Hello Everyone. This is a guest post by Rob.
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It’s no secret that playing sports regularly is great for getting active and keeping fit. However, as popular as sports like rugby, football and tennis are here in the UK, they’re not to everybody’s liking. There are a number of other sports available though that are great fun to get involved in and can be just as good for your health. What follows are a few examples that you might want to consider:
Rowing
When it comes to improving your cardio and more significantly your upper body strength, rowing is a fantastic option. Of course this best suited to you if you have access to water sports and facilities, but can be done individually or as a team. This is also a top choice if you’re about to start, or are currently at university.
Cricket
You might be surprised to know that cricket is also great for fitness, as to the uninitiated it might not necessarily appear that way. It’s quite the opposite though, you need a great deal of stamina and mental strength to continue racking up runs, batting, bowling and indeed running after balls when fielding; often for hours of play.
You also need to be disciplined and have respect for safety with cricket as it can be quite dangerous. You only have to look back to the tragic events surrounding the death of cricketer Philip Hughes who was struck by a cricket ball, to appreciate how important protective gear like cricket helmets, pads and gloves are.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
In a similar vein to the above, MMA fighting is another sport which improves fitness and strength and also requires a disciplined attitude. Like the name suggests, the sport involves combinations of fighting styles being used in competitive bouts (although you can just train and not fight). Naturally, this can be quite intense and not for the faint-hearted but it is an incredible workout.
Gymnastics
If you want to get toned and improve your strength, then gymnastics certainly fits this bill. The circuits of exercises like press-ups, burpees, pull-ups and other stretches are just the beginning of what you can do in this sport. Eventually you will find yourself balancing on beams, supporting your weight on one hand and bending yourself in all sorts of shapes. Again, this is great for students but is also open to every age and ability.
So if you’re about to start your new fitness regime and want to get involved with a new sport, try something a little different and involve yourself in any of these top options.