Reaching Your Fitness Goals….

Many of us think that playing sports, or at least playing them well, is out of the question, at least until we get in better shape. This is a mistake, as there are several sports out there that can actually benefit your fitness goals, allowing you to get fit while enjoying some friendly competition, without the burden of fitness equipment or other expenditures. .

Both soccer and tennis are fun sports to learn and can be an effective form of exercise, feeling appropriately much more like play than work.  They are rapid moving, but relatively low impact activities that can serve to effectively burn weight off and help you trim down and firm up over time. Of course you want to make sure that you take the proper time to warm up before playing, take water breaks, and cool down after a session. Watching your diet will also help your efforts while engaging in play.

Several sports offer attractive options and opportunities to get physically fit.

Basketball is another sport that can help you get thin, again, provided that you take the necessary time to warm up beforehand and don’t overdo it while you’re on the court. Before play, take time to do stretches, perhaps a 15 or 20 minute jog around the park, and try some jumping in place….all of which will prove invaluable once tip off time comes.

One of the best ways to build strength and endurance is by playing water polo, since water provides a very natural resistance. You will find that you get a very solid cardio workout, with many players reaching upwards of 92% of their maximum heart rate during a game. Water polo also builds muscles in the legs, shoulders, and chest, primarily due to the fact that your never touching the pool floor and are in nearly constant motion.

Most people associate golf with men in ugly pants rather than fitness, but a round of golf may be just the thing to help you reach your goals. It is all a matter of how you play. Get rid of the cart and do some walking….lose the caddy and schlep your own clubs around the course. You’ll be surprised at how worked out you feel by the time you get back to the clubhouse.

And Having Fun Doing It….

Ice hockey is another great workout sport, since you will get an all over aerobic workout as well as an aneurobic workout from all the hopping on and off the ice and near constant skating. Most hockey players exhibit lean body mass, strong core muscles, and greater lower body strength.  It also gives your neuromuscular skills a good workout, since you are simultaneously balancing on two sharp edges, maneuvering a stick, and rapidly accelerating and decelerating, all at the same time. It is one of those sports where you don’t even realize you are getting fit because you’re having so much fun.

So again, don’t think you have to work on getting fit before you can have fun. Pick the right activity and you can do both at the same time.

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