Football is, without a doubt, the star sport in many countries, especially Europeans or South America. This sport arouses passions among young and old, but not only when it comes to going to see the favorite teams play, but also when practicing it. Many are the children who play football at recess, and the adults who continue this passion. And the game is a very fun team sport, but also very healthy.
Intro: The king sport…for queens
Who has not ever seen or played a football game? In many countries, the answer is no one, whether you like this sport or not, since football is everywhere and is one of the most played sports in physical education classes, so everyone knows what it is.
Likewise, it is the sport most loved by many people, who watch it on television and often practice it in more or less professional teams. If you are one of those football lovers or are thinking of doing a team sport and don’t know which one to choose, take a look at all the physical and mental benefits this sport offers you.
1- Protect our heart
Football is a type of aerobic bearing that promotes cardiovascular health by increasing the pumping of the heart, controlling blood pressure, or reducing bad cholesterol in the blood. It also increases the level of oxygen and makes our cardiovascular system work better, preventing the development of diseases such as arteriosclerosis.
2- Helps to lose weight
Without a doubt, running for 90 minutes behind a ball across a field is one of the best ways to lose weight, burn fat, and control weight. This helps us avoid serious diseases such as obesity or diabetes, improving our general health, as well as our appearance.
3- Increases muscle mass
During football practice, the legs, abdomen, and chest muscles are mainly worked, although the upper part is also worked, which helps to avoid flaccidity, increase muscle mass, and tone the figure.
4- Increase endurance, strength, speed and coordination
Football is a complete sport that helps us increase the strength, speed, endurance, coordination, or balance of the entire body.
5- Improves bone health
Football improves bone density, preventing the loss of this that can lead to diseases such as osteoporosis, very common in women after menopause.
6- Promotes brain health
By increasing and improving oxygenation and blood circulation, not only the heart is favored, but also the brain, which is why it helps us keep it younger and fitter, avoiding degeneration and aging.
7- Encourage teamwork
Football is a team sport. Individuals alone don’t win games, no matter how good they are, so playing football regularly helps us learn to collaborate and work as a team, which can help our professional success.
Furthermore, football is a sport that fosters many other positive values such as discipline, commitment, responsibility, hard work, competitive spirit, or effort, which can benefit us in all areas of life.
8- Increase self-esteem
Exercising regularly makes us feel better and produces emotional well-being and stability, which increases our self-esteem and confidence.
9- Increase our aerobic capacity
Having to run from one place to another for so long increases our aerobic capacity, that is, our ability to exercise without getting tired or without losing our breath. This will make us less tired in general.
10- Increase concentration
Football requires great mental concentration, which favors this ability in other areas of our life, such as study or work. It also encourages determination, quick thinking to see the best move or cunning, improving our cognitive functions, and thinking.
11- It favors social interactions
Playing football, either occasionally or on a team, helps us establish new contacts, make friends, and enhance social interactions. Also, if we play football with our family, it can help us spend more time with them, especially with our children, which is not always easy. Football is a good way to get to know our friends and family better and make new contacts.
12- Reduce stress and anxiety
Football helps us forget tensions, stress, worries, and anxiety, improving our mental health. Also, during exercise, we release the so-called happiness hormones, which help us feel better and reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) in the blood, helping us feel better and happier.
13- It’s really fun
Finally, football is a highly entertaining sport suitable for all ages that can be played anywhere. You only need a ball and a field, you do not even need real goals since any tree, post, or object can serve as a goal, so you can enjoy football at any time and place, obtaining all the benefits mentioned above.
