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What Sports Will Keep you in Peak Physical Shape?

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Keeping fit typically requires consistent levels of work and effort, meaning it can quite quickly become monotonous. This is why many people turn to playing sport as a way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Most sports require levels of physical exertion, but few can match the full-body blast that tennis provides. Let's start by taking a look at tennis. Tennis is an individual sport (unless you’re playing doubles), which means victory lies in your hands.

Tennis is king

You are constantly involved in the action, unlike some team sports in which you might sit on the bench for a spell or be in a part of the pitch where nothing is happening.

Tennis works every muscle in your body; your legs move you around the court and cause the explosive movements to get you in position to hit the ball, while your arms and upper body are activated when making a shot.

The sport also demands high levels of endurance as you need to move quickly and almost constantly be on the move while the ball is in play. Further still, you need to be incredibly mentally focused in order to react accordingly when the ball is coming your way.

So, not only are almost all of your muscles worked, but so too is your cardiovascular system, which will improve your overall fitness and burn a lot of calories.

If you also enjoy watching tennis as well as playing it, there is a great range of events to choose from, in a diverse selection of countries. For example, Wimbledon is by far England’s most popular event and millions of people watch, as well as participate in sports betting every year.

Boxing

Boxing is another sport that is excellent for keeping yourself in peak physical condition; it’s no coincidence that most professional fighters have extremely chiseled and muscular physiques.

It is not only the competition of boxing that is physically demanding, but the training as well. It is one of the most effective sports for burning calories quickly, and you can burn over 700 calories from an hour-long session.

This is because, like tennis, your whole body is working - while it might seem like just your arms are doing the work to throw punches, you’re also using your legs for explosiveness and stability, as well as your core and back.

Your cardiovascular system has to work extremely hard to keep your body moving and throwing punches, as well as avoiding them and defending yourself. Boxing also benefits other physical attributes, too.

Your balance will improve through boxing training, as you need to keep yourself on the balls of your feet as you move around the ring and properly distribute your weight across your feet. Boxing will also aid your alertness and reaction time, as well as hand-eye coordination. 

Run Forest run

While running is often thought of as just a form of exercise, it is also a sport in its own right and is another excellent way of keeping fit.

One of the biggest advantages of running is that it is free - you don’t need to join a gym or club, and you can do it pretty much anywhere. All you’ll need to pay for are a decent pair of running shoes and suitable clothing.

While it may not work as many muscles as boxing or tennis, running still burns a large number of calories - well over 700 per hour, though this will depend on your weight and the speed you’re running at.

It’s an excellent sport for improving cardiovascular fitness and losing weight. Plus, it doesn’t have to be done alone; you can run with friends and family or join up with a local running club.

The others…

Basketball is an example of a team sport that is especially good for keeping yourself in shape. This is partly because basketball teams are quite small - 12 players in total, with five on the court at any one time.

So, each player has more responsibility than those in other team sports. Basketball is also an incredibly fast-paced game and players have to run up and down the court at speed for great lengths of time.

The sport also involves a lot of jumping - to make shots, interceptions, rebounds etc. - meaning force needs to be generated from the legs. All of this combines to produce a rigorous full-body workout.

Though it might not seem it at first glance, squash is a sport that can also greatly enhance your physical fitness and overall health. The area in which you play is relatively small, however you have to constantly move around it, usually with explosive movements.

In squash, you need to react quickly but also generate a lot of force when striking the ball. A competitive game of squash will leave you drenched in sweat and feeling the burn, that’s for sure.

There are many different ways of keeping fit but getting involved in a sport is one of the most enjoyable and sustainable ways of doing so. Whether it’s a team sport or an individual one, there are plenty of options to try.

Exercise, Aging, Tips, Tennis, Running, Squash, Sports, Boxing, Health

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