Sports fans love many things about sports – watching them with their friends and rooting for their favorite teams, talking about latest matches and betting online on them. Online sportsbooks make this easier with bonuses like this Betfair bonus. But one thing sports fans love as much as watching sports is actually playing sports they love. Sports are often the go-to choice, if one wants to exercise, socialize and work on their health
Sports have been known for their good health benefits. They can do a lot of things for us, but while we know that as a general statement, we often do not know what the actual benefits are. Under the category of sports, one can find many disciplines and they all affect the human body in their own specific way.
Here is how sports can affect our health, generally speaking.
Heart and Circulation
Generally, when you exercise and do sports, your heart and skeletal muscles get stronger. They do suffer initially, which is how they get stronger, but they do become better at handling stress and better in their default mode. Your resting heart rate gets lower the more your exercise, which basically makes you spend less energy. Playing sports regularly does wonders for one’s heart, especially if they do sports that have a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
The Lungs
Aerobic exercises, which are the ones that primarily use the lungs and heart to supply the muscles with enough oxygen, can increase our lung capacity over time. This is essential for most people, because lungs which are more effective will last longer and prevent other issues which have to do with bad circulation and oxygen delivery (and there are many of them, starting from cramps and ending with a stroke). Any type of sports that includes a lot of endurance exercises such as football or waterpolo, are bound to help make our lungs better.
Lower Body Fat
Overall, lower body fat tends to be healthier, unless we go under a very low number, such as 4%. Even getting to 4% requires a lot of effort and professional workouts and nutrition plans, so an average person should not be worried.
However, exercising in general can lower our body fat, particularly if it is mixed with a diet containing mostly proteins and healthy fats, with some carbs, because they are essential, after all. Visceral fat is much worse than fat stored in the belly, the one that we usually see, and should be checked regularly. Exercise is a good way to keep fat lower.
Better Mood
Exercising leads to an increase in dopamine and eventually serotonin, which at the end of the day, keeps us mobile and content. Both of these have essential functions within the brain and the body and exercising is a healthy way to have both at a normal level to be functional and happy.
Sports can do wonders for us, on a strictly physical level, by lowering our fat and making us look better and being less prone to serious illnesses, but also on a more physiological/mental level, by helping us feel better and more motivated.