Fitness
Wanna Play?
You’re NOT Too Old to Join the Fun! BY APRIL TISHER
We know that exercise is important to us as we get older, but sometimes hitting the gym isn’t enough. Running on the treadmill, using machines or even taking classes at the gym may not be your cup of tea, but you still want to stay active. An article from Sports Psychology Today notes that staying active as an adult is imperative to staying healthy. Experts say regular exercise keeps the body strong, and it reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and even some cancers. It’s also believed that a healthy body can keep the mind healthy with improved cognitive function. There is also strong evidence that sports do a lot more than just provide the physical benefits of exercise. Being part of a team, the camaraderie and working together for a common goal are also invaluable aspects of athletics. Just as these things are important to children and young people, they are vital for adults, too. This is the part that many adults find is missing once they become “too old” for many of their sports teams. Many times, people lose their
22
WELLNESS360 | JULY/AUGUST 2020
opportunity to play organized sports once they graduate from high school or college. A Harvard School of Public Health study found that some adults who played sports when they were younger and no longer play as adults cite lack of time, interest, access and health issues as reasons why they gave up their sports. There was also a gender and income gap as well. The largest decline in participation occurred after age 26. The same study found that even though adults tend to give up their athletics, they still enthusiastically support their children in theirs. The key is to keep parents playing, too. We often think of lifelong sports as limited to golf and tennis, but that is not the case! While the options for an adult are nowhere near as endless as they are for a child or teenager, there are still ways you can stay active and social as a part of a team! So don’t be afraid or think you are too old! Get out there and play!
