Sports offer a global connection as well as benefits to our mental and physical health. As humans, we fill our time with work and family and often worry too. If we changed this around however and started new concepts and ideas, how would our mindset change? If you did not have to work and were not allowed to stay home and do nothing, how would you choose to fill your time? Where would you go and what would you do? Let’s say you use part of the day to relax and exercise, what would you do with the rest? Would you spend the day doing something active like exploring the city, going to a museum or visiting an art gallery? Would you read? Would you volunteer somewhere? Would you do more sports? The answer is probably yes. Once we allow ourselves to take time for ourselves and focus on ourselves, things tend to improve. The benefits of sports can be attributed based on the following areas:
Psychological field
With physical exercise the athlete acquires agility, self-control, cultivates courage, will, determination, courage to face the sport and consequently, life. Exercise contributes to the maturation of the person and the development of mental abilities, because it pushes the person to set higher and higher goals and to fight with patience and perseverance, without giving up the effort. At the same time, through it, they utilizes their free time away from stress and routine, ie he is genuinely entertained and does not have fun in vain. It is a great way to get physically and mentally strong and remember that sports cover a range of activities which can be enjoyed in a team and as an individual.
Ethical field
It addicts man to honest struggle, makes him disciplined in rules, in austerity, in moderation, in temperance, to respect others, even the different. It helps him to practice self-criticism in order to become better morally. Thus, more virtuous characters are formed, who believe in ideals, such as healthy sports and the values that derive from it. We also learn to appreciate other people’s beliefs and bodies and understand others’ capabilities whilst participating within sports, we can also encourage others to make the switch to a healthier and more active lifestyle.
Intellectual – Biological field
Sport harmoniously develops the body and the mind, offers health to the body and physical strength, acts as a counterweight to drugs, smoking, etc. The physical condition affects the mental and vice versa. Athletic competition forces the individual to think about how to perform better, sets new higher goals and cultivates the mind. All of the above become more imperative in an age of intellectual one-sidedness and attachment to specialization. It also allows us to learn about sports and hold conversations about certain aspects. Whether it’s making conversations with new friends, or discussing the new champions list, there is always new information to soak up and speak about.
Socio-political sector
Sport as an ideal socializes and connects competitors with friendships, accustoms them to the recognition of the value of opponents and to the development of respect. After all, top athletes acting as role models can influence young people on critical social issues, such as violence, role models, drugs, and more. The beneficial effects of sport extend to the cultivation of team spirit, cooperation, solidarity, noble competition or other virtues, which are necessary for the promotion of social life and consciousness.
Encouraging children and teens to get involved
All teens should be encouraged to exercise in a way that integrates physical activity into their daily routine. The involvement of adolescents in sports activities is primarily aimed at improving their physical condition. Exercise helps boost cardiorespiratory function, neuromuscular coordination and athletic skills. Maintaining good physique is especially important in the specific age period of the adolescent during which habits are established that will determine his future health, e.g. It is well known that obesity is an ever-increasing problem and that 80% of obese adolescents develop into obese adults. Also during adolescence, intensive bone mineralization is observed, which is augmented with proper calcium-rich diet and exercise to avoid osteoporosis in the future. In addition, sports develop very positive emotions in the adolescent, as the feeling of success, progress and fulfillment of goals is achieved. Sport is also a means of social transactions and the development of personal relationships with members of the sports team. In this way the feeling of pride, self-respect as well as the respect of others develops, since everyone works and strives for the common goal.
