The importance of sport for a healthy life

08 Sep The importance of sport for a healthy life

The practice of sport is one of the pillars of a healthy life at any age. Whether it’s going for a run, taking long walks, playing a game of soccer with friends, or doing yoga, playing sports will make you healthier and help maintain a good mood, as well as stay happier and more energetic thanks to the Benefits of physical activity. For this reason, in this article, we are going to explain the importance of sport for a healthy life.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Physical Activity?

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure. The WHO explains that lack of physical activity is the fourth risk factor for mortality worldwide, as well as the main cause of a high percentage of breast and colon cancers, diabetes, and some heart diseases.

In contemporary society, jobs that require physical activity are increasingly scarce, which is why sport is becoming more important. An adequate level of activity:

• It reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and depression.
• It helps prevent bone health problems and improves the body’s functional capacity.
• It is decisive for energy expenditure and, therefore, helps to achieve a caloric balance and a healthy weight.

Experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day to ensure these benefits, so it’s something anyone can do. It is not necessary to practice high-impact or high-intensity sports, but a long walk at a good pace (that makes us sweat a little and tire us) can be enough.

Why Is Sports Important?

Physical exercise is an excellent way to have fun and achieve goals, such as muscle development, weight loss, or fat reduction, all of which are related to a healthy lifestyle. In addition, physical activity also benefits hormonal regulation and the reinforcement of the immune system and contributes to adequate rest and reduction of fatigue.

The beneficial effects of sport are not only physical but also affect mental health, as it prevents the onset of depression and helps reduce stress, in addition to improving self-esteem and even social relationships when playing sports equipment. In short, it makes you feel good!

What Is The Relationship Between Sport And Visual Health?

The practice of sport requires good visual health :

• The perception of distances and speed, good visual acuity, or spatial perception are essential skills to have a good response when practicing most sports disciplines.
• Balance, so important for sports, also depends largely on the state of our visual system.
• Sports, especially team sports such as football or basketball, also require the development of certain visual skills, such as peripheral vision, which allows you to control what is happening on the field of play.

How To Protect Your Eyesight During Sports Practice?

Finally, it is important to adequately protect our sight when we practice sports.

• Remember to protect your eyes from the sun and from impacts or chemical products (the latter are found in swimming pools and therefore affect those who practice water sports). Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, which produce cumulative and permanent damage, can affect the cornea, lens, iris, retina, and epithelial and conjunctival tissues. Various studies show that children and adolescents and people with an underlying eye problem, such as retinal dystrophy, are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of UV rays.
• It is also important to see well to play sports. If you have a refractive problem and want to practice sports without ties (without glasses or contact lenses), laser surgery offers you the possibility of correcting refractive problems, such as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

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