Benefits to learning a new sport
Challenge yourself!
Although we know we should, less than 5% of adults actually manage to notch up the recommended 30 minutes of daily activity. One of the main reasons is the myth that exercise is boring and repetitive! There’s no doubt that doing the same thing for a long period of time can be boring, just like anything in life. But there are plenty of ways on how to introduce fun into exercise to motivate your fitness journey – learning a new sport being one. We all know there are significant benefits to playing sports right from infants to older adults – social, physical and mental. But how can you benefit from learning new sports in particular?
Social Benefits
When trying something new, you’re thrown into new situation with new people. By signing up to learn a new sport you have interest in – you’ll meet like-minded people with similar interests which can lead to new friendships. If you are interested in team-based sports, such as Football, Rugby or Netball – then this benefit is enhanced due to the sense of belonging. How well your team does largely counts on how successful you are as a team because sport relies a lot on trust, a trait necessary for friendships. Although a social benefit for all ages – It’s significantly more so for children as learning a new sport will develop social skills like communication and discipline which are transferable skills for life.
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Emotional Benefits
Physical activity alone has been shown to stimulate chemicals in the brain that make you feel better. Research also shows a link between playing sport and self-esteem – the support of a team, a word from the coach and achieving personal bests or individual/team awards. Stepping out of your comfort zone can also be extremely rewarding when playing sports. It’s nice to feel comfortable but stepping out of this zone will teach you to reimage your mental barriers and empower yourself to be the best you can be!
Physical Benefits
Learning a new sport can help you reach your fitness goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Sport and exercise can help prevent excess weight gain as when you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. Exercise can reduce the risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and ultimately lower your risk of early death by up to 30%! Also, when learning a new sport, you may engage muscle groups and motor skills that perhaps you wouldn’t normally. You may find yourself naturally suited to particular sports which could lead to competition. Who knows what you could achieve?
With these social, physical and emotional benefits it’s a no brainer to learn a new sport! Instead of suffering on your own while exercising, the key is to have fun and there’s no way better. You’ll have so much fun learning new techniques and socialising with your teammates that you’ll forget you’re even exercising! Life can sometimes fall into period of routine. By trying something new you add a new aspect to your life not to mention it’s a great way to improve your stamina, flexibility and general wellbeing.
If you enjoyed this blog you may enjoy our Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs blog too! After all, the 2 main components to a healthy lifestyle are exercise and a healthy balance diet