Sports – a key to healthy living

This is true no matter what the sport may be. Sports also requires strength training. This may take the form of push-up, sit-ups or weight lifting. One must train regularly when involved in sports. One of the keys to good overall health is consistant exercise. Being involved in sports means training several times a week. The camaraderie of being part of a team often enables one to go beyond what one may have perceived as one’s fitness or endurance limit. It is for these reasons and many more why sports can play a major role in achieving and maintaining good health.

The most important keys to good health are adequate rest, proper nutrition and consistent exercise. Playing a sport is an excellent way to meet one’s need for consistent exercise. A strong heart is important for a long healthy, productive life. Training for most sports demands a consistent improvement in cardiovascular strength. This is usually addressed by running, swimming laps or just the perpetual motion necessary to practice and play most sports.

Strength training is very important to health. The human body has between 640 and 850 muscles depending on your source of information. Each one of those muscles needs to be exercised regularly in order for them to remain strong and grow. Most sports include strengthening the muscles as a regular part of their training routine. Push-ups, pull-ups, stomach crunches, dips and squats allow one to use their own body weight to build muscle strength. Many training regiments also call for the use of free weights like bar bells and dumbbells or machine weights.

Stretching is an often overlooked area of exercise. Stretching makes your muscles limber and allow blood to flow through them more freely. This in turn helps your muscles to remain properly oxygenated and allows for the removal of lactate acid and other waste products.

Exercising regularly even if it is in small amounts is a major key to good health. Playing sports is an excellent way to strengthen your heart and all your other muscles while having lots of fun. Most people involved in sports practice three times a week or more and often several times a day. This helps to keep the muscles in top physical condition. It also has a positive affect on mental health, stress level and moods.

Playing a sport does not mean working toward becoming a professional. Just playing a sport you like a few hours a week can have a profound effect on your health.