Five Water Sports for Everyone
If you are looking for an effective way to stay active throughout your life, getting involved in water sports is a great strategy. Many water sports are low impact, so they are easier on your joints and muscles as you age. Regardless of the area in which you live, a pool or natural water source is likely nearby. Even in inland areas, local YMCA facilities often have pools that you can utilize to stay fit. Regardless of your location or your age, the following are sports in which you can participate for years to come.
1. Swimming Laps
Swimming laps is something you can do in a pool. If you don’t already have a pool at your home, you may consider investing in a pool constructed by professional swimming pool contractors San Diego. It may seem like a large monetary investment, but you’ll want to compare this cost with the cost of years of gym memberships. Swimming laps is a simple and easy exercise that people of any age can enjoy. Swimming is incredibly low impact so even as people advance in age, they don’t usually find swimming to be abusive to their bodies or to cause soreness after the fact. Even people with physical disabilities that limit movement may find that they can navigate and exercise in water easier than on dry ground.
2. Pool Games
Pool games can be modified to fit any group of participants. Marco Polo is a popular chase game that any age can play. Traditional sports such as volleyball, polo, and basketball can be adapted to the pool setting, and the rules can be adjusted to include players of all skill levels. And if you’re looking for something less strenuous, try playing common travel games like Categories or I Spy in the pool and incorporating short bouts of swimming as rewards for winning or punishment for defeat.
3. Canoeing and Kayaking
Naturally, you’ll have to exit the pool to take part in the popular sports of canoeing and kayaking. However, these sports are similarly adaptable to all ages and ability levels. Canoeing and kayaking offer fantastic upper-body workouts while honing directional skills and improving hand-eye coordination. For those that are uncomfortable at first, multi-person canoes and tandem kayaks are available. You can jump in one of these with a more experienced person to safely and more comfortably get a feel for how to balance, row, and navigate around turns. As with any sport, be sure to invest in the proper safety equipment such as life jackets.
4. Tubing
Many people think that water skiing looks fun, but they would never have the athletic ability or the bravery it takes to try such a sport. Tubing is a fun alternative to water skiing that still allows participants to enjoy the wind in their hair while being pulled along the water behind a boat. In this sport, you don’t have to learn the ins and outs of balancing on one or two thin skis. You also don’t have as much risk of becoming disconnected from the boat. Tubes come in many sizes and can accommodate groups of people as opposed to just one person. Groups can mutually decide the max speed at which they want to move to make it enjoyable for everyone. Again, be sure to wear a life jacket.
5. Fishing
Fishing is a fun sport that offers a lot of variations for people of all ages. You can fish in a river, in the ocean, or on a lake. You can fish for a variety of species depending on your location, and you can fish off a dock or from a boat. Fishing can be a solitary sport or one that is enjoyed with family and friends. Regardless of the size of the catch, fishing is a fun sport that promotes patience and well-being.
No matter where you live, there is likely a body of water or a facility where you can enjoy one of these sports. Whether you choose to tackle an activity solo or invite family and friends, playing in and on the water can provide physical and mental rewards for people of all ages.
