Need To See Results Fast? Swap The Gym For Team Sports!

It’s the age old argument - what offers a better workout the gym or playing team sports? There’s a common misconception that gyms are far superior to any other workout method, simply because they charge high amounts a month for membership.

Gyms are exclusive, which ups the ante, making them seem even more special than they are.

There are people who swear by gyms, go every day and are in fantastic shape. However, just because it is possible to get in shape at the gym, that’s not to say that it’s the best method of doing so. 

The fact is that gyms are packed full of equipment that allows you to mimic different forms of physical activity in an indoor space.

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The type of workout offered in a gym is not unique; it’s just that gyms contain various pieces of equipment that allow them to offer almost every workout type in one place, from running to climbing. 

However, just because gyms have taken our favorite sports and turned them into pieces of machinery for working out effectively, that doesn’t mean that gyms offer a better workout than team sports because that’s not the case.

Swap your gym workouts for playing team sports, and in a month you will see a massive difference and should achieve some amazing results.

Up for the challenge? Here are all the best sports (and some handy tips) for an effective workout.

 

Rowing

If you’re a regular gym-goer, the chances are that you’ve tested out the rowing machines before and tried to use them to get in shape. Rowing in the gym might be hard work, but it’s nothing like the real deal. 

Give rowing a try and see what you think - join a local team and spend some time practicing this sport. One of the major benefits of rowing is that not only does it melt fat as it uses a lot of energy and calories, but that it also improves your upper body strength.

For each hour that you row for, you burn a whopping 425 calories. Admittedly, you can burn a lot of calories in the gym rowing, but the fact is that rowing for real vs. rowing in the gym burns more calories due to changes in water resistance and speed.

Baseball

Baseball is, without a doubt, one of the best sports for playing to get in shape. It comes with various health benefits, is suitable for anyone, and is also a lot of fun. 

When it comes to working out, being able to have fun while you do it is important, as otherwise, you end up getting bored. Just like rowing, you can burn a high amount of calories when playing baseball - the average person burns between 350 and 400 calories, depending on their levels of activity during the game or practice. 

Baseball is also a great strength builder; holding and swinging the bat builds upper body strength, while running builds lower body strength. Like the idea of swapping the gym for a baseball team - head over to http://www.thebaseballdiamond.com/shoeless-joe-gloves-take-your-game-to-the-next-level/ and read up on the game and what’s involved.

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Football

If you’re someone who enjoys playing football, why not swap your gym workout for joining a football team? You would be amazed at how good for you football can be, especially if you play a game once a week and attend weekly practice sessions.

Football is a great team sport as it increases fitness, burns a ton of calories, and is a great way to build upper and lower body strength, depending on the position that you play. During 30-minutes of playing football, you can expect to burn a massive 300 calories.

That means that each game that you play of 90-minutes will allow you to burn around 900 calories. The great thing about playing football is that it demands constant moving - you need to be able to get quickly up, and down the field, training to be able to do this increases your flexibility and stamina.

To learn more about the health benefits of football, resources like http://www.livestrong.com/article/406283-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-being-a-football-player/ are worth a read.

 

Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate frisbee may not sound like the type of activity that offers a gym-worthy workout, but actually, it can do. Admittedly, playing frisbee in the park won’t do the trick, for frisbee to be an effective workout, it needs to be ultimate frisbee that you play. 

The reason that ultimate frisbee offers such a good workout is because it requires constant running and jumping, working various areas of the body and burning a whopping 380 calories in just 30-minutes of play. 

Who knew that frisbee could offer such a good workout? Want to try ultimate frisbee, take a look online to see if there’s a club in your area if there is then ask to join, if there’s not, consider starting one of your own.

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Basketball

Basketball is often seen as being a relatively easy sport because it can be played in a relaxed way. However, if you choose to make basketball your workout method of choice, it can offer an incredible workout, as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort, that is. 

The great thing about basketball is that it’s a fairly easy game, which means regardless of whether you’ve played before, you should soon be able to pick it up. 

Running about the court, balancing to catch the ball, and developing long distance throwing power are all great way to burn calories, melt fat, and build core strength.

The gym can offer a great workout that’s effective at building fitness and strength. However, it’s not as fun or interesting as playing a team sport. 

Believe it or not, the team sports listed above will allow you to see results faster than you would when working out in the gym, as long as you take part in them regularly and put as much effort into each game and practice as possible. 

To put the team sport of your choice to the test, swap from the gym to it for a month, put in the same amount of time and effort as you would at the gym and wait to see the results.