Equipment

Equipment is important when it comes to working out with sports.  Make sure you have the proper sporting equipment that goes with the event you’re participating in.  Avoid wearing worn-out shoes and wear a helmet or shoulder pads whenever necessary.

Eye Protection

Eyewear is important for protection during sports.  One of the best forms of eyewear you can utilize is made from a plastic called polycarbonate.  Polycarbonate has been tested specifically for sporting use.

Goggles are often times worn for soccer, basketball, racquetball, snowboarding, street hockey, baseball and softball.
For those of you who wear glasses, it’s important to talk to your optometrist about prescription polycarbonate goggles.  All eyewear should fit securely with cushions above your eyebrows over your nose.

Mouth Guards

Mouth guards protect your teeth, mouth and tongue.  They should always be worn in contact sports, such as wrestling, boxing, martial arts, volleyball, hockey, football and basketball.  It’s important to have a dentist fit the mouth guard to your mouth specifically.  Never wear your retainer during exercise, practice or play.

Wrist, Knee and Elbow Guards

These types of guards are appropriate for inline skating, skateboarding or scooter riding and other similar sports.  Men should wear a protective cup if they are playing certain sports.

Jogger Stretching in Grass

Warming Up is Important

Warming up and stretching before a game is an important part of the workout.  You should always do this in order to protect your muscles and your joints from injury.

Benefits of Sports

Research proves that participating in regular physical activity is a type of preventative medicine.  Leading this type of active lifestyle can help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.  These three diseases are the leading cause of death in Hong Kong.  Participating in regular physical activity can help you to maintain a healthy body weight while minimizing the adverse affects of stress.

Most experts agree that healthy adults should be getting approximately 30 minutes of physical activity on all or most days.  Younger people should aim for between 30 minutes and 60 minutes a day.  Moderate intensities, such as taking a brisk walk, cycling or swimming laps can be done in a single session.

Avoid overdoing it.  Play sports in moderation and make sure you are practicing sporting activities appropriately.  Physical activity can reduce the risk of certain illness, such as colon cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Stress Relief

Working on regularly by getting regularly physical activity or participating in sporting events, you’ll reap the benefits of reducing your stress levels. If you participate in sporting activities on a regular basis, you will likely lose weight or maintain a healthy body weight, which can reduce stress too.

Did you know that a healthy 140 pound man can burn approximately 100 calories by walking just one mile (or by jogging).  One donut contains approximately 200 calories!  That means you have to walk to miles in order to burn of the calories from eating that donut!