Sports Provide Participants With Entertainment & Vital Exercise
Be it soccer, basketball, American football, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, or any other active sport, competitive games are a popular and thrilling way for one to get much-needed exercise.
Many humans aren’t keen on going to the gym, lifting weights, and/or engaging in heavy fitness workout programs and exercises.
But playing a recreational active sport of any kind with friends and family members is always a fun social activity, and just as importantly, it provides the necessary exercise that every person needs in order to achieve maximum physical condition and overall health.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults 18-64 “do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week.”
Ice Hockey In Canada: A Popular Activity With Proven Health Results
In Canada, ice hockey is a major sport that provides hundreds of thousands of people with grade-A quality training, exercising, and mental skills.
According to data from Statista, there were just over 345,000 registered ice hockey players in Canada for 2020-21. That number was obviously greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the total number of registered players for the 2019-20 season was 607,951 (via Statista).
There were well over 600,000 registered ice hockey players in the nation every season from 2011-12 to 2019-20, according to Statista.
NHL teams employ trainers, skills coaches, sports psychologists, and other professional experts to ensure their players are retaining peak condition while also addressing the importance of mental health.
In May of this year, the Toronto Maple Leafs promoted hockey icon and Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser to the Senior Director of Player Development position.
Following an illustrious career that spanned over two decades, Wickenheiser finished her medical school program at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine.
Given Wickenheiser’s strong backgrounds in the ice hockey and medical fields, the Maple Leafs know they’re getting top-notch training from one of the best.
Toronto is once again among the NHL’s top teams right now with a 20-8-2 record, and they’re one of the prime favorites to win the Stanley Cup in the Ontario sports betting community.
There are plenty of former NHL players who run their own hockey schools and academies, teaching kids and new players the essentials of the game. This includes Hockey Hall of Famers Jarome Iginla and Teemu Selanne, two of the most gifted goal-scorers in NHL history.
While active as a player, Pittsburgh Penguins captain and superstar Sidney Crosby even makes time to run his own hockey school.
Although a great method of exercise, ice hockey undoubtedly carries its fair share of health risks. It’s a physical and fast-paced sport, so injuries are inevitable.
Over the past decade, there has been a greater awareness regarding concussions in hockey. Top hockey programs, leagues, and health experts continue to work on solutions to make the game safer.
But for the most part, ice hockey is a great source of exercise that can help a person ensure strong body conditioning. The game teaches a unique set of skills: Speed, skating, balance, agility, hand-eye coordination, stamina, core work, and much more.
A published piece by Peter Kitchen and James Chowan from McMaster University called “Forecheck, backcheck, health check: the benefits of playing recreational ice hockey for adults in Canada” included the following:
“Analyzing data from Statistics Canada’s 2011/12 Canadian Community Health Survey, the paper found that there is an association between physically active males age 35 or over who play ice hockey regularly (at least once a week) and enhanced health more so than other physically active males. While these players are larger in body size, they have significantly lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease and report significantly higher rates of self-assessed health.”
As humans enter their 30s, it’s hard to remain in peak physical condition. But as noted above, playing an intense sport like ice hockey can provide the importance of exercise, socializing, and good mental health.
Countless recreational and non-competitive ice hockey leagues exist across the country. It’s a sport where you can sign up at any age, and there are plenty of “beer leagues” out there for people of all ice hockey skill levels, be it top-tier or first-time players.
