For some people the thought of spending hours running on a treadmill or sat on an exercise bike is a terrible one. This is not to say that these people don’t want to start a healthy lifestyle however, just that doing so in that way appears boring and uninspiring. This is exactly why more people should look to get involved in competitive sports, which is the best way to get active. In reality there aren’t many people who do enjoy treadmill running or exercise bike cycling, and most do it as a means to an end. When it comes to competitive sport however, this is something that everyone can get behind.
Most people prefer activity which is fun as well as tough and that is why kicking a ball around or looking to keep fit with a boxing bag can be the best way to inspire more exercise in people. If you shudder at the thought of going to the gym, here is exactly why competitive sports could work for you.
Exercise Without Thought
When you go to the gym and jump on a rowing machine or a treadmill, your sole purpose there is fitness, and nothing more. Conversely however you will find that with competitive sports, it is the event that comes first, and the exercise second. If you are boxing an opponent, you are only focused on winning the fight, yet you are getting a great workout at the same time. Equally with soccer you may be focused on improving your passing and working better with your teammates, again you will be burning a huge amount of calories at the same time. These sports give you a great workout whilst you are focused on other things. Same goes for all sorts of other sports – surfing, snowboarding, mountain biking to just name a few.
Joining a Club
The best way to get started in competitive sports is to join a local club. You may be limited for choice depending on where you live, but there are still likely to be many sports which you could get involved in. As an adult it can in fact be a little tougher to walk into something new like this, but you just have to think of the greater good. Joining a club is usually far easier than you think, and most are very welcoming and will be happy to have you on board. Always be honest about your skills and fitness capabilities. The last thing that you want is to be thrown in at the deep end because you fibbed about your ability to swim.
Focusing on Practice
The increased fitness which you will get as a result of being involved in competitive sports is not only because of the match or the event which you will be involved in. The real hard work happens on the training pitch or in the gym, and that is really where you should be focusing most. The key is to have a clear focus on getting better at the sport. This is not necessarily about getting fitter and stronger, as that will come. Pick specific areas of how you perform in the sport and then focus on making that the very best that it can be. This will involve hard work but you will have a chance each week or so to showcase what you have been working hard on away from the pitch, ring or court. The more focused that you are on improving, the better that your fitness will become.
Bringing The Sport Into Your Life
Using the sport and your passion for it is a great way of improving your lifestyle in general. After all, when you can directly equate the foods which you are eating and the way that you are living to your performance, it is easier to increase discipline. The sport which you get involved with is also going to give you a good level of structure which you can stick to, and this will greatly help with diet. All told, if you are passionate enough about the sport, you will be able to use it to live better and eat better, which will positively impact all areas of your life.
Getting involved in competitive sports could be one of the best health moves that you have ever made.