The Benefits of Recreational Sports

By Jade Smith

June 10, 2019- Greenville, New York News

Recreational sports and outdoor games are something that nearly everyone at one point or another has participated in. Whether it is a little league team, a family football game on Thanksgiving, or simply kicking a ball back and forth with friends; the gains from this physical activity on your overall health are a plethora of sorts. Including improvement in social, physical, and mental health. There are a variety of ways that outdoor physically active games improve social health. For one, working on a team with others helps one to make friends. This is because one playing recreational sports learns to build the skill of effective communication. Teammates must be able to sufficiently communicate while on the field and off. Not only assisting them while playing the sport, but also enlightens another skill for life. Another social improvement that comes from working with teammates is how much teammates motivate each other. It pushes one to be consistent and try their best. Recreational sports improve social health in an abundance of ways. Recreational sports also improve physical health in many ways, including weight control, lowered blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health. The direct effects of engaging in regular physical activity have shown to be able to prevent many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression, and osteoporosis. Physical activity lowers low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol), resulting in improved blood flow and an increase in the hearts working capacity. Recreational sports also postpone the development of disability in older adults. Reducing all of these factors provides additional benefits of decreasing the risk for peripheral vascular disease. Additionally, for those with back pain, recreational sports increase endurance and flexibility, decreasing the amount of pain, and improving pain management. Another example of physical health improvement is shown in immunity. The body’s immune system strengthens with physical activity. This is due to the body’s rising temperature killing the bacteria, which also produces sweat, removing the body of toxins. There are a list of ways that recreational sports improve one’s physical health. Mentally speaking, recreational sports show major improvement. The scientific point of view claims that any physical activity produces endorphins in the brain, which are the brain’s natural feel-good chemical. This simply results in a natural sense of well being for the person being physically active. Therefore, resulting in raised confidence, good self-esteem, and improved moods. Playing recreational sports additionally helps manage one’s stress. Which results in reduced anxiety and depression among those physically active. Sports train your mind to think calmly and find new strategies to deal with problems without getting too hyper. It also helps people learn to set goals, whether it is personal, school work, or on the field. Physical activity undoubtedly shows improvement in mental health. Overall, recreational sports improve general health in a multitude of ways. Socially; recreational sports teach players effective communication and build teamwork skills. Physically; these activities build and strengthen bones, assist in weight management, and prevent a list of diseases. Lastly, mentally; these recreational sports improve overall mood, decreasing anxiety, depression, and stress. Recreational sports implement a number of lessons and benefits for ones active. Recreational sports and games improve social, physical, and mental health evidently majorly.