Types of Physical Exercise and Their Benefits
Competitive Physical Exercise
Competitive physical exercise is done to achieve the best possible result, either by winning or surpassing opponents’ marks. Many personal values are associated with it, such as learning to win and lose, personal growth, and the consistency of training. To practice it formally, it’s necessary to join a club and obtain a federation form, including accident insurance and medical coverage, to participate in activities.
Competitive exercise requires fixed and unchanging rules, selection criteria based on performance, perfect mastery of technique and tactics, and separation by category and sex. Physical preparation is essential, demanding numerous training days and hours. Additionally, it necessitates large facilities capable of accommodating a large audience and adapted to the specific competitions.
Physical Exercise and Recreation
It’s important to dedicate time to activities that enrich us as individuals (improving our capabilities, entertaining us, etc.). Engaging in physical exercise (practicing choreography, going to the gym, etc.) offers numerous benefits for our health (physical, psychological, and social) with regular practice, which helps increase the quality of life, regardless of age.
Some people prefer competitive sports, but individual exercise is gaining popularity simply for the enjoyment it provides as recreation. The important thing is to make a personal decision that satisfies us.
Recreational exercise doesn’t require performance standards, strict regulations, or technical or tactical expertise (except for minimal practice). It doesn’t demand comprehensive fitness or training schedules. Facilities adapted to the neighborhood, designed for many participants and suitable for any sport, are sufficient.
Positive Aspects of Elite Sports
Provides great entertainment that benefits all kinds of audiences.
Serves as a platform for many individuals who engage in sports.
Leads to many scientific and technological advancements that are later applied to other areas, benefiting the rest of the population.
And Negative Aspects
Doping to enhance performance.
Violent behavior by spectators.
Prioritizing sports performance over athlete development (e.g., young gymnasts with excessive training hours).
High training volumes and intensities, which can be detrimental to health.
Handball
Handball is a team sport with seven active players and seven substitutes on each side. The objective is to score more goals than the opposing team by throwing the ball into their goal while preventing them from scoring in your own goal. A referee officiates the game and enforces the rules.
The game is played in two halves of 30 minutes each, with a 10-minute break, on a 40m x 20m court with two goals.
Players move the ball by bouncing it and cannot use their feet. Strategic positions include two wingers, two backs, a center, a pivot, and a goalkeeper.
Basic technical gestures include:
Jump shot: Can be high or offensive, or low and defensive.
Pass: Front, bounce, hip, overhead, pronation.
Throw or shot: Penalty throw, jump shot, and underarm shot (often with fakes), hip shot, and falling jump shot.
Blocking.
Tactical principles include:
Offense: Invade the opponent’s defensive space, maintain ball possession, create scoring opportunities.
Defense: Prevent the opponent from invading your defensive space, regain ball possession, and prevent them from scoring.
Metabolism
Metabolism encompasses all the chemical reactions in the body that convert food into energy (kcal are expended throughout the day). There are two types:
Basal metabolism: The minimum energy required for vital bodily functions at rest.
Metabolism of activity: Energy expenditure during various activities (running, cleaning, etc.).
BMI = weight (kg) / height2 (m) – Ideal Weight Calculation
A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25. Below 20 is considered underweight, and above 25 is overweight (over 30 is obese).
Tips for Proper Nutrition
Diet: Consuming foods that provide the body with the essential nutrients it needs. A healthy diet:
Is complete: Contains all the essential nutrients.
Is balanced: Incorporates the proper proportions of all nutrients.
Provides sufficient energy: Ensures enough energy for daily activities and replenishes energy expenditure. It’s important to eat five meals a day.
Is varied: Includes a wide range of foods.
Maintains a zero balance: Achieves a balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure. This is known as energy balance – eating what we need.
The best way to enjoy a healthy lifestyle is by eating a balanced diet, tailored to our physical activity level, and adopting an active lifestyle (key elements: Mediterranean diet and exercise).
Classification of Sports
Without cooperation, without opposition: The athlete participates individually and doesn’t directly interact with opponents, aiming to achieve their best performance. Examples: Mountaineering, track and field.
Without cooperation, with opposition (adversarial sports): The athlete participates individually and directly confronts an opponent. Examples: Tennis, fencing.
With cooperation, without opposition: Several athletes work together towards a common goal without direct confrontation against another team. Examples: Relays, synchronized swimming.
With cooperation, with opposition: A team cooperates to achieve a common goal while directly competing against another team. Examples: Football, basketball.
Physical Exercise for Health
Physical exercise is practiced to improve health by taking advantage of its physical, psychological, and social benefits, and to enhance the quality of life. Many people exercise to “get in shape” and maintain their physical well-being.
Health is not just the absence of disease. It also encompasses psychological well-being and social relationships.
Public health initiatives promote physical activity, and its practice is now more widespread than competitive sports.