Sports as relaxation tecniques-football, bowling, for american men and women

SPORTS

 if properly chosen, with the advice of your physician as to suitability in terms of your health, sports can be relaxing and at the same time can contribute to your physical well-being. Too many young people become proficient only in sports that cannot be carried into later life. 

Football, baseball, basketball, crew, and track may be too strenuous in the middle and later years or require too many participants. A busy adult with job and family responsibilities rarely has time to set up a neighborhood football or baseball game. But such activities as swimming, golf, tennis, handball, canoeing, hiking, badminton, squash racquets, horseback riding, skating, cycling, bowling, rowing, and swimming can be carried into middle and later life. They can be mentally relaxing, physically stimulating, require only one or two people, lend them to weekend relaxation.

Married couples can enjoy them together; children can participate in them. Many of these activities can be taken up at any time of life. Badminton, for example, is popular because it can be played with pleasure by beginner as well as expert, the court is relatively small, the player does not have to cover so much ground, yet the fast action builds wind, strengthens leg and shoulder muscles, and provides a feeling of exhilaration. Canoeing, rowing, and sailing in season provide healthful, relaxing outdoor exercise.

Millions of Americans bowl

Bowling exercises the muscles of arms, shoulders, and back. And although it is not vigorous enough to offer more than mild exercise of heart and lungs, it is suitable for people of all ages and for many for whom other sports may be too vigorous. Bicycling, before the automobile made it dangerous, was once the most popular recreational activity.

It is now becoming increasingly popular again as cycle paths appear. While it exercises the leg muscles principally, it does provide some workout for back and shoulders, and is excel- lent for building endurance. Golf, enjoyed by millions, primarily provides walking exercise, with the average golfer covering about six miles on an 18-hole course. 

Some five million Americans now play handball. Many modern playgrounds include a cement court with one wall; many gyms have four-wall handball facilities. Handball develops both speed and endurance, while also strengthening leg and shoulder muscles. Roller skating maintains its popularity.

Ice skating has increased in popularity as indoor ice rinks have become more common and made the sport an all-season one. Skating provides exercise similar to, but less vigorous than, running. Such four-wall court games as squash racquets, squash tennis, racquets, and paddle racquets enjoy popularity because they are fast, emphasize skill, and can be played year-round. 

They are excellent conditioners for both men and women. About seven million Americans play some version of tennis on grass, lay, wooden, or composition courts indoors and out. Tennis provides good conditioning activity if regularly, played. Agility is essential for competitive tennis; the game can be modified and played even by the elderly.