Add Some Team Spirit to Your Fitness Routine

We all want to be as fit as we possibly can, but it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated when all your exercise activities are solo ones. While you might get yourself a gym membership and sign up to join different exercise classes, what’s to stop you not turning up when you don’t feel like it? It’s only the fact that you’ll feel a bit guilty that you haven’t gone or the knowledge that you’ve paid for that membership or classes, so wasted money by not going, that will bother you.

However, when you play a team sport, if you don’t turn up for practice, it’s not just you that you have to consider, you’d be letting your team-mates down, too, as they’d be a player short. That may be the ‘stick’ reason to keep up with your commitments, the ‘carrot’ is that you’ll not only get the benefit from the exercise, you’ll also get to widen your social circle and make new friendships through sport.

Most adults don’t actually play team sports, they leave that to the kids. They may be interested in them, and may have a bet or two on big sporting events such as the tennis, soccer or basketball using sites such as http://www.bet365.com/news/en/betting to place their bets online, but playing the sports themselves is a different matter.

But don’t be put off giving team sports a go, there are plenty of different team sports and it’s not just traditional team sports such as soccer. You might need to try out a few different sports before you decide which is the one for you. Here are just a few examples:

Ultimate

Nothing could be easier to arrange than a game of Ultimate Frisbee. All you need is a group of people who want to play, or to join an existing club, an open space and a disc to play with. There are indoor teams, but you can play pretty much anywhere. It’s something you could just set up with friends if you like the idea of keeping it informal. Just decide where and when you’re going to meet. The aim of the game is for each team to catch the disc in the other team’s endzone and there are elements of netball and American football incorporated into the gameplay. However you play it, Ultimate is always a lot of fun.

Tough Mudder

Tough Mudder was originally designed by Special Forces and the obstacle course events that they set up all round the world are certainly going to stretch most people’s endurance levels. They’re also great fun and as long as you relish the idea of getting covered in mud and are reasonably fit to start with, you’ll enjoy this team event. Camaraderie will help to get you and your team-mates through a challenging course that makes use of Canada’s natural and rugged landscape. Different events are put on every year. As well as the events themselves, you and your team-mates could organise your own weekend training sessions.

Basketball

Most people have a favourite pro-basketball team, like the Toronto Raptors of course, the Vancouver Grizzlies or the Toronto Huskies, and there are plenty of clubs for amateur players. It’s a great sport to watch, but the benefits of playing basketball are multiple. You’ll use every muscle group and get a lot of cardio exercise as you run around the court. It’s a great sport for calorie-burning and the jumping that you do will improve your strength and stamina. We also love the idea of beach volleyball during the summer months. It’s a great way to get fit and enjoy the sun! Co-operation is also required in order to be the perfect team in these sports, so you’ll have the enjoyment of working together to win as a team. Whether you’re an absolute novice or have been playing for years, you’ll be able to find a team local to you that suits.

You may be hesitant about joining a team sport, because you feel you’re not fit enough or not good enough. But don’t hesitate. Try something new and see what a boost you get from being a team player.

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