Why do you do sports?

Everyone who plans to play sports does this for their own reasons: the need to get rid of strength, the desire to surpass themselves, the desire to please, etc. Being active often makes it possible to achieve several goals at the same time.

Physical activity or sports activity?

‘Sports activity’ should not be confused with ‘physical activity’.

Go shopping on foot, Sunday afternoon bike rides with your kids, and swim a few lengths in the pool in the garden: these activities can’t be classified as sports. those Physical activity Nevertheless she is commendable as she fights the sedentary lifestyle. In terms of health benefits, it is not necessary to exercise. It is enough to do physical activity several times a week, even every day.

The sport activities Includes disciplines that are practiced in a club or federation and that involve regular training conducted at a constant pace, possibly with a view to achieving performance.

An activity that is performed individually outside an organized setting can also be considered a sport as long as it is practiced under the same conditions of regularity and intensity.

Exercising requires a greater investment than physical activity, in time and in motivation. Before choosing a sport, it is important to ask yourself if this investment is feasible to avoid disappointment and frustration.

exercise to lose weight

Let’s break the myth: Exercise itself is rarely enough to lose weight. For this, it must be combined with a proper diet. The belief that exercise will be able to compensate for a diet that is too rich is an illusion. To burn a kilogram of fat, for example, you have to walk 140 kilometers or jog 100 kilometers! Whatever the sport, its ability to burn extra pounds is very limited. So why are people who want to lose weight required to exercise?

When a diet designed to lose weight is performed by a professional in isolation, it will put the body in need of energy because the food is no longer enough to cover its needs. Automatically, the body gets this energy By “burning” fat and muscle, that is, by converting adipose tissue and muscle proteins in sugars.

exercise regularly Forcing the body to maintain muscle and switch to fat To find the energy you lack. For this reason, exercise is the essential companion to a diet aimed at losing weight. It allows you to burn more energy (energy expenditure associated with sports contributes to the final effect), but above all prevents the body from consuming muscle instead of fat.

We tend to prefer sports accompanying a diet to lose weight endurance sports. In fact, sports that are practiced without a break for at least half an hour are the ones that lead to the best fat consumption process. In the case of obese people, the choice of sports to be practiced also depends on the condition of their joints, especially at the level of the hips and knees. For these people, swimming or cycling are sportsEndurance Well suited as it reduces the weight of the joints of the body.

Exercise to keep fit

Keeping fit is the most common motivation for those who exercise. The Health benefits of exercise They are very numerous and contribute globally to improving the quality of life:

• Better pulmonary ventilation
• strengthening the heart and blood vessels, which helps prevent hypertension and arterial infarction;
• increase in muscle mass Combined with a proper diet, reduce fat mass (fighting overweight and obesity);
• Decreased risk of type 2 diabetes (diabetic fat elderly);
• Bone and joint maintenance (fight against osteoporosis and osteoarthritis);
• maintaining reflexes and motor coordination (fighting falls in the elderly);
• fights stress, isolation, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression;
• Prevention of erection problem simpotence) in men over the age of forty.

To take advantage of all these benefits, it is often more effective to engage in several sports or physical activities with complementary virtues. Combining sports that develop resistance (eg weight training) with sports that develop endurance (eg swimming) allows complete maintenance of the whole body shape.

Exercise to feel attractive

Beauty is a matter of time, fashion and culture. But sports figures have always served as the standard for physical representation. So choosing to exercise to please (or please yourself) is understandable.

This benefit can be felt even without a significant change in shape: a slightly flat stomach and firmer legs may be enough for a person to have a better self-image and feel more confident in his abilities.

In addition, the simple fact of being physically active, even without much aesthetic benefit, gives a more positive self-image which is also found in the look it gives back to those around you.

Exercise to manage stress

Many sports activities for her Beneficial effect on stress : Swimming, archery, yoga, tai chi, etc. Sport leads to production hormones named endorphins. those hormones It evokes in the individual such a feeling of well-being which is real addicted can be stabilized. Exercise also forces you to focus on something other than your dark thoughts, work, or home problems. It allows you to take moments for yourself, regardless of the hassles of everyday life.

Many sports activities, especially those practiced in the middle of nature, help to escape and change horizons. A way to escape from problems, not to escape from them, but to approach them more calmly.

The Competition It allows to gain better self-confidence and learn to manage stressful moments. It contributes to an improved ability to unwind, which is key to stress management.

Do sports to have fun

Before anything else, the Gladly It should be the main factor in choosing a sport. Without this sense of pleasure, it is difficult to persevere or maintain the presence necessary for performance progress and health benefits.

This pleasure can take on different aspects: the immediate excitement that you feel during training, the euphoria of passing a test, the joy of improving personal performance or just meeting friends, well-being after a sports activity, etc.

Other pleasures can also be found in sports: intense sensations (board sports, free-flying, speed sports, etc.), different environments (high mountains, seabed, forests, cliffs, etc.).

Exercise to meet others

You often do sports in pairs or in groups. It is an opportunity to meet friends or make new acquaintances. Sports sometimes helps break the isolation. However, people who prefer individual activities to team sports have the possibility to practice them in a club setting where they can meet other amateurs and participate in events within a group.

Exercising for the love of competition

The Competition (against the elements, opponent or team) is a great motivational tool for exercise. Even for individual sports, events are often handled by the team. In competition, it is important not to disappoint your coach, partners (and ultimately, yourself) allowing you to train with more diligence and earnestness. The competition also provides the opportunity to assess your level, push your abilities to the limit, and learn how to manage test anxiety. This can be done at several levels: club meetings, master (adult) tournaments, guild tournaments, etc.