works for you and get moving as soon as possible.