Hitting the gym is a go-to way for many people trying to lose weight and often seems like the only option to get started on your fitness journey. However, going to the gym and completing your sets or cardio might become boring after a while. That is one reason roughly 90% of people stop going to the gym after three months.
Sohow about taking up a sport, having a good time with your pals, and getting in shape simultaneously? Let us walk you through some sports that will help you to embark on your fitness journey:
- Cycling
Cycling is convenient, fun, and easy to fit into a hectic schedule. However, to burn fat, you should ideally ride at a pace that keeps your heart rate between 68 and 79 percent. A bike computer can help you to keep an eye on your heartbeat. Those without this tool should strive for a speed that exhausts them yet enables them to carry on a conversation.
Cycling at a controlled and moderate pace can burn up to 300 calories in less than one hour. That being said, increasing the level of difficulty canincrease this number. People with bulky buttocks, arms, and legs find cycling particularly useful. As a bonus, cycling is a highly efficient mode of transportation. You will get regular exercise while commuting on two wheels, which is an excellent option if you are short on time.
If the temperature rises outside, you can wear cycling jerseys to stay cool. There are wide varieties of women’s and men’s cycling jerseys in the market, so finding the one that goes best with you will not be an issue.
- Swimming
Swimming is a great way to shed pounds quickly by working on your core muscles. When people swim faster and cover more distance, they burn more calories. Additionally, it lowers your stress levels. Swimming is also an excellent way to keep cool during the summer. Morning and evening hours are usually ideal times for this. If you are new to swimming, you should begin by swimming for shorter distances.
- Tennis
Regardless of your age and gender, tennis is an excellent physical activity. It is a high-intensity, calorie-burning cardio workout. Your heart rate will increase after just a few minutes of chasing the ball. If you want to get the most out of this sport, playing singles is the way to go because it allows you to cover more ground throughout a match. According to estimates,men burn roughly 600 calories while women burn 420 calories during an hour-long singles tennis match.
Apart from slimming down, tennis improves hand-eye coordination, strengthens bone density, and increases flexibility.
- Soccer
Ever wondered why you have never come across a fat soccer player?This is because soccer is one of the best sportsto get rid of unwanted fat. Football requires a lot of sprinting, running, stopping, slowing down, and jumping; everything in the course of a single game.
You will get a great workout from all these moves. Statistically speaking,an hour of football every three days can burn up to 1,500 calories and help you lose 2 pounds in one month.In addition, playing soccer engages both slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. As a result, you will alsogrow and maintain muscle mass, not to mention boost metabolism.
- Ice Skating
You cannot ask for a better workout than ice skating in winter. Skating increases heart rate and blood flow. In other words, it is good for your cardiovascular health. But in contrast to other aerobic exercises, ice skating has the benefit of being low impact (provided you do not jump).
Even if you are only skating around the rink for fun, it gives you the same amount of workouts as walking up a hill or jogging a short distance. Ice skating, combined with a healthy diet, could burn around 200 calories in one hour.
If you have never skated before or have not played this sport since you were a kid, you should take beginners’ skating classes. It is a lot more fun to get off to a good start by learning the proper technique instead of struggling and sometimes even getting hurt.
- Volleyball
Volleyball is another sport that can help you burn a lot of calories. For example, if you play for 45 minutes, you will burn up to 585 calories. Volleyball has a lot of movements in common with working out in a gym. For example, passing involves mimicking a squat to generate strength. Likewise, you tone your lower body by bending over to defend yourself or set up a teammate for a smash.
Since the sport requires you to keep an eye on the ball and hit it at the right moment, it can drastically improve hand-eye coordination. Playing volleyball also boosts the overall balance of your body.
- Running
There is a good reason running is consistently ranked as one of the most popular physical activities: it works. When trying to get in shape, a calorie deficit is essential. Running can help you achieve this objective. Running also stimulates the production of bone-building hormones, promoting the growth of new bone cells and blocking the activity that breaks down existing bone cells.That way, your bones will become more fracture-resistant.
You will likely feel capable and proud when you finish a decent run. It will develop a positive mentality, enabling you to take challenges head-on.In addition, following well-documented studies, running can address the symptoms of sadness and stabilize your mood.
If you are done with the same old routine of running around the block or riding the elliptical trainer, it is time to inject some excitement into your workout. Incorporate one or more sports listed above in your routine and live a healthy and happy lifestyle. The best part is that most of these sports are easy on the body and accessible to most people.
