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.
