3 Sports that Are Geared Towards Self-Improvement

By Indy Summers

When it comes to sports, not all sports are created equal. Some sports, like baseball, are downright boring and will have you sitting on the bench most of the game. Although training for baseball can be a little more exciting, getting hit in the head with a fastball isn't exactly the bliss you'd imagine it to be.

The reality is that some sports don't do a whole lot to improve us, especially if they open up the door to a lot of injuries like skateboarding. Although skateboarding may be great for coordination, the damages from nasty injuries and the dare to do it culture can make it a lot less fun. So, what sports actually help you improve yourself beyond the hype and sales pitch? Let's read on, below, to find out.

#1: Soccer

There's a reason why soccer is so popular throughout the world. America appears to be the exception because we have a Roman gladiator mentality and want to see race cars crash and star football players crunched in vulgar displays of brutality. Heck, we are even enticed by the mere concept of inflicting extreme pain in theatrical sports like professional wrestling.

When it comes to playing a sport where you are pretty safe from injuries and have an open field to accelerate your skills, it doesn't get much better than soccer. No matter what position you are playing, there is always an advantage to being active and racing around faster than your opponents. Once you develop the proper coordination and wisdom, you can have a lot of fun playing with a simple soccer ball. Then, what is that you need to get started? Only two things: a touch of doggedness all along the way and the best pair of soccer cleats you can find. With these, you will be good to go. If you want to go deeper and make a detailed and specific footwear comparison, you can check this guide on indoor soccer shoes on shoeadviser.com.

#2: Swimming

Swimming is the universal sport that anyone can participate in if they want to improve their health with a full body exercise. Swimming offers the ultimate in resistance training because the resistance is there if you want to swim fast. It also requires a great deal of coordination to synchronize your strokes and swim smoothly. Swimming is also easy on the joints and the choice form of therapeutic exercise for people who are recovering from injuries.

Best of all, swimming is just fun. People love to play around in the pool and splash each other or dive even when they aren't there for the cardiovascular benefits of laps. Swimming is also a great way to cool down in the summer and the reason why inground swimming pools Maryland are so popular. It is a fact of life that kids in the deep south who don't have access to pools are more likely to become obese because they do not have a way to play outdoors in the extreme heat.

#3: Sprint Running

Being able to sprint run is like no other sensation in the world. The runner's high and the ability to deftly maneuver across great distances is like having wings on your feet. You will feel like you are above the fray when you are able to launch into that hyperactive sprint racer mode and get things done.

Feeling like Flash Gordon will make you appreciate your lung capacity, strength, and explosive energy. Although not everyone has the special type of fast-twitch muscle that sprint runners rely upon for quick bursts of super energy, anyone can still improve their running skills by adopting a better form and balance to project themselves forward at a lightning pace.

Being able to run fast is also a key element of so many other sports. If you can get those muscles pumping, the rewards for sprint running can last you a lifetime. Sprint runners also tend to stay relatively lean because they have good metabolism. Being able to push themselves hard to exhaust their oxygen supplies creates an afterburn effect that will keep burning the calories even when they are sleeping.

A sprint runner will have a higher sense of self-esteem because he is able to conquer space and time. His high metabolism will allow him to pack on a lot of muscle to achieve a sculpted and fit figure. A sprint runner also has the world at his disposal when he wants to run and can push himself at any time to improve his lap times.

Conclusion

When you consider how much time is spent on the frivolous aspects of sports, learning skills that are seldom used, it is easy to see why these three sports come out ahead. Soccer is a safe and limitless sport that forces participants to be very creative in their gameplay strategies and to keep on their toes. Swimming is the universal sport that can improve the health of anyone without taxing the body with gravitational stress. And sprint running is the pinnacle of performance that pushes the human body to the maximum limits of speed and adrenaline. Participating in any of these sports provides you with skills that will carry on with you for the rest of your life.