(Akiit.com) Getting into sports is a great way to keep fit and enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle. It also comes with the added bonus of socialising and making new friends. You can get to know people who have a similar mindset and the same passions. Maybe, after taking the family to so many games, you want to get into sports yourself. Well, you can! The only issue is finding what kind of sport suits you best and what sport you want to pursue. This guide can help you. You can find a sport that most suits the person you are and pursue it. It may take a while to work out what you want to join, and you may be hampered by the travel distance to some of the local teams, forcing your hand.
You may have already considered some of the sports, but never plucked up the courage to join. Take a friend! They can make the whole things easier. Once you are in you’ll meet new people and develop a new hobby whilst finding an excuse to keep fit. Playing sports doesn’t always feel like exercise, but it certainly is. You’ll be enjoying yourself, so you simply won’t mind running around for hours on end until you’re ready to drop. Take a look at some of these sports, and check which you would be most suited to.
Football
A pastime enjoyed mainly by americans, but people all over the globe play it. Football is a rough sport, meaning you’ll need protective headgear to ensure you don’t get injured to much. Shoulder pads are also needed to the same end, and you should consider gloves for added grip and to keep you warm in the colder months. Check out this review of the best football gloves. They can really help you through. Football can be a sport with lulls in play, meaning the exercise isn’t overly intensive, though it still requires you be fit and ready. If you did not fancy the rough tackles and brutal collisions of normal football then consider flag football. This enables you to play the game and enjoy the health benefits while not suffering injuries, and can be good for people who work in jobs where injury cannot be tolerated. Football is a huge social event, and you’ll see this at each game. Check the local teams in your area, see which best suits you and join. Go down and watch them a few times before joining so you know what they are all about.
Soccer (Football, again)
Soccer, or what everyone else bar Americans call football, is a hugely popular game played all over the world everyday. It is a much harder game to play due to the non-stop nature of it. You’ll be running the whole time and not stopping until you are subbed or the whistle is blown for half time. You do need to be fit to play this game, though your position dictates how much running you’ll end up doing. If you play on the wing, you’ll be tearing up and down the pitch. You’ll be doing the same in midfield. Defenders get the best of it, especially centre backs. Find your niche and you can soon see yourself on the pitch. It depends how good you are with the ball at your feet. If not so good, play in defence.
There are dozens of teams up and down the country where you can join in. You’ll need boots, if you’re on grass ensure they have studs. If hard ground, look for astro-turf boots or moulded studs. They can help you keep your grip on the ball. You also need shin pads. These are a must. With some of the tackles being quite rough, you’ll get a few kicks on the shin. Wearing shin pads mitigates this issue. Aside from that you need little else apart from the fitness to get the job done.
On another note, if you don’t fancy joining an eleven aside team you could consider five aside. It is similar to interval training and is extremely fast. The pitch is smaller and the ball bounces off the walls, keeping it in play always. The beauty of this is that you can easily find five or six players and join a league. Meaning you can play with your existing friends. It’s a great way to keep in touch and stay fit at the same time without the hassle of having to find a team.
Tennis
The sport is growing in popularity. It isn’t a team sport, so you lose the social aspect and the team bonding that grows from playing with others, nevertheless it is a great sport to be enjoyed. If you know others who you can play then it is as simple as renting a court, turning up and just playing. You’ll need sportswear, like shorts and a breathable tshirt, but you’ll also need a racquet. Choose a beginners one at first, you don’t need to go all out and get one that’s super expensive. Test it out, make sure it fits your grip and you’re good to go. You’ll need trainers too, non slip ones are the better for tennis. It can be a really hard sport to learn to play, so you could consider going for some tennis lessons. They can help you and teach you the basics. Learning the finer points of the game and how to make the more difficult shots while still keeping a rally going. Find someone who you can play with each week and stick to it. It isn’t as good for your fitness as team sports, but it is still good for you and can get you out of breath fast. You’ll be making quick snappy movements across the court again and again, which can hurt your ankles so be sure to be careful.
If you begin to grow into the sport, consider joining a club. Tennis clubs can be expensive, but if you love the sport there will be no problem for you there. It can enable you to further your game by playing against better people with more of a variety. It also means that courts will always be open for you and you won’t have to book ahead, just wait your turn. If tennis proves too hard for you then a similar sport is badminton. It is easier to hit the shuttlecock than a tennis ball because it travels at a slower rate but you still get the fitness benefits.
Golf
This is the least sporty sport on the list. It test your skill more than your fitness. Though, for the older generations it can be a good way to get out and keep walking. Even the smallest of walks over hilly greens can be somewhat beneficial, and the social aspect is good too. Golf is a skill that takes years to master. Like tennis you may find yourself needing some lessons first. Before you buy your first set of clubs, try it out. Hit the driving range and see how you fare. Go to a local pitch and putt and see how your putting game is. If you enjoy it then you know it’s for you. There are dozens of golf courses and clubs. Some are quite exclusive, others less so. You’ll meet different people as your game progresses and play better opposition, the only way to do this is through a golf club. It is a game where careful strategy and wit wins.
Baseball
A team sport, yet a sport that requires great hand eye coordination to either throw, catch or hit the baseball. The fitness aspect is there, requiring you to sprint to each base or run across the field to make a catch. In America, it is hugely popular. You can find a team with ease and join up. You may need some practice. Your hand eye coordination needs to be superb to not only hit the ball, but hit it where it needs to go. Placement is one of the harder skills that takes a while to master. If you can catch, then go to the field.If you can throw, then pitch. The beauty of baseball is that there are a lot of different skills involved so you can choose the right one for you and run with it, letting you excel. You’ll need certain protective equipment depending on your position.
There are variations too for non-professional players like softball. It can take a while to develop the snappy reflexes it takes to make in air catches, but it will come over time. The only issue is having to learn to do multiple things. You need to be able to hit, throw and catch. Working on all of these at the same time can become irksome. In amateur teams you may need to fill in at different locations of the field, so you really do need to know it all. However, it’s all part of the fun and baseball gives you a varied and balanced game of skill and athleticism.
Staff Writer; Paul Poole