Believe it or not, many people do not workout regularly, yet they still enjoy great health. This is because they have replaced routine workouts with routine sports. Sport is a form of exercise, but because it is fun, few people associate the two.
Sport vs. Exercise
Sport is exercise. It requires the use of your muscles. Sport gets your heart rate up to healthy levels. It allows you to sweat. It gets you moving. While sports substitute for what we traditionally consider exercise, there is a definitive drawback.
Often, through exercise, we have the ability to work specific areas of the body, in an attempt to improve the condition of that specific body area. In sports, however, it isn’t always possible to target certain areas of the body. Instead, sports should be used in place of aerobic exercise, but strength training, for some areas of the body, can also be considered.
Top 5 Sports for Ultimate Health Benefits to Consider
- Squash – Squash is not only fun, it provides participants with the best cardiovascular and respiratory workout possible. Try to play for at least thirty minutes three times each week.
- Rock Climbing – Rock climbing is actually good for strength training, as well as anaerobic activity. It does not, however, provide proper aerobic exercise, and should be combined with other aerobic type sports.
- Rowing – Rowing builds strength and endurance. Depending on the speed at which you row, this can also provide some level of aerobic activity as well.
- Skiing – If you desire a full body workout, without an actual workout, you should consider cross-country skiing. Through cross country skiing, you can raise the metabolism, build muscle, burn calories, and strengthen the heart.
- Swimming – Swimming offers the most natural of resistance, which is great for strength training. The action itself also constitutes aerobic exercise.
Top 5 Sports for Ultimate Health Benefits Preparation
Before you start playing any sport, or participating in any form of exercise, it is vital that you visit your doctor, and let him or her know of your plans. This way, your doctor has the ability to check you out, physically, to make sure that you are in the correct physical condition for that sport or activity.
Without this examination, you are opening yourself up to greater possibilities of injury. Many sport injuries are easily avoided with a complete physical, and with an awareness of your physical abilities, as well as knowledge concerning the potential for injury for each type of sport.