Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world played in almost all countries. However, if you have never played this great game before, consider giving it a try! Not only it is a fun sport to play, but it also brings so many benefits to the mind and body.
Moreover, you don’t have to be a pro to enjoy all the fitness advantages related to Soccer. Simply, grab your friends, some equipment, and head outside. You don’t even need to go to the gym as this amazing sport provides you with an enjoyable fitness routine.
Whether you want to sign up for an adult league or just want to play it for fun, you’re going to tons of benefits from playing Soccer. Let’s check them out-
It Provides a Good Cardio Workout
Many of the sports, ranging from basketball to tennis and soccer, involve running. Such forms of sports require constant movement that improves cardiovascular health, and Soccer is at the top of that list. You definitely want to find the best running shoes around since good and well-fitting running shoes are essential for proper form.
On average, a soccer player runs for 8 to 12 kilometers during a game of 90 minutes. All these paced movements work wonders for the heart, providing healthy cardio exercise.
It strengthens the heart to resist plaque build-up in the coronary arteries that help to lower blood pressure. By keeping the blood vessels healthy, it helps prevent hypertension.
It Lowers Body Fat and Improves Muscle Tone
Soccer is such a sport that engages both your slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers for a longer period of time. It is quite helpful in developing an overall strong body and muscles.
Though you can’t touch the soccer ball with hands, the sport is certainly a full-body activity. From running to using your arms to fend off the players and head to hit the ball, it involves the entire body movement.
Throughout running, your body is sweating that helps to burn calories and improves muscle tone. Moreover, all the body parts working together greatly improve muscular coordination.
It Increases Bone Strength
While playing soccer, the body engages in repeated weight-bearing loads that increase skeletal strength. Holding up your own weight forces the bones to produce more bone mass, making it denser, bigger and thicker. Further, it helps to prevent degenerative bones diseases such as Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis, etc.
Maintaining good bone health would help to prevent fractures, especially as you age. That’s why it is important to engage in exercise or a sport as you get older. Of course, you can buy protective soccer equipment such as shin-guards to protect the vulnerable body parts from injury.
It Boosts Strength and Endurance
Another significant benefit of playing soccer is that it develops the overall body strength. Since it involves running for long hours, the sport helps to tone the legs as nothing else can. Another thing is that the game requires kicking and a lot of jumping that makes lower body part even stronger.
Further, hitting the soccer ball with the head is something that engages your back, core, and chest muscles. So, it not only benefits your cardiovascular health but also supports muscular strength.
Since soccer requires you to execute a range of motions, it is more beneficial than just parking yourself to the gym. It involves continuous walking; sprinting; jumping and running that need a great deal of mental capacity. This entails that the sport taps into physical, mental stamina, and endurance.
It Builds Coordination, Reflex, and Agility
Through dribbling, passing, turning, and being aware of the surrounding simultaneously, you are working on the coordination of your body. Besides, it is a mentally-engaging sport that requires body-mind coordination to do multiple things at once.
Many times, while playing, you have to read players and act at any given moment long before it happens. Suppose you notice a player who is about to kick to the opposite side of the field. In that case, you have to act immediately to defend the player.
So, the sport helps you to practice reflexes and build an agile body to react as swiftly as the mind does.
It Improves Cognitive Abilities
Playing soccer helps you to deal with anxiety and depression much better. It is based on the fact that physical exercises cause your brain to release certain chemicals such as Serotonin. This chemical reduces the severity of depression symptoms and makes you feel happier, more elated.
Though running alone is a great form of physical exercise, soccer involves mental awareness that improves cognitive functions. It trains your brain to deal with the problems in a better way.
Moreover, it enables you to think quick, reason, and respond accordingly. All these abilities go a long way in relieving stress and increasing your mood.
Conclusion
No doubt, Soccer is loaded with physical, as well as mental benefits that would add positivity to your mind. Besides, it increases your social interactions and lets you practice teamwork. Moreover, it is a fun and exciting sport! If you want to be healthier, smarter, and happier, try out this fantastic sport.
