The last-minute penalty shot that wins the tournament, victory of the underdog over the favourite team, the high energy training montages, people glorify sports a lot and players become a public god. But here are some questions, should we be obsessed with sports? Is playing sports as good for us as we consider it to be? Or it is just for fun and to pass time. Let’s see what science has to say regarding this!It is well accepted that exercise is good for our body and mind. Exercising, especially when we are young has all sorts of health benefits, like strengthening our bones, clearing out bad cholesterols, and decreasing the risk of stroke, high blood pressure and arthritis.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PLAY!

Our brain releases a number of chemicals when we workout including endorphins, these natural hormones which control pain and pleasure responses in the central nervous systems, can lead to a feeling of euphoria or often call as runner’s high. Increase in endorphins and consistent physical activity, in general, can sharpen your focus and improve your mood and memory.Does that mean we get just as same benefits when we go to the gym and play sports and compete?Here it gets interesting because it turns out that if you can find a sport and a team you like, studies show that there are all sorts of benefits that go beyond physical and mental benefits of exercise alone. Some of the most significant are psychological benefits both in the short and long term. Some of them come from the experience of being on the team, for instance learning to trust and depend on others, to accept and give help, and to work together towards a common goal. In addition, commitment to a team and doing something fun can also make it easier to establish a regular habit of exercise.The long-term benefits of playing sports are learning through failure. The experience of coming to term with defeat can build the resilience and self-awareness necessary to manage academic, physical and social hurdles. So even if your team is not winning there is still benefits from it.

MOULD THE CLAY WHEN IT’S SOFT (or how sports can help kids)

Did you know that a total of 21.5 million kids between age 6 and 17 play team sports?School sports participation has also shown to reduce the risk of suffering from depression, and increasing self-esteem and confidence. Children who play sports excel physically, academically and psychologically. Adolescents who play sports are 8 times as likely to be active at age 24 as adolescents who do not play sports. A person engaged in athletes are less likely to use drugs and suffer from depression.Playing sports or engaging in other exercises or physical activity can improve cognitive skills, attitudes and academic behaviour, including enhanced concentration, attention, and improved behaviour. Children learn to positively handle both the winning and losing aspect of playing a sport. Many students and their parents believe that in order to achieve better grade one has to part ways with extra-curricular activities like sports.

Final Verdict

Engaging in sports helps people in a lot of ways. It keeps you healthy in body and mind and it improves everything about you. Getting kids off the bed and onto the sports pitch brings out a wide variety of mental, physical and social skills which will bring out best of them as they reach adulthood. Sports teaches us things which cannot be learnt through books like the courage, the confidence (in both wins or lose), dedication towards goal and the most important one which is discipline. 

Note: this article is from own website theholisticwellbeing

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