When you turn on your television, whether it be to track your US Open picks or watch your favorite basketball team, you may often admire the impressive shape that these athletes are in. Whether it be LeBron James running up and down that basketball court, Roger Federer moving in all directions to return the balls, or Cooper Kupp running receiving routes, these professional athletes are in tremendous shape because of the physical excursion that sports put on your body.
But not all sports are the same. Each sport puts a unique type of exertion, amount of exertion, and intensity of exertion on your body. And depending on your fitness goals, there are some sports that may aid your goals in a better fashion.
Understand Your Fitness Goals
Before you determine what sports you should play to “get in shape,” understand what your fitness goals are. Are you severely overweight, in need of losing tens or even hundreds of pounds? Are you more of a slender build that wants more muscle mass? Are you looking to improve your cardiovascular health?
There are many fitness goals out there, such as some listed above, and there are different sports that target those goals in various forms.
What Sport Fits You Best?
If your goals are to lose a large amount of body fat and become leaner, opt for a sport that burns more calories. Losing weight is a very simple concept… calories in versus calories out. If you are able to burn more calories than you take into your body, you will lose body fat. Now, what sports burn the most calories?
Those in need of fat loss should opt for a soccer match or maybe taekwondo. One hour of soccer can burn up to 937 calories/hour, and the same goes for taekwondo. These two sports are some of the most draining on your body due to the physicality of the sport. You are constantly engaging your core, your lower body, and your cardiovascular system. These two sports are a great way to start burning some of that fat!
If your goals are to build lots of lean muscle mass, maybe steer away from high-calorie burning sports. Yes, the soccer players you see on TV are often very developed but the best method to gain muscle mass is through weightlifting. By working out, progressively overloading in the gym, and eating a high caloric and protein diet, you can easily build muscle. And while you’re at it, maybe participate in a friendly game of golf, which burns roughly 300 calories an hour.
And finally, if you are looking to improve your cardiovascular health or simply just become a more fit person overall, look into swimming, track and field, and basketball. These three sports are extremely taxing on the cardiovascular system. Often while watching these professional sports, you can see players huffing and puffing because they are out of breath from performing these very challenging sports.
In basketball specifically, players like Fred VanVleet and Tyrese Maxey must make sure they have high cardiovascular endurance to support their playstyles. Both players are often moving quickly laterally and vertically which really tests the lungs. Fred VanVleet averaged 2.9 miles of movement throughout the 2021-2022 season.
Conclusion
Sports are not entirely meant to be forms of exercise. Are they an extreme form of physical activity? Of course. But you want to make sure your daily activities consist of things you sincerely enjoy. If you see yourself often looking for US Open predictions, maybe play a round of tennis and see if you enjoy the sport. Maybe if you’re often scrolling and looking for US Open Tennis predictions, you could become a fan of playing and watching the sport.
Remember that physical activity should be something you enjoy, not something that acts as a task. Whether you love playing sports, love hitting the weights, or simply love going on walks, do what is most enjoyable. As long as you are active, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
