Many people choose to play sports for the physical benefits such as lower body fat, stronger bones and improved stamina. However, sports are also an excellent tool for building character and improving mental health.
Team sports help children develop important life skills such as accountability and dedication while enhancing self-esteem. They learn to deal with both winning and losing, which helps them cope with the highs and lows of life.
Increased Bone Density
People of all ages can benefit from regular participation in sports. It increases bone density and improves lung function. It also reduces the risk of conditions like diabetes, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression. Plus, playing team sports makes you feel happier.
Bone density is highest in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, then gradually decreases with age, which can make bones weak and susceptible to fractures. However, physical activity can increase bone density, especially if it involves weight-bearing exercise that forces the body to work against gravity. Strength training and jogging are great examples of this type of exercise, which can be used to help prevent osteoporosis after menopause.
Studies show that high-impact exercises such as hopping and jumping can also help to increase bone density, as do exercises that involve resistance training. Programmes that combine jogging with low-impact loading exercise, such as walking and resistance exercise, appear to be more effective at preventing bone loss than either type of exercise alone.
Improved Lung Function
The lungs are the spongy, air-filled organs that take oxygen from the outside air and pass it into the bloodstream so that the body can use it to make energy. They also expel waste gas, carbon dioxide.
Exercise can improve lung function, which makes it easier to get enough oxygen during physical activity. This is true for people with and without lung conditions. Research suggests that a combination of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal changes is responsible for the age-related decline in aerobic exercise capacity (VO2max).
Regular physical activity can help slow this process and preserve pulmonary function, even in healthy older people. This may be partly due to the fortification of pulmonary antioxidant defences, which can help attenuate the decline in VO2max. Some sports are better for improving pulmonary fitness than others. For example, basketball players, water polo players and rowers score higher on tests of FEV1 and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV). Other studies have found that swimming is very beneficial for the lungs.
Reduced Risk of Cancer
People who play sports can benefit from improved bone density, lowered blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and a better overall body health. Sports also promote cognitive health by helping people develop a sharp mind and improve hand-eye coordination, as well as providing them with an enjoyable way to stay active.
Physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer, especially colon and breast cancers. However, less is known about whether it reduces the risk of other types of cancer. A recent pooled analysis of 26 studies found that leisure-time physical activity was associated with a significantly lower risk of 13 of the 26 cancers examined.
This is important news, as sedentary behavior is associated with increased risk of premature death. The study authors suggest that encouraging a physically active lifestyle could be an important strategy for reducing cancer risk in addition to strategies such as early screening and maintaining a healthy weight.
Improved Mental Health
While sports have always been known for their physical benefits, more recent studies have shown that they have significant psychological and social health effects as well. Specifically, playing sport stimulates changes in certain brain areas that regulate anxiety and stress. It also increases brain sensitivity to norepinephrine and serotonin, two chemicals that relieve depression.
Regularly participating in team sports can help to sharpen key mental skills such as critical thinking, learning, and good judgment. Research has shown that a mix of aerobic and muscle strengthening activities are best for this purpose.
It also helps to reduce the risk of emotional distress and suicidal behaviours in young people. Furthermore, if sport is introduced at a young age, it has the potential to provide lifelong healthy habits and increase levels of life satisfaction. The fact that sport can be a source of wellbeing is something that parents appreciate. They ranked it as the number one benefit when asked about the reasons for their child’s participation in organized sport, according to a survey conducted by the Hospital for Special Surgery and Aspen Institute.
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