Who ever said that once you graduate college, get an adult job, find that special someone,
and begin to settle down and make your lives together that somewhere playing needed to be pushed aside? Many adults who played sports and participated in team activities somehow decided once they began their own lives and careers, playing became less important. Surprisingly, to play is very important; it takes the place of the gym and exercise classes which many adults find boring and monotonous. Play keeps the mind sharp, problem solving skills high, and oxygen flowing to all the cells including the brain.
For example, if you played soccer since the age of five and continued all through high school; then got to college and became caught up in studying, partying, and working, there are no rules that say you can never go back to playing. As many of us grow into adults, we have this weird misconception that play is only for children. By researching the recreation department in the area you live, the shock of the amount of adult play groups may be overwhelming. For instance, if you live in Arizona and wanted to continue or begin playing soccer again, checking out the soccerforadults.com website will give all the information needed for beginners to more advance players about joining a team at the appropriate skill level. This particular adult play group offers just a men’s division and a coed division with many different teams throughout the area.
Any sport of your skill from basketball, volleyball, softball, baseball, and tennis, can be
found to play with as a team. Instead of running aimlessly on the treadmill for an hour
staring off into space, think about the adrenaline rush of running up and down a field or
court, passing the ball, to keep away from the other team, ad scoring. Many times
playing team sports as an adult is far more fun than it was as a child.
Since adults are there to enjoy the time out and use this as an exercise routine, the
understanding that no one is perfect makes playing fun. Knowing the aches and pains
that weren’t there years ago when sprinting down to first base can become comical with
teammates while sharing this discovery. Coordination skills may take some time to gain
back but with patience and encouragement, you will be back to playing the way you
know how.
Before attempting to begin any team sport:
1) Get a physical by a doctor to check out all the pertinent organs like the heart and
lungs.
2) Once the commitment has been made to sign up with a team and participate,
begin slowly. This is not high school and your coach or parent is not going to
make you do suicides for not catching a ball; listen to your body and only push it
so far.
3) Be patient with yourself. Remember, playing is supposed to be fun, not torture.
4) Within a month’s time, your body will be conditioned again to play hard.
Keeping your fitness routine diverse will help keep the motivation continuous to exercise
throughout the year.