Friday night Football games, Wrestling meets, basketball games, and volleyball games… There’s nothing quite like it. Sports have been a part of human history for centuries. It is seen as a great source of entertainment for those watching, whether it be in the stands, at home on your television or even on your phone. It’s practically available everywhere. But often times we don’t think about the individual athletes themselves. All the hours put in for training, mental preparation, monitoring nutrition, goes unnoticed. So here are some highlights as to all the benefits of being an athlete.

Health is a major key component in sports, they are heavily connected. The extra push and movement on your bones, muscles, and body become stronger and healthier over time along with proper recovery. Sports are a fun way to burn extra calories to get into better shape. As your heart and its muscles and endurance improve, this increases its way to fight back against things like heart disease. Sleep is also guaranteed to improve. With such a high demand athletes bodies take, sleep is an essential part of recovery. After a hard workout, practice, or game and it’s time for bed your sleep is much longer and deeper as your body uses it as time to repair itself.

Of course with there being plenty of physical gains you can make with participating in a sport there are just as many, if not more mental benefits that come along with it. Self confidence will boost as you see yourself improve and get healthier overtime. So will your self-image. Leadership skills and traits can begin to form, as being an athlete comes with self-accountability, independence, and discipline. The chances of being successful and winning, individuals who are doing sports are more inclined to adopt a “in it to win it” mindset that strives and breeds future leaders.