Today, Tuesday April 6 is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2021 and, therefore, we have prepared this interesting post in which we will answer some of the most common doubts that come to our minds regarding the practice of sport.
Benefits of sport for our health
It usually happens that when we think about the benefits of practicing sport on a regular basis we think only of the aesthetic part: the transformation of our physique to comply more with the aesthetic and beauty canons that govern today.
However, practicing sport has a wide range of advantages, not only for our body, but also for our mind. On the psychological level, sport helps to improve memory, mental agility and concentration. In addition, far from what you may think, sport is an activity suitable for any age and for anyone, whether or not a regular athlete.
Performing a weekly training routine is very beneficial for our health, so much so that doctors say that it is necessary to perform a minimum of exercise to lead a healthy life. Also, it is more than demonstrated that with the realization of exercise endorphins are released, the known hormone of happiness, a fact that makes you get pleasure naturally to complete any exercise that we propose.
If you have not yet found a reason to propose to practice sport regularly, below you will find a list with all the benefits of sporting activity:
Mental benefits of sport
- Reduces stress.
- Promotes sleep.
- Helps fight anxiety.
- Improves self-esteem.
- Reduces aggressiveness and anger.
- Reduces anxiety and anguish.
- Combats depression.
- Improves concentration and memory (Alzheimer’s).
- Increases alertness.
- Avoids social isolation and improves relationships with others.
- Helps to be more productive.
- Improves mood.
- It is useful to control and fight addictions.
Physical benefits of sport
- Improves physical fitness and endurance.
- Regulates blood pressure.
- Helps maintain good bone density.
- Improves flexibility.
- Strengthens muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.
- Helps to lose weight.
- Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Strengthens the heart and improves cardiovascular health.
- Improves aerobic fitness.
- Reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer or lung cancer.
- Prevents osteoporosis.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Helps control cholesterol.
- Improves digestion.
- Regulates the intestinal rhythm.
- It makes us stronger.
- It increases life expectancy.
Is it harmful to do too much?
Although we said that practicing sports regularly, in addition to improving our health, can help us to be happier, suffer less stress and have a beautiful body, it is not good to become obsessed because it can have several negative consequences.
Actually, sport is no different from other things that are healthy when taken in the right measure, but if they are abused their effects are not as good as some people think. A good example of this could be the consumption of raw olive oil at meals, which taken in its right measure is an exceptional source of healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), but in excess (or consumed cooked) is not healthy at all precisely because it is a very caloric food and a source of fats.
In this sense, too much exercise can lead to some of the following disorders:
- Vigorexia: obsession with body building and exercise that causes the person to never end up looking good, just as happens with anorexia, for example.
- Runnorexia: obsession with the fervent running craze that causes the person to stop even meeting friends in order to do more workouts.
- Rhabdomyolysis: alteration of muscle cells that affects the body and puts the person’s life at risk. Its cause can be hereditary or caused by excessive physical training.
- Sports injuries: it is well known that overtraining can lead to extreme fatigue and overloads, among other injuries, if not alternated with adequate rest periods.
- Cardiac problems: excessive exercise can be counterproductive for our cardiovascular health, causing cardiac and circulatory problems.
- Decrease of the immune system: if we do not get enough rest our immune system becomes weaker and we can get sick more easily, either from a cold, fever, headache or more severe conditions.
Recommended sports to correct posture, to work cardio and to lose weight
Nowadays there are sports and exercises for all tastes: individual and collective; with and without a ball; strength and resistance, etc. That is why there is no excuse to find our own and do it regularly as a weekly routine.
In addition, the practice of sports can be very favorable for certain situations such as helping to correct bad posture, wanting to lose weight or do cardiovascular exercise. But what are the most recommended exercises for each case?
Sports to correct bad posture habits:
- Yoga.
- Pilates.
- Weights.
- Swimming.
- Stretching.
Sports to do to prevent a heart attack:
- Walking.
- Swimming.
- Running.
- Cycling.
- Zumba.
- Aerobics.
- Dancing.
- HITT training.
- Ping-Pong.
- Paddle tennis.
- Tennis.
- Squash.
- Fronton.
- Badminton.
- Skiing.
Slimming sports:
- Running.
- Crossfit.
- Tennis.
- Swimming.
- Jumping rope.
- Boxing.
- Climbing.
- Spinning.
- Aquagym.
- Basketball.
At what time is better: morning, afternoon or evening?
Finally, another of the incognitas at the time of practicing sport is when it is better to do it. In relation to this question there are many theories on the matter, among which they emphasize:
- In the afternoon: since the body is more relaxed.
- In the morning: since it is when we have more energy.
- On an empty stomach: it accelerates weight loss.
However, all experts agree on one thing: the important thing is to do it, regardless of when. Therefore, we must choose a time that favors constancy. If we intend to go out in the evenings to run when we come back from work and we are tired after a long day, maybe it is not a good idea. It could happen that we go out the first day and then, due to laziness or exhaustion, we put aside our purpose.
Therefore, it may be preferable to do 30 minutes each day of, for example, walking, at a time that we feel like it and we still have strength, than to do nothing all week and on Sunday want to be 3 hours to compensate.
The key lies in making this routine a habit. We should only try to avoid making efforts in very hot days or hours, as we could suffer a digestion cut or sunstroke.
Finally, it is important to remember that sports practice must be accompanied by an adequate diet and optimal rest. Only in this way we will be doing sport in a healthy and beneficial way for our body and mind.