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Whether you’re a professional athlete or just exercise in your spare time, it’s all too easy to fall into repetitive patterns.
While restricting yourself to one type of physical activity can lead to quick gains, it can be problematic and hinder your progress too.
This is why coaches and personal trainers always incorporate an element of cross-training into fitness programmes.
Discover the benefits of doing multiple sports, from physical advantages to mental safeguards.
1. Improving Overall Fitness
Each sport has unique benefits for the body. For example, weightlifting builds muscle and bone and improves posture while endurance sports increase stamina, burn fat and boost cardiovascular health.
This means that avoiding certain types of sports leaves you with holes in your overall fitness. Diversifying your sports portfolio gives you the best chance of being a well-rounded athlete.
2. Less Chance Of Injury
Limiting yourself to certain types of sports means using similar joints and muscle groups frequently and repetitively.
Overusing body parts without allowing time for repair makes them more prone to damage such as sprains and strains.
Equally, the areas isolated from your training become weak and will be liable to issues like fractures and tears when used.
A properly balanced physique will help prevent injuries as all your muscles and joints are able to together to provide support, stability and strength.
3. Brain Benefits
Exercising regularly has cognitive benefits such as improved memory and spatial awareness.
Moreover, research shows that attention span, as well as coordination-related tasks are also enhanced.
Yet another benefit is the increase in creativity, while the endorphins will certainly enhance your mood and lower chances of depression. Exercising will not only make you fitter, but also smarter!
4. Skills Are Transferrable
It might seem illogical, but broadening out into different fields rather than committing to focused practice can improve your ability to do your favourite sport.
For example, runners and other endurance sportsmen will hit limits without weight training. Building muscle means better stamina and more explosive power which helps to increase speed.
Slower-paced sports focusing on form and fluidity, such as yoga and Pilates, are also essential to runners for stability from core strength and better balance.
5. Increased Enjoyment
Remember that variety is the spice of life, and doing multiple sports is an easy way to get increased enjoyment out of exercise.
For example, donning a special triathlon suit for a swimming, cycling and running event is more appealing to many than a traditional marathon! Balancing power and endurance activities will also help to regulate energy levels.
Heightened excitement means more motivation and reduced risk of burnout. Part of the enjoyment comes from testing your limits in new ways and achieving goals that once seemed out of reach.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone with unfamiliar sports, balancing them throughout the week to give different muscle groups a chance to repair.
6. Brain Benefits
Exercising regularly has cognitive benefits such as improved memory and spatial awareness.
Moreover, research shows that attention span, as well as coordination-related tasks are also enhanced.
Yet another benefit is the increase in creativity, while the endorphins will certainly enhance your mood and lower chances of depression. Exercising will not only make you fitter, but also smarter!
7. Makes You More Competitive
As we well know, life is a competition. Whether you are trying to win a football game, a love interest or nail that job interview, you’ll need to be better than the competition.
Doing sports is one of the healthy ways to learn that vital lifelong skill – it’s not always about winning, but also about dusting yourself off and trying again.
Trying both single and team sports can show you both sides of the coin and teach you that sometimes loss and success can be shared, and it’s ok for someone to have your back or you theirs.
8. Avoid Burnout
No matter how much we love something, doing it over and over again can turn even the most pleasurable activities into chores.
This often leads to lower motivation, which can translate into poorer performance in time making it into a vicious circle.
Combining different sports may sound a bit more intimidating with the potential amount of energy required, will surely take the boredom out of the equation.
