Health benefits of cricket
“I don’t like cricket, I love it!” sang 10cc on their hit Dreadlock Holiday, and if you’re looking for a fun, social way to keep fit, then you should too. Far from just a game played by English gentlemen who stand around in a field all day, cricket — and especially the training involved — provides numerous health benefits. You don’t see many overweight professional players, do you?
Depending on where you live, joining a cricket team could be easy or problematic. Popular in England, Australia, India and the West Indies, there are plenty of teams about. For those based in the USA, there are fewer but they do exist — or you could start your own in order to enjoy the health benefits of cricket:
Endurance
Just watching a game of cricket requires plenty of endurance as matches can go on for days, so imagine what it’s like actually playing! In all seriousness, since cricket goes at a much slower pace, it doesn’t possess the intensity of other sports like basketball, but there is still plenty of stamina needed. Players can be active for six hours or more, running in short bursts, batting and catching. Standing up all that time and concentrating requires plenty of stamina as they need to be on top of their game until the last ball.
Athletic Power
Just like in baseball, batting in cricket requires a lot of strength if you want to be the best. Running in short bursts between the stumps or to collect a ball headed for the boundary, alongside throwing at speed all improve a player’s power. Much of the training for cricket will include exercises to increase power.
It’s important to have the right gear when a hard ball is being launched at you, and Talent Cricket has everything required.
Coordination
Cricket improves reactions, balance, and coordination because its primary tasks involve batting, catching and throwing. These can help in daily life, but it’s important to warm-up and stretch before and after playing to avoid injury and increase flexibility.
Training for good balance increases the variety of exercises you do, and makes it easier for you to try new exercises. It also helps prevent accidents and injuries! So why not pick up a bat, make some new friends, and keep healthy with a game of cricket?