The top five health benefits of playing rugby
The health benefits of playing rugby are more than just physical exercise. Although rugby might offer a total body workout, there are numerous other benefits to the sport. Rugby is a lifestyle and can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Here are the top five health benefits of introducing rugby into your life:
Builds strength and agility
Rugby helps to build muscles and overall strength in your whole body. Some rugby drill exercises help to improve and develop core strength in players, whilst others involve acceleration and deceleration, direction changing and speed sprinting.
Stress reduction
Rugby and rugby drills reduce the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in the body, which are the stress hormones. This type of physical exercise also stimulates the body’s production of endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s feel-good chemicals in the brain that assist in elevating mood and relieving pain.
Cardiovascular endurance
Rugby will improve your body’s cardiovascular system. The rugby game and practice exercises help to increase energy and stamina, control blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and burn calories. Practice, including rugby drills, helps to improve core skills such as kicking and handling alongside quick thinking and decision making. Consider rugby drills through Sportplan or another provider to help improve the tough physical challenges rugby brings whilst improving your cardiovascular and overall physical health.
Mental wellbeing
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK explains how physical exercise within a team has been found to improve mental health the most.
Bone health
Loss of bone density can be a serious issue for adults and may lead to osteoporosis; fortunately, physical activity through sports such as rugby is a good way to increase bone health. Parents should encourage their children to participate in sports as early as possible. A study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that young people who consistently play sport have a higher bone mass at 20 years old than those who do not participate in sport.
Besides the health benefits rugby provides, other benefits include social interaction and communication, team building and self-discipline.
Rugby is a great sport for all ages, with encouraging your family to participate in a sport such as rugby beneficial to both physical and mental wellbeing and a good way to spend quality time together.