Playing Sports vs. Running

All of us know that we need to exercise, a lot of us just have trouble getting motivated to do it. Anyone who has brought up this concern to a doctor, an expert, or just a friend have heard the reply, “well, just do something you enjoy, play sports or something.” Levitra

Any exercise is good exercise, so of course there is nothing wrong with playing sports. They are enjoyable, there is the social aspect, and its a lot easier to be motivated to play football than to go to the gym. With sports being such an enjoyable form of exercise one starts to wonder if it is really doing as much good.

To the seriously health conscious person the question arises, are some forms of exercise better than others? Running is becoming an increasingly popular form of exercise because you can do it by yourself and on your own schedule. But it also lets you have a lot of control over the intensity and time of the exercise you are getting

So is running better for you than playing a sport? A study was done where a group of women were chosen to run everyday and a group of women were chosen to play soccer everyday. At the end of the study, the soccer girls were in better shape than the runners.

Not only that, the sports route offers more benefits than just being in shape. As we mentioned before, there is the social aspect and its easier to get motivated to do it. After the study the soccer group kept playing everyday whereas a lot of the runners gave up. In fact, a lot of the runners came and joined the soccer group.

There are also the mental benefits to playing sports. Any sport requires a lot of thinking and Tadacip studies show that kids that play sports in high school often get better grades. You also get a chance to build social skills and leadership skills.

So there are many benefits to playing sports outside the physical aspect that make it a better form of exercise. But it is better for you physically too and the truth is, I don’t know why. It is a proven fact though. Studies have shown that a round of golf is equal to or better than spending 30 to 40 minutes on the treadmill if you play without a cart. Seriously? Golf? Yeah, seriously.

But wait, don’t say it because I already know your next question. Are there some types of sports that are better for you than others? The answer is kind of. You want to play a pretty vigorous sport that will keep your heart rate up for the maximum health benefits, but outside of that guideline I can’t tell you what is best.

Cycling is good for your lower body, swimming is good for upper and lower. Water polo can be really great for strength and endurance. Ice Hockey gives you a nice aerobic and anaerobic workout. And of course, soccer, tennis, basketball, and all the other classics are good as well.

So the bottom line is pick a sport that you enjoy and that will keep your heart rate up. If you want a workout on a specific muscle or part of your body switch up the sport. But just have fun with it.

The catch is that you can’t let sports be your only exercise or you could get hurt. I’m sure I’m not the only one that hopped on the basketball court after months of inactivity and ended up pulling a muscle. Playing a sport requires a certain physical condition to begin with.

So remember to stretch before and after a game, warm up, and do things in between games if you are not playing everyday. It shouldn’t be too difficult considering how much fun you are having compared to going running in the rain all the time, right?

So people generic cialis prices might have made it sound like getting exercise through sports is a good alternative if you can’t get motivated to work out alone, but maybe all those runners should consider getting motivated to join a team. Playing a sport provides amazing health benefits but also improves overall quality of life. So…game on!

Author Bio: Tommy Greene is a master of exercise science. He has been a trainer for many professional athletes and he hasn’t even graduated from college yet. He recommends Free Motion Fitness bikes for your fitness needs.

Category: Fitness/Aerobics
Keywords: treadmill, fitness, bikes

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