Summer is a great time to be a sports fan. Besides the World Cup, the summer months mean that it’s time for the College World Series of Baseball, the epic bicycling event that is the Tour de France, and one of the 4 annual tennis “Majors” at Wimbledon. (Lots of other events are going on too. There just isn’t enough space in this newsletter to talk simultaneously about them all.) We hope that you are enjoying the multitude of memorable moments that are being created by athletes at the top of their games in each of these events, or in whatever else that you are watching while taking a break from the intense Austin heat.
Here are a couple of ways that baseball, cycling, & tennis can have a positive health impact:
Baseball:
The organization Health Fitness Revolution lists these things as the Top 10 Health Benefits of Baseball:
- Cardiovascular Training
- Strong Arms
- Strong Legs
- Hand-eye Coordination
- Calorie Burn
- Stress Relief
- Benefit for Youth
- Overall Fitness
- Sunlight
- Sharpen the Mind
This post provides more detail for each of those beneficial attributes to the sport.
Baseball is a sport that has embraced the use of data and statistics to improve the game. Check out this article about how Major League Baseball and the American Sports Medicine Institute have been studying the mechanics of pitching and how to take the guesswork out of determining when or if a player is keeping their throwing arm healthy.
The USA Baseball Online Education Center also has a variety of useful resources for parents and coaches about how to stay healthy and fit for baseball play – including aspects of nutrition and hydration in addition to general arm care and age-appropriate guidelines for pitching conditioning.
Cycling:
Bicycling provides a multitude of health benefits, including improvement of cardiovascular health, muscular strength, and joint mobility. And, according to this article published in the Washington Post, cycling to work and back instead of commuting by car can lead to longer life as well as better overall health. The article describes a study that has suggested that the health benefits associated with cycling may be stronger than those gained by regular walking. It also notes that there is a definite cost-savings associated with moving around by bike instead of by car when possible.
This Bike Radar site lists 30 good reasons to get into cycling, including better sleep quality, a stronger immune system, decreased cancer risk, and the ability to snack more without being concerned about calorie counts since riding is increasing metabolic activity.
This Insider Austin blog post is a great place to learn about our local bicycling ‘scene’, with tips about how to get involved in urban riding, mountain bike events, or hill country road rides. It also lists some links to local organizations working within and for the local cycling community.
Tennis:
Over 75 million people worldwide play tennis – a sport that can be enjoyed throughout a lifetime. Players may start as young as age 4 or 5, and many senior players continue to get out to the courts well into their 70s and 80s.
According to this article from the Better Health Channel, the health benefits of tennis include:
- increasing aerobic capacities
- lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure
- improving metabolic function
- increasing bone density
- lowering body fat
- improving muscle tone, strength and flexibility
- increasing reaction times.
The US Tennis Association maintains a comprehensive website that includes this page, which focuses on a multitude of aspects of health and fitness as they pertain to the sport. Do you know why protein is important for your tennis play? Or why Omega-3 fatty acids are recommended for recovery after exercise? Answers can be found on this site, which also includes a multitude of information about how to find a court, learn to play, or improve your game.
Past Grand Slam winner Andy Roddick makes Austin home. His Andy Roddick Foundation works to provide academic and athletic opportunities to children at risk for falling behind academically after school and during the summer months. The foundation’s goal is to enable kids to discover activities in which they excel.
Whatever your sport, and wherever your community, Symmetry hopes that you have a fit and healthy summer. Enjoy your game!