Losing weight is a daunting process that forces people to be strong-willed and disciplined throughout the entire process. Dieting alone is not only a significant aspect of it, but also a tough one. Physical activities like running and cycling may be effective for losing weight. However, doing these activities along can create boredom or displeasure. If you have a healthy group of friends or even co-workers who are on the same journey as you, here are some of the best team sports to accelerate your weight loss journey.
Which Team Sport Can Help You to Reduce Weight Faster?
Martial Arts
While martial arts isn’t exactly a sport that involves a team, many gyms implore students to take up lessons with others to establish strong bonds, reliable sparring partners and even teammates in the competitive scene. Muay Thai and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu for example emphasise on endurance, conducting classes that have tons of running and skipping even before hitting the pads and punching bags. Lasting in a fight is key to success in this sport and you can be sure that you’ll get your cardiovascular fix while learning how to defend yourself and making friends along the way.
Basketball
One of the most popular sports in the entire industry, basketball has been renowned for making waves for both enjoyability, versatility and entertainment. Renowned basketball legends are known to non-players which is a testament to the sport’s impressive popularity. This reason alone should pique the interest of budding sportsmen who are keen to lose weight enjoyably. Shuttle runs, laps and jumps are mandatory and the sport can help to burn over 700 calories in just an hour! Its popularity also means that finding other players won’t be the hardest thing to do.
Football
When playing on an actual field, there’s no doubt that running relatively long distances would be expected. Football is one of the biggest sports in the world and places of rich and poor can get in on this passion and bring people together. Rather than running across a smaller space like many indoor sports, playing on an open field will get your body conditioned to conserve stamina over a set period of time, rather than expelling it all in one go. This is a good method to train endurance, but the lack of sprinting will offer significantly less muscle definition. Proper footwork and skills of dribbling does change up the pace if you choose to play that position, but generally, long strides across the pitch to retrieve the ball and position properly will be the main thing to expect.
Ice Skating/Roller Blading
Ice skating and rollerblading aren’t exactly the most convenient sports to frequent, but there is no doubt that committing to this hobby with a group of friends will make the sport enjoyable and burning fat will not seem like a chore. Learning the rules of a sport is one thing, but the effort taken to learn how to skate can possibly rival the skill it takes to ride a bike. The added benefit is that there is a mechanical skill to improve on while working on long distance skates. This sport activates the core and muscles at the lower body – a perfect way to train your legs while burning calories.
Volleyball
Contrary to popular belief, volleyball does not have to be on a beach to be playable. A court with a high net (and a ball, obviously) is all you need before rallying friends to play. Volleyball is ideally played in teams of six with each person given a role. Dives, jumps and spikes will keep the body in a confined space, but it does wonders for your cardiovascular system – elevating the heart rate and respiratory system. Volleyball is one of the most team-dependent sports and definitely worth a shot if commeradory is your forte in sports.
Badminton
Much like Volleyball, Badminton doesn’t quite give you the space a full court or field would, but your movement is constant. As a racket sport, your upper and lower body will constantly be engaged and sudden bursts of speed are necessary to act and react to the shuttlecock in game. Since Badminton strokes are done with the wrist, upper body strength isn’t so much of a priority as running is. With proper practice and a consistent routine, Badminton can definitely trip fat effectively within an hour, done three times a week minimum.
Tennis
While both are racket sports, a tennis court spans across far more space and uses completely different muscles when handling the racket. With big swings that use both arms and shoulders, tennis pays less attention to finesse and more on upper body strength, endurance and fast reactions. While running from side to side is expected of each player when trying to return the ball, players will also need to consciously mind footwork and hip movement to effectively play.
HIIT Classes
While this is not exactly a team sport, there is no doubt that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the most effective ways to burn calories that doesn’t involve staring ahead and spacing out. HIIT classes these days encourage communities of like minded individuals to achieve their goal as a class. Many stations in circuit training require two people (medicine ball throws, sit ups, back to back squats) and is a great way to still establish bonds. Each station is timed and things won’t get boring too quickly as your exercises are rotated every minute or so.
Source: United News of Bangladesh