Benefits of Football/Soccer over Gym

I've signed up to play indoor soccer for the next 7 weeks to add to my fitness regime at the gym.

It's been about 9 months since I last played so I was ready and raring to go tonight. After the game I was reminded how physically demanding indoor football/soccer can be.

Even though I've been working out at the gym each week since I last played, the constant twisting, turning, sprinting and tackling had me worn out after the 2 hours.

And, there were two other key things I noticed while playing:

The first was that I found there were periods during the game when I pushed myself harder than I would at the gym because I was forced to by the intensity of the game.

The second was that I was having so much and was so focused on scoring goals and helping the team that I didn't notice the feeling of strain and muscle pain. This meant I played a lot longer than I would have typically ran at the gym.

The benefits of playing football versus going the gym have also been proven in studies too. This Danish study showed that a friendly game of soccer works off more fat and builds up more muscle than jogging.

One of the best things about this study is that the players were untrained - everyone can benefit from playing. As the study points out - a lawn, two goalposts and a ball is all you need to begin a health-promoting training regime for 22 people.

So whether you're a veteran or a first timer, what are you waiting for? :)

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