According to Harvard study
These are the 5 healthiest sports
Harvard University has identified the 5 healthiest sports.
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If you want to do something good for your body, exercise a lot and eat healthily. But which sport is the most effective if you want to improve your overall health? A team from Harvard University researched this.
They strengthen the immune system, get our circulation going and are said to have the best influence on our health: Researchers from the renowned Medical Faculty at Harvard University have the five healthiest Sports researched.
According to the experts, if you don’t want to achieve a level of performance, but rather increase your life expectancy and perhaps get in a little better shape, you should stick to these five sports. They all offer a good balance of endurance, strength and cardiovascular training and are relatively easy to integrate into everyday life.
To swim
According to the doctors at Harvard University, no sport is as versatile as swimming. The buoyancy of the water makes training particularly gentle on the joints and pleasant. Swimming is ideal, especially for people who suffer from arthritis. It trains all muscle groups in the body, promotes endurance and has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and mental health.
If you don’t feel like just doing laps, you can also try water aerobics. Many swimming pools and sports clubs now offer water sports courses, providing an ideal introduction under professional guidance.
Tai chi
The fighting technique from China known as “shadow boxing” is very popular worldwide among athletes of all ages. And not without reason! Tai Chi is an optimal mix of strength, balance and body tension. The technique is also called “meditation in motion” because it trains body and mind equally.
Calm, organic movements flow into one another in Tai Chi. “Since balance and a sense of equilibrium are lost, especially with age, Tai Chi is particularly suitable for older people,” says Dr. I-Min Lee, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Pelvic floor training (Kegel exercises)
No, pelvic floor training is not just for women. Anyone who trains their pelvic muscles actively supports the bladder and prevents weakness or incontinence. This is just as important for men as it is for women.
To perform Kegel exercises correctly, you should tense the muscles that are otherwise used to prevent urination ten times and hold them for a few seconds. It would be optimal to do four to five sets of this exercise every day calmly and without stress. Your pelvic floor will thank you!
Go for a stroll
It may sound banal, but simply going for a walk has a positive effect on your fitness. It keeps you slim, improves cholesterol levels, strengthens bones and keeps blood pressure in the optimal range. It also helps reduce the risk of a number of diseases (e.g. diabetes and heart disease). Not to mention the suddenly better mood it brings.
Start with around 10-15 minutes per day and increase your movement time slowly but continuously. But be careful: good shoes are essential. If you go for a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day, you may sweat a little and should wear sturdy, comfortable and well-padded shoes.
Strength training
“If you don’t use your muscles, you allow them to lose their strength,” explains Dr. Lee the importance of gentle strength training. It’s not about building mountains of muscle, on the contrary. “Maintain strength” is the credo. Muscles also burn calories, making it easier for us to maintain our weight.
If you manage to train all muscle groups in your body gently and regularly, you can even prevent brain diseases as you age. To find the right amount, it’s best to start with just 0.5 or 1 kg of weight per hand and increase in small steps. You should be able to lift the weights correctly ten times without much effort. If you can easily lift the weights twelve times after a few training sessions, you can add another 0.5 to 1 kg.
Sources used: health.harvard.edu, vogue.com