Introduction to sports should begin at a young age, say experts, with parents encouraging children to play outdoors. Starting with games at home, the kid will graduate to playing gully cricket, park football or a pickup game of basketball on the neighborhood court. The interest will only grow, amplifying in school and college. The love for sport, more often than not, will continue into adult life, translating into a lifelong commitment to physical activity and fitness.
“People like playing a sport as it’s a lot more engaging [compared to other forms of exercise],” says Manav Mukund, a strength and conditioning coach at Sports Dynamix, Chennai. “The variations in sports are huge. Every time you play a sport, it’s a new experience, and the lessons you learn are many.”
Discipline, self-motivation and teamwork are some of the lessons one picks up on the playing field.
Path to fitness: Exercise vs sports
There are many ways to work on your fitness. You can choose to walk, jog, run, do yoga, go for swimming sessions or even play football and badminton. What really matters is following a healthy and fit lifestyle.
“Fitness routine doesn’t have to be limited to exercise,” says Shivani Ranjit, a sports and exercise scientist from Chennai. “Any physical activity that you’re engaged in on a day-to-day basis will improve your fitness. The choice to exercise, play sports or do a bit of both depends on what the person is inclined towards. Nowadays, many people who are into sports include strength training and cardio exercises into their fitness routine.”
Team sports score one over individual games because of the social aspect attached to them. Besides the fun, playing team sports ensures motivation and regularity, which in turn will help develop a structured and consistent fitness routine over time.
Individual sports vs team sports
“Playing individual sports has a lot to do with the skill of the person and the intrinsic motivation in them to practice and perform well,” says Ranjit. “It can increase psychological stress as they are accountable for their performance.”
“In team sports, however, the support system is much greater,” says Mukund. “But the demands to give your best in the game are also high.”
Working with a team fosters personal and collective growth as you get to deal with different personalities. You encourage each other and grow together.
“The responsibilities in team sports are shared,” says Dr Anuradha Solanky, a psychologist from Delhi. “There is cohesiveness and coordination to achieve group goals. With individual sports, the mental pressure is high. However, the person also becomes mentally stronger and learns to understand their own skills, strengths and weaknesses.”
Sports and fitness
Sports and fitness are intertwined, where sports become a means of achieving fitness while fitness becomes an engine to pursue sports at a higher level.
“People who play sports – either professionally or recreationally – are increasing their level of physical activity to stay fit and healthy,” says Dr Solanky. “By being involved in sports, you don’t have to go out of your way to maintain fitness.”
Mukund adds, “When you start playing a sport, you will observe the physical and mental benefits of it within a very short period of time.”
Other benefits of playing sports
The benefits of playing a sport are many. Besides improving fitness, it also regulates your sleep pattern, eating habits and hydration routine.
“Sports make an individual aware of their capabilities. It boosts self-confidence and makes them feel good about themselves,” says Dr Solanky.
Sport strengthens and conditions the muscles, enhancing reflexes, flexibility and cardiovascular health. “Playing sports makes you develop strong legs for quick and efficient movement, both laterally as well as forwards and backwards,” says Mukund. “It also works on your hand-eye coordination, improving quick reflexes and reaction time.”
“When people play sports recreationally, taking a break from their daily routines, it becomes a stress buster, where socializing with people provides a sense of relief and satisfaction,” adds Ranjit.
Sport provides a platform for like-minded people to meet. When you go to common places to play, you meet new people who either play the same or a different sport. Accordingly, you become sports buddies who can always back each other up and encourage one another to play.
Takeaways
- The benefits of individual sports range from enhancing mental and physical strength to developing skills and intrinsic motivation. Team sports, on the other hand, encourage people to play more often as they provide a platform for meeting new people and socializing, giving a sense of relief and satisfaction.
- Besides improving fitness, playing sports also regulates your sleep pattern, eating habits and hydration routine. In addition, it enhances strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health.
- Playing sports also boosts self-confidence and makes one feel good about themselves.
