Sports are a fantastic way to have fun and get fit. It might be intimidating to think about starting a sport later in life – especially if your purpose is to get fit. You might feel that you are far behind your peers in the same sport, but the truth is it’s not about winning and losing. It’s about transforming your body through physical competition.
Wrestling
Wrestling is a pulse-pounding sport that often goes overlooked. While you will have an advantage with a strong body, what really matters is technique. Thus, while still being a sport that will demand that you get into physical shape, it also won’t render you completely useless as a beginner. Regular practices and sparring matches with your wrestling teammates and opponents at tournaments will give you ample opportunity to sweat and strain, building muscle and stamina. Your coach or trainer will encourage you to do the basic necessities to keep up your physical health, leaving the rest of your body to catch up with your practiced mind.
The Swim Team
Swimming is another versatile and highly useful option. It’s a full-body workout, which means that it’s going to burn calories faster than a lot of other sports. Your upper body and your lower body must work in tandem to propel you – not to mention your core muscles. Swimming requires you to have strong core and back muscles because of the way your body maneuvers in the water. You also can swim alone or with a team, with or without a coach. This way, you can either choose to go at your own pace or you can have yourself be pushed by others who want you to do better.
Martial Arts
Martial arts carry a kind of mythos around them that can be both exciting and rewarding. After all, it’s quite difficult! Martial arts are an incredibly diverse field that ranges from the spiritual to the practical, that encompasses so much more than punches and kicks. It requires discipline more than anything else; the ability to control one’s own body and mind, to practice through soreness and pain. You can choose from boxing, kung fu, karate, krav maga, muay thai, capoeira, jiu jitsu, or even fencing.
The key to getting fit is consistency. The role that a sport plays in that is critical. Finding a competition that you enjoy, no matter how good or bad you perform, will be the key to motivating yourself until you find that consistency.
Check out this article on what you need to prevent injuries when playing sports!