Do you remember the days when you were active and indulged in sports. Be it a game of football or cricket in your alley or shooting 3 pointers at your college’s basketball court, running all over the place with your friends created cherished memories. If this was an integral part of your childhood, you are familiar with the health benefits of playing sports!
Sports ensures that you are active both mentally and physically. As you grow older, sometimes due to responsibilities, work, family or other reasons, we tend to give up on our favorite hobby. We have seen so many cases where a person who used to play a sport, gave up and gained weight.
In most cases, once they began playing their favorite sport once again, their body accelerated much faster than the others and they lost all the stubborn fat they couldn’t get rid of otherwise. This happens primarily because your cells have the memory of being active. Remember that it is never too late to start again!
Sports as an extracurricular activity in school and college not only gave you a break from your studies but also helped you get healthier. How you ask? Let’s find out!
6 Health Benefits of Playing Sports
- It teaches you to be patient, have a fighting spirit, and never settle for less in life.
- Studies show that, children who have been into sports or are blessed with super active genes are quick learners, very social, perform better at any given task, are more attentive in class and their grasping powers are much better than the others.
- Sports at an early age helps in life-long fitness habits.
- Earlier it was believed that any type of physical exertion can make a person feel more tired and less attentive. This belief was nothing more than a myth. Active people are more intellectual and perform better as compared to sedentary people.
- Looking at the growing occurrence of Teenage Obesity, sports can be a great and fun way to help them get back into shape.
- Any sport or activity will give you a dash of endorphins, reducing any kind of stress and keeping you happy!
So don’t sit back and think you’re too old for this or too old to get back to the sport you love! Wake up your inner child, grab your equipment, play a sport and encourage those around you to as well!
If you don’t have a favorite sport or activity, you can always start running. Join the Fit India Freedom Run by downloading the GOQii App and run for a healthy India! For tips on sports and running, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to live sessions by experts on GOQii Play.
Happy National Sports Day!
#BeTheForce
Hi,
My name is Manik. I love playing badminton but due to busy schedule at home and office can’t take out time for playing.
Recently I have decided to give at least 30 min of my time for playing this game twice or thrice in a week.
I have 14 months baby, I am a working women and my work lifestyle is sedentary.
If I make this effort will it help me to lose some weight?
Pls guide. I am not a professional player.
Hi Manik
Glad to know, that you are keen to take it up, inspite of the busy schedule. I would suggest you to take up the sport as your passion for it and not as a practise to lose weight. Once you do so, you will be happily active and you will eventually increasing your metabolism.
Hi I am Deepak once a national ranking player of TT and squash . But today i cannot play as i am suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and advised to stay away from racket games however I am playing golf twice a week inspite of my busy schedule. Sports of any form must be played to keep one self healthy and free the mind from junk.
Hi Deepak
Thanks for writing in, Rheumatoid Arthritis, can be improved and worked on too. If not playing all the time, you can surely play it once a while.
I was also a player of volleyball in school time and I would like to tell you that I will surely start playing it again…
Sports is essential for a healthy body . But they change with age. Initially at 16 to 20 played football, then till 45 basketball and then there was lull till 52, then I took to golf.
Golf is essential for a happy life n character building. It is exhilarating n nostalgic.
In any sports you release dopamine, especially in jogging, ao necessary for brain and overall health.
So true…Now post 50 am thoroughly enjoying various sporting activities , swimming, badminton cricket etc.
Been a sportswomen during my school and childhood days.