There is a major correlation between sports and health. Sports and health go hand-in-hand to affect every aspect of your health including mental, physical and emotional health. In fact, even your social health is benefited by team sports.
Mental
Mentally, sport fitness is important in various ways. For instance, sports increase the flow of oxygen throughout your body. This increase in oxygen to your brain allows for better cognitive abilities, memory and focus. Many conditions such as Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia, benefits from aerobic and other sport activities.
Sports can even have an influence on conditions such as schizophrenia. It not only works your brain, but your body as well, since it requires perfect coordination. This makes sports a mental activity as well as a physical one.
Physical
Cardiovascular benefits
Health & fitness are associated with sports, too. Physically, sports are draining and have numerous health benefits. Besides building muscles, sports improve your circulation. It also decreases your low-density lipo-proteins and raises your high-density lipo-proteins, leading to a better cholesterol score. It even affects blood pressure, which prevents the negative consequences of hypertension such as a heart attack or stroke.
Other benefits
Exercise and health have a great significance on one another. The exercise you do while playing sports reduces your risks of diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, sports and other aerobic activities may even prevent certain types of cancer.
Emotional
Endorphins & stress hormones
Sports have an impact on your mood as well. While you play sports, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are defined as opioid peptides, that is, neurotransmitters. Consequently, the increased level of endorphins produced during sports causes people to be happy. This is one of the reasons why sport is considered as a weapon against depression. In addition, the exercise from sports decreases stress hormones such as cortisol.
Social interaction
The social interaction of sports not only offers social but mental benefits too. Just as with a night out with friends, team sports can make you equally happy. The time you spend as a team or even playing against one another plays a role in your overall happiness. Winning gives you a sense of accomplishment and plays an impact on your emotional health by building confidence and self-esteem.
