Five Surprising Health Benefits of Playing Soccer

Author:Jeff Nachmani | October 29th 2017

Soccer lovers play soccer for the sake of fun, or passion and many choose it as a career, but like other sports, soccer has countless health benefits that are unparalleled in their effects. According to an estimate, approx. 265 million people are involved in this game which can safely be proclaimed the most popular game of this era. For anyone who wants to get healthy but hates hitting the gym, finding a sport of their choice is the best alternative to get in shape. Below, I'll explain a few advantages of soccer that your bodily health gains.

1. Hit? Bring it on!

I like to call soccer a free-form of High-Intensity Interval Training and for all the right reasons. I'll explain this one; you're always switching between jogging, running and sprinting. This kind of activity gets your heart rate up.A player gets to run approx. 8 miles in every game. And this type of activity can get your heart rate up and serve as the best cardio exercise. In short, this is the best alternative to a gym membership if you do not have the money, time or motivation. It also helps keep your cardiovascular muscles active and in an excellent condition.

2. Increased Coordination

Soccer makes your body and brain coordination better and quicker, and any soccer player would tell you that. The thing is, it's not just a game where you run around chasing the ball like crazy, and the running is never linear, so this game teaches one to quickly think on their feet and coordinate their game strategy with their feet. The ball is on the feet, but hand-eye coordination is also vital for a good game. It is a game of passion, but it requires wits and developed strategic skills, and only with practicing you can get better at developing your decision-making. Soccer coordination gets impeccable by playing FIFA as well.

3. Get rid of body fat

And this one serves as the most significant motivation. If you have excess body fat and you've spent countless hours in the gym, running on the treadmill trying to get those pounds off – OR watched soccer while sitting on your lounge's couch aimlessly, it is time to combine these two activities. Get off the couch and get on the field, because while having fun and learning soccer you probably wouldn't even notice when those fats got off your body. Prepare yourself for an epic weight loss journey by getting yourself a blender (for those delicious green smoothies), and a soccer ball and you're all set to perfectly toned legs and a tucked in the tummy!

4. Stronger Muscles

All this hard work and constant effort are not for nothing; I assure you that. Even if you don't walk around carrying excess fat, your muscles might need some toning, and that is precisely what soccer does for you. When I started playing football, I didn't even notice how impeccably soccer sculpted my calves. This is the only alternative to strength training that I prefer and advise. You cannot develop amazing upper body muscles with this game as there isn't any upper body exertion involved but the legs and glutes get toned up. The upper body, however, does get stronger when you learn to hold off other players; ultimately soccer does help boost your strength.

5. Mental Health

The ultimate advantage of this game that is undeniably useful is how soccer can cure your depression. Any sport can do that really because whenever a person suffering from depression sees a psychiatrist, the first question they are asked by the therapist is that if they have physical exercise incorporated in their life. If you don't want usual gym memberships or long hours of running on the track or treadmill, just opt for a sport that works, which in this case is soccer! Because no game can be as fun as soccer, it not only reduces your stress and develops a better coordination between your brain and body but it also helps sharpen your emotional intelligence and teaches you a lot about sportsman spirit. For more information on soccer, please visit this page.

I'm sure you agree with all the obvious benefits of soccer! So, grab your soccer ball and hit the field. And don't forget to have fun!

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