How to Lose Weight by Playing a Sport
This is a guest page by Maureen Denard.
Perhaps the most common reason for people to fail to stick to an exercise program is that it is boring and not motivating enough; and this is why you should consider taking up a sport to boost your health and lose weight. However, not everyone seems to enjoy success when it comes to weight loss by playing a sport – while some begin to exhibit faster reflexes, a more toned body, and better overall health, others seem to be stuck in the same rut they were when they started. The key to losing weight by playing a sport is to:
- Choose the right sport: Let’s face it – if you hope to lose weight by playing a few rounds of golf or an almost sedentary game of table tennis or by being one among many in a team game, you’re being delusional. Yes, golf does include a long walk on the fairway, but if you’re going to be using those fancy carts to get by, then it’s more entertainment than sport. Table tennis can help you lose weight if you’re agile, flexible and quick on your feet, but if you’re just going to stand in one place and play a few half-hearted shots, it’s again just another sedentary indoor game. Team games are good as long as you don’t stand in a corner and expect your teammates to do all the hard work. In general, to ensure that a sport helps you lose weight, it should involve some form of moving quickly and leave you sweating after an hour or so is up. Try tennis, badminton, squash, basketball and similar cardio games if you really want to lose weight.
- Train to become better at it: While winning is not everything, it does make sport more interesting and challenging. When you play to win, you find that you enjoy the game much more and are raring for the next go at your opponent. Good-natured competition is healthy for your body and mind, and the only way you can stay ahead of the game is to train on the side to become better at it. Every sport has a few training exercises that are designed to help you move better and faster and with the least effort, which help improve your game-playing skills, and which boost your agility and flexibility. When you train for at least two days a week, you find that you become better at the sport and also lose weight more quickly.
- Play it regularly: It may be a sport, but it’s your daily dose of exercise as well. So make it a point to stick to it and play it regularly. If your schedule goes awry because partners are not committed, find a new location to play with others who are regular and show up without fail. Regularity prevents the aches and pains that show up when you get back on court after a few days off, it keeps your skill and agility on the forefront, and it makes you better at the game with each passing day.
Playing a sport is a fun way to get fit and lose weight, so ensure that you make the most of it with the above tips.
