Top 10 Health Benefits of Field Hockey

Much like its sister sport played on the ice, field hockey is a great way to fulfill your competitive spirit. The fast-paced nature of the sport make it a great activity to include in your exercise routine, whether you’re looking for a recreational activity to play with friends or a more intense competition on a league team.

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Field Hockey:

• Great cardio workout: Hockey is a form of cardiovascular exercise, and whether you’re skating or running, your body benefits from the activity. Because of the start-stop nature of the game, where quick bursts of running are broken up by periods of rest, you enjoy even greater cardio benefits. Alternating vigorous activity with moments of recovery, known as high intensity interval training, can burn more calories.
• Builds muscular strength: Field hockey also provides a strength-training workout, with the core and leg muscles being developed in particular. The sport can lead to enhanced muscular strength, as well as improvement in athletic performance.
• Improves coordination and balance: Having quick reactions is a must during game play. In field hockey, players must pass and receive a ball that is traveling quickly across the field. Developing these skills can lead to improved overall balance and agility, as well as better hand-eye coordination.
• Promotes weight loss: Field hockey helps reduce excess body fat. The fast pace of the game requires short bursts of energy that helps burn calories and boost your metabolism. Each player burns an approximate number of 0.061 calories per pound, per minute.
• Improves breathing: The constant use of energy and muscular strength help in the development of the cardiovascular system. Pumping of sufficient quantities of oxygen through the blood helps improve breathing and cellular activity.
• Builds teamwork: Playing with a team of 11 people develops the spirit of teamwork towards successful achievement of goals and victory.
• Boosts endurance: The constant practice and sprinting across the field throughout a game can gradually increase your stamina. This not only helps on the field, but also in everyday activities and other exercise routines.
• Enhances mental strength: Exercise itself can improve your mood because of the endorphins that are released, easing feelings of depression, stress and anxiety. Field hockey provides all these benefits and demands good decision-making and strategy, which can be transferred to both personal and professional life.
• Improves communication: Playing hockey involves the verbal and nonverbal communication of messages through eyes and gestures, as players communicate during a fast-paced game. This leads to the overall improvement in the communication skills of the players. And the better the communication, the better a team’s chances of winning.
• Improves speed: Field hockey not only helps strengthen the cardiovascular system, but it also helps increase your speed and stamina. Fast footwork and agility on the field can be beneficial in everyday life, especially as you age.

To see more of our Top 10 lists, click here.

Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, to make the world a healthier, fitter place, please donate!