Taking up a sport is a fun way to get fit
If your enthusiasm for working out is on the wane, taking up a sport could banish your boredom – and give you some extra benefits, too!
Tennis
Play a few games of tennis and you’ll get a great cardiovascular work-out – and one that burns calories, too. Playing tennis can burn more than doing aerobics or cycling. Tennis is also believed to be good for hand-eye coordination, and it tests your brain as you seek ways to outwit your partner. Join a tennis club to take up some lessons and you could improve your social life, too.
Essential equipment: A racquet, balls, a court, trainers and a willing partner!
Benefits: Good for general fitness, coordination and your social life
Football
Inspired by the World Cup? Football has plenty of health benefits – all that running around helps build your fitness and stamina, while the fancy footwork required when you dribble and tackle can help develop better balance and coordination. Either sexes can play – search for football teams in your area.
Essential equipment: A ball, a football pitch
Benefits: Builds stamina
Netball
Trying your hand at netball will vastly improve your aerobic fitness as the court is relatively small in team sport terms and the three-second limit on holding the ball means sharp bursts of activity. It also involves vertical jumping, short sprinting and quick changes of direction beneficial for leg strength. There is no running with the ball, so the continual chest passes are good for toning the arms.
Essential equipment: A court, a team to play with and a ball
Benefits: A gentle way to build up your fitness levels
Rugby
Rugby is a game for people of all different shapes and sizes and is a true sport for all. The varying positions mean that different attributes are required and therefore a cross section of society is able to play. It benefits both aerobic and anaerobic fitness as sharp bursts are combined with a more steady level of exercise. Speed and agility are both improved by playing rugby.
Essential equipment: A rugby ball and some friends who won’t tackle too hard to start with...
Benefits: Hopefully an injury-free route to improved fitness and a better social life
Volleyball
Volleyball is a fast-moving game, with players occupying a set position while each point is played out. Lots of bending and quick sharp movements improve aerobic fitness. Playing volleyball enhances energy levels, fuelling a person’s capacity to perform well. Apart from helping to promote hand-eye coordination and fast reflexes, playing volleyball is also a good work-out to build up leg muscles and to keep your body fit and firm.
Essential equipment: An indoor court and some tall friends
Benefits: A good work-out with no physical contact
Hockey
A game of hockey will not only benefit your cardiovascular capacity but also your co-ordination and agility. It involves considerable amounts of running and direction changes which build strength in both upper and lower legs. It develops good hand-to-eye co-ordination and core skills through formal game play and team tactics. A popular family-orientated sport, it often has a good social side too.
Essential equipment: A hockey stick, boots and shin pads
Benefits: Improved general fitness
Squash
A short time on the squash court provides a highly intense workout, building muscular strength in the lower body with almost constant lunging and direction changes. Be warned you will feel the effects for a few days after your first game, but your hand-eye co-ordination will improve no end. Make sure you warm up thoroughly beforehand.
Essential equipment: A racquet, ball and court to play on
Benefits: A high level of fitness, stress relief