Cricket is a popular sport played by millions of people all over the world. Not only is it a fun and competitive activity, but it also offers a number of physical and mental benefits. Here are the 10 benefits of playing cricket:
Physical Benefits of Playing Cricket
1. Stamina
Cricket involves sprinting in-between the wickets, running down your bowling line-up to bowl your next delivery, or simply chasing the ball to save crucial runs. The constant running on the field helps increase stamina.
2. Endurance
Whether it’s a fun game or an organized 20-over, 50-over, or 5-day test match, every game of cricket has long playing sessions. The perked up stamina helps one to remain active and agile for long cricketing sessions which builds the body’s endurance to withstand wear and tear.
3. Balance
The game requires the highest level of concentration which enhances balance and stability. For playing cricket, both physical and mental balance of the body comes into play. In fact, balance is the core of any athletic ability because it controls all other body movements.
4. Hand-Eye Coordination
Among the many advantages of playing cricket, coordinated hand and eye movement is most important. The bowler releases the ball, the batsman plays the shot, and the fielder runs through to grab the ball. Every action in the game requires utmost synchronisation between the eyes and hands, therefore helping in the overall development and balance of the body.
5. Burn Calories
Cricketing is a perfect full-body workout for amateurs, helping them shed the extra kilos by burning calories faster. Professional cricket players follow an even stringent fitness module given their hectic schedules and training regimen.
6. Muscle Building
From striking, pitching, and running to throwing and catching; every action in the game entails a different set of muscles. This helps in the overall muscle building and gives the body its perfect shape. Undoubtedly, it is one of the good exercises that help gain and tone body muscles.
7. Flexibility
Identical to the shape of the cricket field, the health benefits of playing cricket also extend 360 degrees. The player is required to move around with great agility and flexibility to remain ahead in the game. Also, with increased flexibility, the muscle mass length increases which prevents injuries due to overstretching of muscles.
8. Heart Health
Unlike other extreme physical activity games that increase the heart rate manifold, cricket involves evenly distanced peaks. The short duration of peaks followed by a small recouping time is good for heart health. Also, the periodic spike in heart rate is a good exercise for the heart as it prevents the blocking of arteries and blood vessels.
9. Motor Skills
Playing cricket is the perfect exercise to improve motor skills. While gross motor skills are of key importance, fine motor skills play an equally important role to put the large body muscles to work.
10. Metabolism
As mentioned before, playing cricket means the entire body is in a workout state. This supports the breakdown of fats and the energy so released is used to sustain the body’s activities. This improves metabolism and puts a healthy check on weight gain.
Psychological Benefits of Playing Cricket
1. Concentration
The game of cricket is all about making quick decisions with great precision. This requires concentration and polished judgement skills. This sharpens the mind and builds the analytical skills of the brain.
2. Team Skills
Playing cricket is all about teamwork and coordination. With 11 players on either side, good and healthy teamwork is important to develop strategies, execute them to perfection and win matches for your team. Therefore, one of the most important psychological benefits of playing cricket lies in the fact that it is a team game.
3. Social Skills
Interacting and communicating not just with team members but also with your competitors helps you learn social skills. Also, while you win some games and lose some, it gives you the strength to cope with different life situations and challenges more effectively.
4. Mental State
Playing cricket benefits a person’s mental state because it improves focus and attention span greatly. These traits help the brain to remain active and agile, which in turn, boosts positivity and well-being.
5. Cathartic Release
Playing cricket is a less harmful way to display high-intensity emotions. Bowling the perfect delivery to get the batsman out, striking the ball hard to let it sail out for a six, and running or diving to catch your rival out can be great ways to de-stress and release negative energies.
Whether you chose to play cricket for fun or competition, it is a perfect exercise to help you achieve your overall fitness goals. Monitored body weight, a perfectly toned body, enhanced stamina, great hand-eye coordination skills, or strong and in-control mental abilities; the benefits of playing cricket are way too many. But it is important to start slow and under professional guidance as cricket players are prone to physical and muscular injuries and frequent muscle cramping. Adequate nutrition with a protein-rich diet helps the body sustain the long play sessions, thereby helping you reap the health benefits of playing cricket.
