Ditch the Gym and Get Involved in Team Sports Instead
We are all well aware that we need to exercise in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The majority of us will join a gym and carry out routine exercises alone to achieve this. However, it’s important to remember that this isn’t the only option out there. If you’re more of a social person and want to try something a little different, you should consider getting involved in team sports instead. Here are a couple for you to consider!
Soccer
The World Cup has just come to an end, but soccer frenzy doesn’t have to end there. You can always get involved with the sport yourself. Now, soccer often tends to lose out to its more popular cousin American football, but it’s actually a much more accessible sport for your average individual to get involved with. After all, there’s a lot less contact and you don’t require quite as much bulky and protective equipment. When you’re starting out, all you need is comfortable gym wear, some soccer boots and some shin pads to protect your shins.
A soccer match consists of two rival teams and the aim of the game is to score the most goals by the end of the ninety-minute match. The game is played in two halves of 45 minutes each, in the middle there is a fifteen-minute break referred to as “half time”. Each team will have eleven players (ten outfield players and one goalkeeper). To score points the ball must be kicked into the opponent’s goal. The whole ball needs to be over the line of the goal’s mouth and can be scored with any part of the body other than the hand or arm up to the shoulder. The ball is to be passed up and down the pitch by kicking the ball from one player to another (passing) or “dribbling”. The whole match will be overseen by a referee, who can issue players with yellow or red cards if they act inappropriately. A yellow card is essentially a warning and a red card results in a player’s removal from the game.
There are a few other specific rules that you will pick up as you get more involved, but that’s the basics to get you started on the right foot. While the main benefit of getting involved with soccer is the health boost, you’ll also find that if you and your team end up doing particularly well, you could pick up some trophies and awards along the way too!
Relay
Most track and field sports tend to take the stance of every individual for themselves. But relay is different. This incorporates a team dynamic into traditional racing. The most popular form of relay race tends to be running – whether long or short distance. You race around the track as you usually would, but when you come to the end of your stint, you pass a baton on to another team member who will then race themselves. The winners are the team whose baton passes the finish line first.
These are just two team forms of exercise to consider. There are plenty more out there, but hopefully these two might appeal to you and get you started on the right foot!