Want a Healthier Life? Start with These 4 Exercises!

Besides maintaining a balanced diet, a healthy life also comes from staying active with regular exercise. Exercise not only keeps you fit but also boosts your fitness, energy, and overall well-being. That's why it's no surprise that many people make exercise a part of their daily routine. 

So, do you like exercising, too? So, to add more variety to your exercise, here are a few types of exercise you can try: 

Padel

Have you heard of padel? Though it’s still unfamiliar to many, padel combines squash and tennis. Despite being a combination of two sports, padel is most commonly played in teams of two versus two. Padel courts are also smaller in size compared to tennis courts. 

Originally invented in Mexico in 1969, this sport offers several great health benefits, including:

• Boosting physical endurance

• Enhancing body balance

• Aiding weight loss

• Boosting your mood

• Reducing stress and mood swings

If you're interested in trying this sport, here are a few tips you might find helpful:

• Stretch beforehand to prevent injury

• Wear comfy, sweat-absorbing activewear

• If you’re playing outdoors, use sunscreen to protect your skin from sun exposure

• Wear proper sports shoes and drink water regularly to stay hydrated

Tennis

Tennis is a classic racket sport played either in singles or doubles, where players rally a ball over a net and try to land it in their opponent’s court. You'll typically need a racket, tennis balls and a tennis court to play this sport.

Tennis is not only thrilling but also offers a range of physical benefits, such as:

• Boosting stamina and endurance

• Enhancing coordination and balance

• Reducing stress and lifting your mood

• Helping maintain a healthy body weight

If you're thinking of hitting the tennis court, here are some tips you can follow:

• Before jumping into the game, it's a good idea to learn the basic techniques such as forehand, backhand, serves, and so on.

• Next, focus on your footwork to move your feet quickly and reach the ball with ease.

• Always warm up and cool down to avoid injuries.

• As you play, read the direction of the ball and use techniques like slice, spin, or dropshot to outsmart your opponent.

Badminton 

Looking for a sport that’s easy and fun to play? Badminton could be your best pick! Similar to tennis, badminton can be played in singles or doubles. However, you use a shuttlecock instead of a tennis ball and the racket is usually lighter.

Here are some health benefits of playing badminton regularly:

• Aiding weight loss

• Strengthening muscles and joints

• Helping manage diabetes symptoms

• Supporting heart health

Here are a few tips you might find useful when playing badminton:

• Always start with a warm-up to avoid injury

• Hold your racket correctly to control your shots

• Stay centered on the court so you can reach out in any direction

• Focus on footwork to react quickly to the shuttlecock

• Practice consistent serves and spice it up with powerful smashes

Football (Soccer)

When we talk about “ball sports,” the first sport that probably comes to mind is soccer, right? Unlike the three sports mentioned above, soccer is typically played in teams, with 11 players on each side. The game is played by dribbling the ball toward the opponent’s goal.

Naturally, regularly playing this sport offers various health benefits, including: 

• Reducing body fat

• Boosting physical endurance

• Supporting cardiovascular health

• Increasing bone density

• Alleviating anxiety, depression, and stress

Feeling inspired to try it out? If you’re ready to start, here are some helpful tips you can follow to get you going:

• Practice ball control skills 

• Communicate clearly with your teammates

• Know your role and position on the field

• Maintain your physical fitness to play strong until the final whistle

• Work as a unit, attack and defend together as a team

So, those are a few exercises you can try to level up your health and fitness. To stay worry-free while exercising, consider protecting yourself with Sport Insurance from MSIG Indonesia. This insurance offers coverage for sports-related injuries, including treatments like physiotherapy or care from a sports doctor. 

Coverage excludes official national or international competitions. Let’s get moving and protect yourself with Sport Insurance today!