Mental Benefits of Sports
Exercise is the cheapest and easiest way to boost your mood, energy level, memory and even live longer. A good cardio workout means that you get fitter while enjoying everything from improved heart health to more energy. That’s why our 10,000 Steps program encourages walking 30 minutes daily; it’s scientifically proven to make you happier!
but every exercise has some benefit like running gives us healthy heart, reduces weight but effects on the knee joint, etc.,
sports are not better than simple exercises I am mentioning these points after reading comments of many of my friends who avoided playing sports in their childhood due to some problems like low concentration span, different physical disabilities, etc.;
They feel that playing games will give the same benefits as exercising does. And also they think of games as useless. The solution to almost every problem is walking and walking might be the best exercise for all, but we can’t take our exercises as sports; we should play some games too for mental and physical development;
games are different from exercises like running and walking, etc.; in games, we need quick decisions and much concentration it’s good for brain development too. And definitely, games give us special benefits.
Nearly more than 100 actions among humans are performed by playing games, so don’t ignore them just because you’ve not tried before. We have given you some basic benefits of playing these action-packed great fun-filled thinking challenging useful sports with many health benefits below:-
Benefits of cricket:
Table of Contents
1) Cricket improves flexibility:
As cricket players have to perform various actions known as the follow-through, which are not common in other sports. These actions keep the muscles of their body more flexible and stronger compared to others.
2) Cricket improves reflexes:
Cricket is played with a leather ball that can bounce unpredictably. As this game requires quick action, it helps in improving reflexes and making them sharper over time.
3) Cricket enhances hand-eye coordination:
This game also demands incredible hand-eye coordination as it involves hitting the ball with a cricket bat using one’s eyes for seeing its position and movement. This improves your skills by leaps and bounds if you start at a young age.
4) Cricket strengthens the shoulder:
The shoulder is the most important part of our body and it is the main part of a cricket player’s body as he has to lift and throw the ball at each strike. Thus, this game makes his shoulders stronger than the average person.
5) Cricket improves concentration:
As discussed above how cricket helps in improving reflexes which are required for fast decision making, so it also boosts one’s ability to concentrate on different things simultaneously. This builds up mental strength too.
6) Cricket tones arms:
Compared to other sports involving only arm movement, cricket involves more muscle work due to swinging movements involved in batting and bowling actions. As a result, it tones the biceps of players along with strengthening them over time.
SOME OTHER SPORTS WITH BENEFITS:
1) Volleyball:
It gives a healthy heart, increases stamina level, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood which are good for heart patients especially those who are looking for an alternative sport instead of exercising. Remember volleyball is also not only an exercise easily available to us but also a game.
2) Basketball:
It provides quickness, agility, power of endurance which are good for health. It tones our muscles and makes them strong too. Besides that, it is not just how tall you are, but also the ability to jump high which helps in showing your athletic abilities. And not only grown-ups can play this game but children can play it up to some age too as its rules are quite easy to follow.
3) Football:
The most popular game played on every street corner is football; everyone likes to rush behind the ball whenever there’s any action happening around it. This makes them heart-healthy due to continuous running involved in the game. According to many pieces of research done on sportsmen, football players have the least percentage of cardiac diseases.
4) Baseball:
It is very much similar to cricket as it also involves throwing and batting with a bat, but this game only has nine players on each side which means everyone gets an equal chance to play. Besides that, its field size is smaller than others which is good for beginners.
5) Table tennis:
Another popular sport played by people worldwide is table tennis; it can be easily called a “thinking man’s” game due to the high mental fitness involved in it. Remember one shot once missed gives your opponent an easy win too! So it develops quick thinking in athletes who start playing at a young age.
6) Swimming:
Swimming is another most practiced sport for health benefits. But make sure you do it under a proper trainer’s guidance as going swimming all on your own is not good for your health.
7) Karate:
It was first invented as a form of self-defense but then became more popular as a sport due to its benefits which can be enjoyed by people of every age group, even those who have physical disabilities also. This is because this sport strengthens not just one’s body but also one’s mental agility and confidence level.
8) Gymnastics:
Known as the “King among Sports”, gymnastics has so many amazing benefits for our overall fitness which includes balance, endurance, speed, power, and flexibility amongst others. Girls mostly prefer this game due to its incredible physique-enhancing benefits.
9) Horse Riding:
This sport gives a complete workout for your body as it involves upper and lower body movements at the same time. Besides that, this game also helps in developing core muscles which we all know is very important for our overall health and fitness.
10) Golf:
Another popular game played worldwide is not only difficult but also demands high mental skills due to calculations involved in its short format. Besides that, it’s a good hobby too!
Mental benefits of sports:
1. Exercise is also an important component of mental health. Regular exercise can lead to reduced stress, improved mood, and increased self-esteem. It can even ward off anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses.
2. Sports help in getting rid of toxic substances like lactic acid which build up during strenuous activity. When the muscles are challenged by exercise they absorb more blood than usual which helps clear out these harmful byproducts that accumulate during periods of inactivity
3. Playing sports might just be the best way to stay mentally fit as well as physically fit. Research has shown that regular exercise can lower the risk for depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders.
4. Sports promotes social interactions, which in turn elevates moods.
5. Sports help build a good sense of self-esteem and body image as one is constantly pushing their limits and breaking new barriers – physically, but also socially – this helps build self-confidence and improves feelings of self-worth.
6. Sports provide opportunities to be around like-minded individuals who aren’t focused on looks or status symbols… people just love sports! That’s all they talk about… it’s refreshing if you’re surrounded by shallow individuals most of the time! 🙂
7. Sports help fight obesity by reducing your caloric intake.
8. Sports help fight obesity by burning calories and giving you a calorie deficit at the end of the day, helping you lose weight.
9. People who work out regularly have greater bone density, which helps prevent osteoporosis in later life!
10 advantages of sports:
1. Helps in physical fitness.
2. Gives relaxation to the human body and mind.
3. Provides strength, power, and stamina to our body parts like arms, legs, etc…
4. Sports help coordination of both mental and physical activities together for a healthy body and a sound mind which helps us in every aspect of life whether personal or professional also increases speed, agility, accuracy while doing any tasks or jobs at the workplace or school/college campus, etc.
5. Increases memory power by regular games playing between children & adults both separately at home or provide more time at a specific place where children can join with their parents for playing sports thus it creates bonding moment between them also increases focus on studies at schools & college campuses where students give much time for sports.
6. Helps in growth of children’s personality by inculcating good habits from a young age which helps them to establish social relations with everyone throughout age group at school, college campuses or parks where they can make friends easily.
7. It also increases the IQ power of a child which helps in increasing awareness about others’ feelings and emotions, therefore, inculcates the ability to think tactfully before doing anything wrong in front of anyone thus providing self-discipline within children during their growing years at schools, colleges & playgrounds, etc…
8. It makes us active both physically and mentally so that people who give regular efforts to solve day today’s problems become more proactive and flexible at the workplace due to regular exercises & sports.
9. Helps in boosting up memory power of adults & old age people from 45 years to 100 years of both men and women which helps them to keep their mind more active for doing daily household chores or any other works at workplace etc.
10. It reduces the stress levels by regular exercises, games at home or on sports grounds, stadiums & playgrounds while spending time with friends & family members while playing games together enjoying some delicious dishes while watching matches between different countries also increases sleeping hours during night times for a healthy life ahead.