As children or teenagers, many have participated in football, rugby, basketball, volleyball or other sports championships, convinced that these represented an excellent opportunity to bond with friends and teammates, create new friendships and develop a competitive spirit.
Growing up, however, the idea of practicing a team sport often ends up being unattractive or, even more frequently, difficult to achieve. It is a case of great loss, as several studies have shown, because the benefits of team training are certainly not reserved for children and teenagers.
Why should an adult practice team sports?
A number of government bodies in the USA, highly exposed to the problem of obesity, have tried to respond. This is with "Let's move!", an initiative launched by former first lady Michelle Obama, to provide some suggestions, although it is primarily aimed at children.
Similar to the idea of “Let’s move!”, but geared to a more adult target, also Technogym has launched its wellness campaign “Let’s move for a Better World”, to encourage people all over the world to move, doing well to themselves and to others.
After all, the U.S. Center for Disease Control has said that the minimum amount of daily physical activity should be around 30 minutes. Whether it's a walk, a run, or an intense swimming session, it doesn't matter: it's essential to make time for 30 minutes exercise aside from sitting every day. And it is here that team sports come to the rescue, as evidenced by the government initiative itself.
Just imagine becoming part of a team: as recently as you arrive, it could be difficult to get into the heart of the game right away, be deployed and play an entire game. Nonetheless, the warm-up, which lasts on average 15 to 20 minutes, plus a portion of the game, even just 10 minutes, could have a huge benefit on the body, especially for those who lead a sedentary life.
The stimulus of the teammates and the desire to get involved more and more will do the rest: it is known that being part of a team is an excellent antidote against the temptation to abandon for lack of motivation or method.
A team to overcome stress
Few have any doubt that team sports are useful for children from a psychological and educational point of view. Very different is instead the common opinion on the usefulness of this type of sport in adulthood.
Nonetheless, some healthcare institutes and foundations, like the Heart Foundation of Australia, have shown how regular sports, particularly team sports, can help drastically lower stress levels and reduce the risk of heart attacks and other diseases.
And it is precisely for those suffering from stress, chronic tiredness, or even just laziness means that choosing a not too competitive team sport could prove to be a perfect solution: a way to be reborn and find new vitality. If the risk of procrastinating, either because you're tired, or because you've had a bad day, or even because the weather conditions are not favourable, is very high for those who practice an individual activity, when you are part of a team things are very different: the sense of altruism or fear of blame from your teammates are the best allies you can imagine, especially at the end of a long day's work.
Mental benefits to the mind
In addition to its stress relieving factor, being part of a team can be a real remedy for mental health and self-esteem. A study in the Bennington Banner magazine found that although individuals' performance in physical activity varies from individual to individual, people who practice team sports almost always have valuable benefits for their social and emotional health.
These are benefits that can be obtained from the very first moment, from the instant you present yourself to others, explaining the reasons that led you to choose the sport or team. And it is the increase in self-esteem levels that is the main benefit of a group sport. In addition, having a planned commitment, marked by rules and good habits, is the best you can ask for people suffering from depression, prone to isolation or loneliness.
A team sport, then, really seems to be able to make life more complete and healthier. In a word: better.
The social benefits of playing a team sport, in short, are many. This is because man is naturally inclined to live with other people, to share goals, to find his own role within a group and to establish friendly relations. Relationships that become even more intense when you have to face difficulties in a group, even just for fun.
