Health and fitness are increasingly a part of everyday life, with more and more people taking up sports to keep fit whilst enjoying themselves and contributing to a healthier lifestyle. Ease of access to information regarding health and what can aid it has never been greater, and combined with the popularity of online fitness influencers, this has played a huge role in pushing more people to become aware and make changes to their diet and exercise regimen.
The Statistics Don’t Lie
There are so many more options available to people than just hitting the gym or going for a run now, and many are actively seeking to take part in more fun activities and sports that not only feed their competitive nature and desire to interact with others, but also help keep them in great shape and contribute to their health. Statistics show that 40.7% of adult males, and 31.7% of adult females in the UK take part in some kind of sporting activity on a weekly basis, which shows how popular playing sport is in this day and age and it also helps interest in sport as a whole.
But Which is Which?
All sports contribute to increased physical fitness and better overall health in human beings, but there are certainly some that offer greater benefits than others, and a few of those are very accessible to the average person looking to get involved in a sport and have fun at the same time.
Swimming for example, is easily accessible at hundreds of leisure centres across the UK, and is a fantastic way to get into shape, or to maintain fitness and body weight. Swimming is a full body workout that is excellent for joints and muscles, burns a lot of calories, and helps to improve lung capacity. It is also available to people all year round as indoor pools are not affected by weather, and it is a sport that welcomes people of all ages, body types, and physical abilities which gives people the chance to make new friends and it becomes a social activity too which is brilliant for mental health.
Tennis is another sport which offers a great balance between fitness and fun and is one of the best aerobic sports due to the amount of running one does between shots which is a good benefit to overall cardiovascular health. It is also brilliant for improving coordination and explosive strength as well as getting people interested in a spectator friendly sport that they can go and watch or tune in to on tv. Stamina, agility and muscle toning are also benefits of taking up tennis due to the repetitive movements and rapid changes of direction in a short period of time, core muscles and muscles in the arms are the main beneficiaries of this.
Tennis fans will be keenly awaiting next month’s US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York, where world number one and 20-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic is the strong favourite in the men’s draw at 8/11 and will be looking to win an unprecedented fourth major title in a single season after already winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. Meanwhile defending champion, and four-time grand-slam winner, Naomi Osaka is favoured on the women’s side at 4/1 odds for those wanting to get involved in UK sports betting.
The social side of tennis is another great example of how sport can benefit mental health as tennis clubs are often very friendly and welcoming and cater for players of all ages, making it a great place for people to meet new friends and have something to look forward to in their days, particularly in retirement. Another racket sport that offers health and fitness, as well as social benefits, is squash. Squash aids flexibility enormously and is also good for aerobic fitness.
Football is another sport that is both fun and fantastic for physical health. One of the most popular sports in the world played in over 250 countries worldwide, football is a great aerobic activity that reduces the risk of heart and lung disease and can aid in reducing body fat due to the running and explosive movements involved in it. Football is also brilliant for combating and preventing mental health issues like depression as it is a great team sport that encourages social interaction and develops friendships through on field competition and a shared experience of winning or losing. The ease of playing football makes it attractive to people from all backgrounds too as all you need is a ball to play, one can even practice without others if needed.
Undeniable
Sport is one of the best ways to improve one’s physical and mental wellbeing at all levels from beginner to elite levels. Tennis, Swimming and football in particular are all sports that offer huge health benefits especially for the muscles, heart and lungs, and also have that added social aspect that make them great for mental health too. These sports are all very accessible to anyone and everyone, and don’t cost a lot to participate in either. The importance of promoting participation in sports and making them available to all is enormous as they offer people the chance to be a part of something positive and can make a huge difference to the overall health of the population.