Thinking about Sports and Health means thinking about the kind of quality of life we want to have now or later, since physical activity impacts our body and mind.
As we at Consciencia Cafe are always concerned with promoting a healthier lifestyle for people, we couldn’t leave out this topic, which is often neglected in our country.
To reflect on the subject, let’s talk about the reality of sports in Brazil and its challenges. As well as the benefits it brings to our body and of course, how you can take the first steps to incorporate sports practices into your routine!
So keep reading because it will be worth it!
The reality of sports in Brazil and its challenges
Brazilians’ favorite sport and what they actually practice
We know that Brazil is the country of football and many of our athletes are admired worldwide. But is football all we have here? And in people’s daily lives, how much do they actually practice any kind of sport?
Well, Brazilians really do like sports, it’s something deeply rooted in the culture, starting with the love for football, which is the favorite sport of 70% of Brazilians.
However, this has been changing. According to a Think with Google 2021 survey, Brazilians have been following other sports practices beyond football.
They have even diversified their sporting activities, as illustrated in the image below.
Brazil and sports: where do we stand?
Even though Brazilians like sports, that doesn’t mean they actually practice them. In fact, only 19% of the population practices a sporting activity consistently. The Brazilian reality regarding sports incentives still has a lot of room to evolve.
Starting with investments that have been decreasing since the 2016 Olympic Games that took place in our country.
On the subject, Olympic athlete Lars Grael recalls in an interview with UOL that approximately 3,000 Brazilian municipalities, out of the 5,570 total, do not have a body responsible for sports management and promotion.
This demonstrates how sports still do not receive proper relevance in public administration.
Since the country’s investments in sports are low and incentives for sports practice are still lacking, few athletes manage to pursue a career, and in the school context, few students continue on this path.
It’s no wonder that IBGE 2015 showed that 62% of young people or adults over 15 did not practice any type of sport.
Which, by the way, according to the survey may be related to low levels of education and low family income.
But why is sport important?
Far beyond health, it’s worth briefly commenting on the benefits of sports in other aspects.
The first is the social aspect, as sport contributes pedagogically to a person’s formation.
It promotes discipline, respect for hierarchy and rules, solidarity, team spirit, among others. This makes a great contribution when thinking about the social collective.
Sport also encourages peace among peoples, respect for other cultures, and respect for the environment.
Economically speaking, sports drive a large industry, whether in entertainment with games or with the production and sale of sports equipment and accessories.
The benefits of sports for body and mind health
With the facilities of work automation and motorized transportation, humans have become increasingly sedentary and drastically reduced their physical activities.
As a result, the number of cardiovascular diseases has also increased, among others related to this more fatigued lifestyle.
That’s why sports play an important role, both for physical fitness, as they control weight gain, and also for good health, since they prevent diseases and the negative effects of aging.
We can mention that sporting activities contribute to combating and preventing:
- Coronary diseases;
- Hypertension;
- Obesity;
- Musculoskeletal diseases;
- Respiratory diseases;
- And depression.
Additionally, it provides well-being and increases self-esteem, thus improving quality of life, which is why it plays an important role in mental health.
Due to these benefits, Sports Medicine recommends that people exercise regularly 3 to 5 times per week, for at least 30 to 60 minutes.
How about starting to put some sport into practice in your routine?
If after reading this text, you’ve convinced yourself that you need to practice some sport for your health, in summary just follow these tips before getting started:
- See a doctor to evaluate your physical condition;
- Choose a sport that you enjoy;
- Try to train close to your home or work, to make it easier to include sports in your routine;
- Try to train with friends and seek professionals who practice the same sport for tips and motivation;
- Set goals, preferably achievable ones;
- Start slowly and respect your limits;
- Adopt a healthy diet;
- Drink plenty of water.
Now you have everything you need to get started!
And if you enjoyed our tips, just keep visiting the Blog at Consciencia Cafe where there’s nothing but good stuff!
Cover photo: Freepik