What You Think You Don't Enjoy Gives Life #Lifestyle
by Sam Bajulaye
Alright! Mid 2009 was the year a friend
told me he had no interest in soccer. Oh yeah! I sighed, drew back a bit and
flapped my eyelashes to catch a full picture of him and well confirm if he wasn’t high on opium. Well, that was also same
year I noticed more guys could actually pull you off with a statement like “why would I want waste my time watching
soccer?” And then you’d really need to see that “sure this guy isn’t normal” look on my face. Of
course, I used to think that guys who had little or no interest in watching
soccer usually do lead a pretty boring life. Until at a point, I realized I was
wrong about this even though I knew the interest in sports, especially soccer
could be life changing and very much healthy. This is where the usefulness
comes in. Yeah, the fact it’s life changing. You
want to know why, I bet. I’m up to the task too.
So, I’d try to be as straight
forward and candid as possible as I can. Here are the four surprising health
benefits of watching soccer.
1. Soccer Inspires You to Get Active
Fine! I could read that
question on your mind. How? How? How? Well, it’s this simple. It’s not just about
getting to scream at the strength of CR7 and his goal scoring abilities or
about how the wunderkind Messi does his dribbling and puts you to a numb after
doing the impossible with the ball between his legs. Watching these guys alone
at the top of their game is a bonus. Really! Whenever I watch FC Barcelona, for
instance, in a game, I’m always inspired to
play football. This doesn’t mean I’m going to play football at that level. But
watching them at the top of their game motivates me to get to the top of mine
(my career path). For football fans, I can tell it’s not just the pros and their fine physiques that inspire us. You’d be surprised how watching a friend compete
in a sport might encourage you to work out. And whenever you catch them
walking, laughing, and having a good time on the pitch, then you think to
yourself, if they could do this, maybe I can. The more you can relate or
connect to soccer (through the action or the athlete), the more likely it will
influence you to get moving.
2. Watching a Live Soccer Match is a Workout in Itself
Okay, so watching some
money making machines running around a rectangular pitch might not pay your
bills, but it can help you torch some calories without even trying. Oh yeah! An
average 150 pound woman burns more than 100 calories per hour attending a live
football event. And that’s just while sitting!
Walking from your car to the stadium, then up 8 or more flights of stairs to
your seat, is another way to easily torch a few more calories, not to mention
leaping from the bench when your team scores a goal. Can’t make it to the live event? No problem – catching the game on TV in the warm comfort
of your room can also do the magic. Even if you’re perched on a stool at the bar watching a 3-hour soccer game, 200
calories can still go with the wind. Stand up while you socialize for the whole
game and burn about 150 more calories. And there you are.
3. Watching Soccer is Good for Your Relationships
“The stereotype is that
there are many disagreements in relationships over the time spent watching
sports, but our evidence says otherwise,” says Lawrence A. Wenner, PhD, a Loyola Marymount University media
ethics professor who has studied sports and relationships. “Often times, women view watching sports with
their boyfriend or husband as quality time.” Oh yeah, it doesn’t matter if he’s the sports fanatic or if she is; as long as
there’s a shared interest.
Then it’s fine. You end up
having a great edge over couples who are less accommodating and supportive
(which can lead to stress and discontent). A supportive marriage is good for
your health and can help you live longer. For the ladies, the BONUS in this is
that if his team wins, it could up your chances of getting lucky at night – testosterone, the libido-enhancing hormone,
will be surging through his body, and it’s likely he’ll want to keep those
good feelings going on in the bedroom. #winks#
4. It Makes You Smarter
Now, you’ll say, “Sam is a liar. How on earth will watching soccer make me smarter?” But do you know watching soccer is just a
fine work out for your brain. In a 2008 study from the University of Chicago, a
dozen pro and college-level hockey players, eight hockey fans and nine people
who had never seen or played the sport were asked to listen to a broadcast of a
hockey game while a machine recorded their brain function. Afterward, they got
a test to analyse their comprehension. Results show that athletes and sport fans
not only understood the game much better than their counterparts but also
experienced brain activity in motor areas associated with planning, controlling
and performing. This suggests that being a spectator can help you absorb and
digest information as well as gear you up for actions.
Like seriously, on another
note, I never had to go to the pharmacist to get him or her dispense some drugs
for any ailment. I just watch football, and I get the miracle. Now look, before
this can also work for you, you’ll need to build that
uncompromising interest in soccer and in sports generally.
I hope one day everyone
gets to know the truth about watching soccer.
“And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make thee mad.” – Carl Von Clausewitz, a
German (Prussian) general and military theorist.
I’d hope the stigma against soccer by some certain souls, especially
the feminine world, would stop today. Think about it. Grab the truth about
soccer. Be free. Get mad. And take on life. Are you good to go? This is soccer (known
as football in this part of the world)! Have a swell week y’all.
add Sam on LinkedIn : Sam Bajulaye
Category: Lifestyle
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