Sports are a great way to keep fit. In the past, it was considered that sports were mainly for men. However, recent research has suggested that girls enjoy as much, if not more, playing sport than their male counterparts. Sport (or sports) has been around since the earliest days of recorded history, and can be traced back to ancient Rome, where gladiators, clowns, and wrestlers were regularly used in the theatrical performances of the time. From these beginnings, sports have developed into a wide variety of disciplines, from track and field to polo and tennis, and even golf, one of the first outdoor sports to develop. Today, in addition to traditional contact sports, there are numerous games online that anyone can play to stay in shape and simply have fun.
Sports help develop a number of different aspects of physical health. Because many sports require sprinting, kicking and climbing, they provide an excellent cardio-vascular workout, and are especially good for developing heart and lung muscles. Additionally, sports help develop neuromuscular parts of the body, which helps support the skeletal structure. Finally, many forms of sports help develop self-esteem and social skills. As well as helping people to feel good about themselves, they can provide an opportunity for community building and athletic interaction.
Some sport terminology may confuse first-time sports enthusiasts. For example, if a game is defined as “a sport held to compete with other individuals,” it is most likely a non-contact sport. While sports refer to a physical activity, a sport can also include competitions, such as swimming, diving and bowling. The most common contact sport in the United States is basketball, although rugby, hockey and lacrosse also frequently feature on sports lists.
Activities that comprise a sport can vary from a simple activity, such as taking a field trip to the zoo or a ballet lesson, to a competitive event, such as basketball or tennis. Competitive sports often use physical exertion in a particular way, such as sprinting, jumping or throwing a ball. While non-competitor sports do not often require the same level of physical exertion, they can still be considered sports because of their composition or their underlying mechanics.
Some people mistakenly think of “sport” as “organized sports” such as baseball, football and basketball, when what they really mean is a mixture of exercises and activities that promote physical fitness. In addition to the definition above, international sports refer to any type of organized competition using teams and/or athletes from around the world. Most international sports are skill-based, but there are some sports that are based more on physical exertion. These sports include boxing, luger, wrestling, surfing, sailing and track and field events.
Many people perceive sports to be contact sports, which means that the players involved will engage in brutal contact with each other in order to win the game. But while most sports involve some degree of physical activity, this definition does not entirely cover all of the different types of physical activity. For instance, it would be incorrect to call the game of basketball “physical activity” because while the players do use their hands, they are also doing things such as taking turns with a ball, jumping, blocking and diving. The definition of sport refers to the actual physical act of playing the sport itself.