Fitness: Sports That Are Fun and Healthy

Posted by Paul on June 5th, 2010 at 03:11am

Do you dread the thought of exercising?

For many people visiting the gym is more a chore than a pleasure. It might feel like something you HAVE to do rather than something you WANT to do. If you have that outlook then eventually you may just give up on going to the gym altogether.

Then there are the people who think that you can only become fit by running 5 miles everyday. Not everybody likes to run (I can’t blame you!) and running can also cause you serious injuries.

There are many fitness alternatives and the best ones are those that involve high fitness sports. There are so many sports that are great for a workout and for improving your health and fitness, but you don’t even need to be good at them to benefit.

So what are the very best fitness sports? I’ve compiled a short list of the sports that I believe provide exceptional fitness benefits and I’ve explained why each one is so good.

Swimming
Swimming does amazing things for your upper body. It strengthens your arms, back and shoulders and is a low impact exercise so is great for those with muscle or joint problems.

Tennis
Tennis is an all over body workout. Your arms are busy swinging the racquet whilst your legs are moving non stop. It is no wonder that tennis players are some of the fittest people on the planet.

Ice Skating
Ice skating is not only fun, but it teaches you balance and promotes leg and ankle strength.

Squash
Squash requires quick reflexes and constant movement so is a great cardiovascular activity.

Cycling
Riding a bike will have your legs hurting in minutes when you aren’t used to it, so gradually ease into it. Try riding uphill for extra b

enefits.

Kayaking/Canoeing
Th

ere may be no better upper body exercise than rowing a boat,

which explains the muscles on Olympic kayakers.

Surfing/Bodyboarding
The balance required for these beach sports is astounding, and it’s a great mental exercise too. It also requires all over body

strength to stay standing and to paddle on to a wave.

These are just a small selection of the sports that will significantly improve your fitness whilst allowing you to have fun at the same time!

Tags: fitness, fitness sports, Gym, Health, Ice skating, Physical exercise, Sport, Squash

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