Playing sports is not only fun but also has many surprising health benefits. If your summer activities include being active then check out the 5 sports below with surprising health benefits.
Swimming
Who doesn’t want to jump into a pool on a hot summer day? Swimming is one of the best sports because it doesn’t damage your joints. The buoyancy of the water protects your body to prevent injuries. With swimming, you will enjoy a variety of health benefits, including:
- Stronger toned muscles
- Increased lung capacity
- More endurance
- Improvements in the cardiovascular system
- Losing weight or maintaining weight
You should schedule time at the swimming pool at least three times a week to remain in shape.
Rowing
Rowing is not only fun but it is a full body workout and a great bonding experience. Row with your friends, family, or even other like-minded individuals that want to take up the sport. Benefits of rowing include:
- Building muscle in the arms, shoulders and back
- Burning calories to maintain or lose weight
- Improving the condition of your lungs
- Toning the muscles in the abdominal zone
- Improvements in your posture
Make sure to learn the proper way to sit in the boat to avoid a muscle strain along with increasing the health benefits from rowing several times a week for 20 to 30 minutes. If you’re not able to get out on a row boat, you can actually get many of the same benefits from an indoor rowing machine.
Rock Climbing
You can climb rock walls at parks, or you can find artificial rock walls at local gyms. Rock climbing is a full-body sport because you must use your arms and legs to find projections to move up the surface. As you are moving up the rock wall, you are pulling up your entire body, using an assortment of muscle groups. The benefits from rock climbing include:
- Increases the strength of your bones
- Improves the flow of blood in your body
- Eliminating stress that is detrimental for your well-being
- Improving the strength of the muscles in your upper body
- Burning calories to prevent weight gain
Tennis
Tennis is an easy sport to play because there are often free courts available at nearby parks or indoor recreational centers. You don’t need a lot of equipment or specialized clothing to play tennis, and it is a healthy sport with these benefits:
- Exposure to sunlight at an outdoor court
- Improving your reflexes or reaction time
- Reducing your blood pressure
- Increasing insulin resistance
- Decreasing your body fat
Golfing
Golf is an easy sport for people of all ages because it doesn’t require lifting heavy equipment or running that can damage the joints. Hampton Golf offers great courses for beginner and intermediate levels. Enjoy these health benefits from playing golf several times a week:
- Losing weight from walking on the golf course
- Trimming the waist while swinging a golf club
- Improving your cardiovascular system
- Relieving stress with socializing
- Increasing your body’s vitamin D levels
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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