My husband attended a softball meeting just last week. It is in preparation of the softball season that is just ahead. Although we have snow on the ground and apparently a few more inches to come yet, the reality is that in just a couple of months the softball season will begin. Hard to believe but something I am looking forward to as it has become a special activity for both of us. He plays and I do the stats.
Now over the course of the years he has begun to take considerable notice of the difficulties he has had in playing as he gets older. He plays for one of our church teams and it has been a longstanding rivalry between his team which is made up of the “old men” (men in their late 30’s to early 40’s) and another one of our church’s teams that make up the guys in their 20’s. It’s a friendly rivalry but I have to admit that you can definitely see a difference between the two groups of men.
So what he has done the past couple of years is to not wait until the softball season begins to get in shape. He gets a head start, anywhere from three to two months before the season begins. Many of the men on his team have discovered that it helps prevent injuries. It also reduces muscle tightness and soreness after playing.
I was thinking about all of this when I read an article the other day about the health benefits of playing soccer. No matter the sport—whether it’s softball, soccer or another—as we begin to age it is important that we keep active. In fact, the article I read stated that if inactive men who have high blood pressure, were to participate in just three months of soccer practice, twice a week, they would experience a reduction in blood pressure and in body fat. Whether its high blood pressure, weight or just wanting to feel better, older adults should think seriously about participating in a sport that will help keep them fit.
In my community and I am guessing in most other communities across the United States there are recreation departments or other places such as the YMCA where you can sign up to play a sport, join a yoga class, or some other type of active activity. While winter is still here, I think we should all be thinking of something we can do in the warmer months coming up to stay fit.
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