—
Adults have so many things going on in their lives they often forget to get exercise. Going to work, taking care of kids, and doing chores are time consuming. When there is a minute to breathe, people sometimes want to do more enjoyable things than running on a treadmill.
Every adult should find an exercise activity they enjoy. Playing sports is a great way to do this. Games like basketball, soccer, and tennis can be done with friends. They have great social benefits, too, like building teamwork skills. Getting exercise may help prevent health issues like obesity.
Overweight life insurance can be hard to get, and losing weight while playing sports will get you a better policy. You may not think you need life insurance at a young age, but everyone with a family should consider it. We’ll also talk about how you can still enjoy sports as you get older, as some people may stop playing sports in their middle age.
#1 – Increased Social Activity
Adults sometimes have a hard time making friends. Sports are a great way to be social. You automatically know you have something in common with the people you are playing with. As you play with the same people every week, you might just start to ask about their other hobbies and interests.
You learn a little bit about yourself and other people when you are playing pickup basketball. The sport is a very emotional one for many people. Some folks play angry, while others are calm and calculated.
There’s both trash talk and encouragement when competing. All these things help build social skills while playing. People should learn to stay patient with the people who annoy them and have fun.
The Difference Between Solo Workouts and Team Sports
The social activities involved in team sports are in stark contrast to the very individualized exercises usually done in a gym. People sometimes stand at their weight machine solo. People might turn on music to keep entertained during an elliptical workout. Sports prevent you from having to distract yourself while exercising.
Even activities like yoga classes or group workouts with a gym membership are a lot of fun. Support each other and talk about your goals while being active.
You may not have originally gone to play tennis or volleyball just to get moving, but rather because it’s fun and exciting. Exercise is a byproduct of sports, and this is helpful to people who don’t traditionally exercise.
#2 – Sports Help With Getting Cardio
The main point of playing sports is to get exercise. Even if people go to the gym for other reasons, the body only cares about the calories being burned. Some estimates indicate you can burn between 500 and 750 calories per hour playing basketball. If you’re having fun with friends, you’ll often play for even longer, which is awesome for your health.
Depending on the sport you are playing, you’ll get other physical benefits besides cardio, too.
Skills such as jumping to get rebounds or agility training when you are guarding your opponent are great additions to basketball. Tennis and baseball improve your hand-eye coordination. Hockey teaches you how to stay balanced and skate properly.
Traditional workouts would require many different targeted exercises to get all these benefits. These sports put them all in one place without even having to think about it.
#3 – Activity Helps You in Older Age
You might be thinking that certain sports sound a little too difficult if you are middle-aged or older, but there are ways to overcome this mentality. Some people worry about getting hurt while playing sports. To combat this, you just need to adjust your intensity.
Don’t play for as long or as many days per week. Make sure you stretch before you play. And if you still don’t feel comfortable, you can see what types of drills you can do solo.
Shooting baskets on your own and dribbling up and down the court for fun are both options for older basketball players. Getting rebounds for others who are shooting around might also be a fun way to get involved. In soccer, consider kicking a ball to the goalie instead of playing a full game.
For tennis, hit a ball up against a wall to practice your groundstrokes. Go to a batting cage at your local recreation center if you enjoy baseball. Try golf at the driving range with a friend.
You don’t have to give up on the sport you love when you get older. You just need to think about the ways you can protect yourself from injury by adjusting your habits.
Alternative Hobbies
If you do feel unsafe doing intense exercise as you get older, think about participating in an active hobby around the house. Mowing the lawn and gardening are two great ways to stay active as you age. You’ll be getting chores done and pushing yourself to be active all at the same time.
Alternative hobbies will also help you to get better term or whole life insurance. Many life insurance companies trust adults who exercise because they are less likely to have health problems.
Taking a walk around the neighborhood or hiking can be amazing ways to enjoy the outdoors and exercise. They also don’t require equipment or a lot of money, which helps motivation. Many people who don’t move around are dissuaded by the pricey items needed to exercise.
#4 – Your Kids Love Playing With You
Parents should always think about playing sports with their kids. It can become a bonding activity they will remember doing with their child long after they grow up. Little ones love comparing their skills to the elders in their life.
Seeing what age they can finally beat you on the playground is a fun tradition in most sporting communities, and it’s another example of combining two things you need to do at once. You can get exercise, and you can entertain your children.
You may even get more involved in their extracurricular activities at school. Many youth leagues ask parents to do the coaching for recreational teams.
Soccer, baseball, and even tennis can be as intensive or relaxing as you make them. They teach great teamwork skills and can be played with friends. Find something accessible at a local gym, a park, or your backyard. You’ll get a ton of exercise and a lot of fun without forcing traditional cardio workouts on yourself.
—
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, LifeInsurancePost.com. He wants to help people understand all of the benefits of playing sports, from staying healthy to making friends.