Fitness Benefits Of Team Sports

For some people exercising alone is boring. What they are looking for is camaraderie, rules, points, and the chance to do the happy dance when the game is won. Ultimately, team sports give a person an entertaining way to get or stay fit and learn some life lessons along the way.

Aerobic Exercise

Yes, there is a bit of sweat and heavy breathing that must take place when playing an active team sport. But, this is good news. Aerobic exercise is known to:

• Reduce health risks like cancer, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
• Maintain weight or even lose that muffin top and find that six pack.
• Up the good cholesterol and lower the bad cholesterol
• Increase lung capacity to operatic proportions.
• Make a fine human specimen who has great stamina and toned body.
• Remove nasty dispositions by elevating mood.
• Boost the immune system to ward off nasty viruses.

Social Interaction

With all of the technology in use by people today, it becomes quite easy to sequester oneself into a type of solitary confinement. Face-to-face conversations (that’s talking to one another while in the same physical space) are supplanted by texting, tweeting, and social networking. Team sports keep the ancient ability to speak to others alive. It becomes a great way to practice this dying art.

Life Lessons

A famous sportscaster, Howard Cosell, said, “Sports is human life in microcosm.” There many areas of team sports that can help make a person’s life better.

• Losing is never fun, but in the confines of team sport, people will be introduced to many ways in which to learn how to handle losing. However, some will never learn how to lose gracefully.
• Setting and reaching goals are helpful tools whether for the team or the individual. Some people have this mastered; others need to be reminded a lot.
• Teams are a great way to learn communication skills, not only through voice but also through hand signals, or other physical gestures. Working on this skill can help a person interact with the world more intuitively.

Benefits for Children

Generally, children learn about healthy activity through sports. By being active in youth, it is more likely that a child will be active in adult life. Additionally, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases attributed to being overweight is lower in active children.

Carrying Mr. Cosell’s quote to the little tykes, the microcosm of sport becomes a classroom for life. They learn about rules, and hopefully, how to follow them. Qualities, such as how to lead, share, and compete well may surface. Participating in team sports can also show how to handle losing and winning. A sportive spirit may be instilled during play that can be carried into life.

Team sports make getting into or maintaining fitness fun. Participating in these activities throughout life can help make a well-rounded and healthy person. Even without a history of playing on teams, a person can learn at most any age and physical condition.

Author Profile

Keith Barrett is a sports fan and believes that many sports can offer exercise benefits. He’s used football trophies in the past to reward amateur players for their efforts.