Choosing to live a healthier and more active lifestyle is a gradual process. Just because you decide to do it doesn’t mean you’ll be good at it immediately, but don’t let yourself be discouraged by that. Besides, there are so many kinds of sports that it would take you a while to keep count.
So if you don’t know which sport you should try first to start being more active, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few sports you can look into to narrow down your choices:
Individual Sports
You can start being more active through sports even if you don’t compete against another person. After all, competition won’t be necessary unless you’re planning to go professional. Here are three kinds of individual sports that you can look into if you want to start living a healthier lifestyle:
Swimming
Being in the water itself may not feel like a workout, but swimming laps and learning the right techniques can be considered a sport. Swimming is a good pastime, but it’s also a nice way to get exercise without exerting too much effort in the process. Also, it’s perfect if you don’t like sweating because you’ll already be wet with water.
Swimming can be an excellent way to build stamina and strengthen your cardio. And because you’ll be using your entire body to swim, you’ll already be doing a full-body workout while you’re having fun in the water. So consider getting into swimming if you want to learn a sport that doesn’t feel like a sport.
Cycling
Riding a bike is considered a rite of passage for most children while they’re growing up, but it can also be an individual sport. You’re working out your whole body when you’re balancing on the bicycle. You’re also working on your posture, coordination, and muscle strength in the process.
Another benefit of cycling is that you can save the environment when you’re doing it. If you ride a bike to work every day instead of driving your car, you won’t burn fossil fuels and contribute to carbon emissions. So you can hit three birds with one stone because you’re exercising, traveling to where you need to go, and saving the environment all at the same time.
Bowling
Your typical Friday night can look like hanging out at the local bowling alley with your friends, but it can also be your go-to sport. It’s considered an individual sport because it can improve your hand-eye coordination, develop your muscle strength, and even be a healthy coping mechanism for stress relief.
It might not seem like a form of exercise because you’re having fun and socializing with your friends, but that’s what makes it a better option. Exercising doesn’t have to feel like a chore, so this low-impact sport may just be what can encourage you to become more active and focus on your physical health.
Team and Contact Sports
If you prefer exercising with other people, a team or contact sport may be better for you than individual activities. However, because it involves physical contact, there’s a much higher risk of getting injured during the game. But that shouldn’t discourage you from trying the sport; if anything, it’s just a sign to focus on your safety. Here are three team and contact sports you can try:
Football
Football is so much more than the country’s favorite pastime; it can also be your new go-to sport. But unlike individual sports, it would be difficult to play football without a team by your side. That’s why you might have to join your local football team or invite your friends if you want to play this game.
However, among the team sports on this list, football has the most direct contact because it’s a high-impact sport. So if you truly want to give this sport a try, you’ll need to have a football mouth guard, as well as knee and shoulder pads to protect yourself against potential injuries.
Volleyball
Another high-impact sport that you can try is volleyball. Since its main goal is a continuous volley, you will not only work out core muscles but also hone your focus and foresight. You have to gauge the ball’s trajectory to see where it will hit before it even lands.
Additionally, because volleyball requires good teamwork, you can also work on your communication skills and delegate tasks at the same time. If your current job requires you to work within a team to deliver good outputs, you might want to consider playing volleyball to improve your skills and health simultaneously.
Basketball
The last team sport on this list is basketball, which involves shooting hoops and a lot of running. Much like in volleyball, you’ll be able to hone your ability to focus and calculate trajectories because you’ll be shooting the basketball from a distance. Aside from that, you’ll have to keep the ball from being taken by the other team.
So while you’re defending the ball, you’ll also have to communicate with your teammates to gain points and carry out the plays made by your coach. This means that you’ll not only build muscle and stamina by playing basketball, but you’ll also be learning how to be a good sport amid a tense situation.
There are many other sports that you can consider as your main form of exercise, or you could alternate between different ones to keep it exciting. The most important thing is that you choose the sport that will encourage you to do it continuously because you’re having fun and living healthier at the same time.