By being active through playing sports you can boost your health significantly. According to the NHS, regular exercise through sport can ‘reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%’ and it can be good for your body and mind in many other ways too. Moreover, it’s even something anyone at any age or ability can do – you might just need a few pointers.
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In this post, we’ve explained more about the health benefits on offer and given some helpful advice and guidance on how and where you can get involved with sports in your area.
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Other health benefits
Alongside being able to reduce your chance of getting the serious disease, if you play sports just a few times a week you’ll likely start to feel or see some of the following health benefits:
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Weight loss and improved fitness
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A better feeling of mental well-being – through the release of endorphins and increased confidence you can feel
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Stronger bones and muscles
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Better sleep quality
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More physical control and better balance
Examples of sports you can try yourself at any level
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few examples of sports you might want to consider trying:
Running and cycling
These two sports are things you can do with others or by yourself. You can also find plenty of apps and online guides that can turn beginners into long-distance pros in no time.
Grassroots and team sports
Whether it’s amateur football, semi-pro rugby union, tennis or hockey leagues and everything in between, there are likely to be plenty of teams or groups you can join across many ability levels in and around where you live. A great way to find them is through social media or through this BBC club finder.
The gym
While this isn’t strictly ‘a sport’ gyms do allow you to do things like running, cycling, rowing and climbing, all in one place and with the support of experts should you need it. This might be something you build up to or look to branch out into once you’ve an initial fitness regime in place.
Final thoughts
To return to a key point, sport is something for everyone and by getting involved you’re sure to feel plenty of health benefits in no time. A final added bonus is that it can be a very social thing, so expect to make a few more friends along the way on your journey to better health.