1. FITNESS.
Healthy body, healthy mind. By playing a sport keeping fit is so much easier as you’re getting fit as a fiddle while doing an activity- which I have to say is much better than pounding on the treadmill for half an hour! Being physically healthy keeps your mind healthy as well. When you exercise, as well as burning fat and building muscle, endorphins are being released. These endorphins essentially give you a boost, a “runner’s high”, where you feels fantastic after doing physical activity.
2. SUMMER BOD.
After the Christmas food explosion of chocolate, endless amount of stuffing and a good old feed from your well-stocked home fridge it can be hard to get back to normal. By having a sport to come back to you automatically start working off those extra portions of Granny’s trifle without thinking too much about it. It can be crazy, once the winter exams are over, Easter always zoomed past and the next thing you know is that it’s summertime! Summertime usually means beach-time so being comfortable with yourself before showing off your pale Scottish skin in that new two-piece is high on the agenda!
3.FRIENDS.
I honestly don’t think I’d have nearly as many pals if I hadn’t joined a sports club in 1st year. As sad as that sounds, when I joined the club we had training twice a week, “Liquid Wednesdays” every week, and socials every few months. I was constantly getting to know people while playing a sport I really love. The people I’ve met through the club are some of my best friends and I’d be a bit of loner if it weren’t for playing sport.
4.SUPPORT CIRCLE.
When you were younger it was probably your mum that you went home to after school and vented about what ever/whoever was getting on your nerves or upsetting you. As much as a phone call to your Mumma can help, sometimes you just need a pal to blow off steam to in person, and also I don’t think Mumma needs to know every detail of that boy you might be fooling around with… some things should be keep hush hush. Having a support network like that can be difficult to make at Uni if you aren’t in a society or club. It’s surprising how close you can become with people through training with them, playing games every week and tearing up the D-floor in the club every Wednesday night. From boy trouble to that test you didn’t quite ace, the girls you meet through playing sport are going to be there for you.
5. F.U.N.
Possibly the most important aspect of exercise, in my opinion, is having fun. Nobody likes the Debbie Downer who goes to the gym and pounds the treadmill for an hour, yes she may look uber fit but is she having fun? No.
I have a relatively short attention span so I need to be constantly entertained or will switch off. By exercising playing a sport you can have fun and have a blast as you burn off last nights Tropical VK… have you seen how much sugar is in one of those bad boys?
And if after reading this article you still don’t fancy playing a sport, there is circuits at ASV which is a great way to fit and have fun at the same time.