5 health benefits of playing soccer

Soccer is not only a sport that offers fast-paced excitement to participate in and watch, but also a variety of health advantages. It is a great activity to learn teamwork and benefit players physically and mentally. Here are a few health advantages of playing soccer:

Cardio

Soccer is appreciated for its ability to provide a complete cardio workout. An outfield player has the potential to cover nearly 12 kilometers during the 90 minutes of game time. This aerobic type of fitness is great at improving the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body, while also clearing the arteries from the build-up of plaque. Regular aerobic fitness has many different long-term health benefits such as a healthier working heart, a decrease in systolic blood pressure, and a slower resting heart rate.

Muscle tone

Soccer is a type of sport that involves constant movement which leads to increased bone strength and muscle tone. With the muscles engaged for the entire duration of a game, it is possible to achieve the pretty sculpted body. Also, this is a weight-bearing activity that puts a sufficient load on the body to help strengthen the skeletal frame.

Endurance

The increased cardio activity can help to improve the endurance levels. A great benefit of improving endurance is the ability to run father and continue to play an active part of the game until the last-minute. Playing soccer involves many different motions, which is a lot more effective than visiting a gym and using a cross-trainer or similar machine. Soccer involves jumping, sprinting, walking and running. To play a full 90 minutes, a player needs to build up a lot of endurance to continue to perform at an effective pace.

Coordination

Soccer is highly effective at improving all-round coordination. Whether it is kicking or receiving the ball, a player is certain to improve their hand-eye coordination. Plus, the actions of passing, turning and dribbling are useful types of complex movements that improve body coordination. The ability to continue to move in different directions and at varying rates of speed is also useful.

Mental alertness

A great remedy for anxiety and depression is to get involved with team sports or other forms of aerobic exercise. Sport is appreciated for its ability to help boost self-image and improve self-esteem. A further benefit is the ability to increase concentration and think quicker to react to the fast changing situations that are taking place on the pitch.