Summer Sports: A Treasure Trove Of Benefits.

Even if they are primarily practiced for pleasure, summer sports such as paddleboarding, petanque, and table tennis are full-fledged physical activities. Their playful aspect does not prevent them from being a source of health benefits. We will explain which sport to choose in order to reap certain benefits.

To work on cardio

All those who want to let off steam this summer and work on their cardiovascular fitness will turn to team sports outdoors.

Football matches and volleyball games require short but intense efforts. If you are not trained, you should be careful not to exceed your abilities, especially when it is hot!

Outdoor team sports are a goldmine of health benefits as they develop endurance, cardiorespiratory capacity, and dexterity. They also have the advantage of burning calories and engaging different muscles.

Finally, in football as well as in volleyball, you need to demonstrate technique and skill to receive the ball, pass it to your teammates, and score in the opposing camp.

To develop coordination

If you want to specifically work on your coordination, you can prioritize summer sports that require movement and precision like table tennis, badminton, and frisbee!

Both table tennis and badminton aim to return the ball or shuttlecock to the opponent's side. You can use forehand, backhand, or smash shots to destabilize your opponents.

In a different style, you can play frisbee in two different ways:
• Either by passing and catching the disc in the air before it falls to the ground
• Or by playing as a team on a field with goals. Teammates pass the disc and try to advance towards the opposing side to score, similar to handball.

The first version of the game, which is also the simplest, is ideal if you want to play frisbee on the beach or in a park.

In any case, these physical activities work your neurons, sense of coordination, and adaptability. You need to move quickly and be in the right place to follow the trajectory of the ping-pong ball, shuttlecock, or frisbee...

To improve balance

If you aim to develop your sense of balance, choose summer sports that work on proprioception and the inner ear. This is particularly the case with slackline (an activity that involves walking on an elastic strap), stand-up paddleboarding, and trampolining!

On these accessories, it is not easy to stand and move gracefully because your feet are no longer anchored to the ground. By practicing these activities, you stimulate the sensory receptors located under your feet, allowing your body to adapt and avoid falls.

If you want to try slacklining, you need to attach the elastic strap between two trees and set it up at a height lower than your knees. Place one foot on it and try to bring the other foot onto the strap, like a tightrope walker. Wait for 5 seconds for your posture to stabilize before starting to move forward, one step at a time.

Stand-up paddleboarding is a slightly more accessible activity because on this board, you can paddle while standing, sitting, or kneeling.

Attention: These different balance-demanding sports are not recommended for people with neurological disorders!

To develop concentration and accuracy.

Finally, if you want to have fun with your family while developing children's concentration skills, prioritize skill games such as darts, petanque, and Finnish Mölkky.

In darts, the goal is to aim for strategic areas of the target, which requires concentration and precision. The same goes for petanque, which involves throwing your ball as close as possible to the small target while keeping your feet anchored to the ground.

This emblematic game from the south of France is now challenged by a game of pins from Scandinavia, Mölkky. In a game of Mölkky, you not only have to knock down pins but also show strategy and counting skills to reach the precise score of 50 points.

In all these activities, the player must adapt their movement, power, and trajectory. The energy expenditure is lower, but the cognitive challenge is excellent.

In summary, don't hesitate to try different summer games and sports during your vacation! In addition to being fun and social, these activities provide numerous benefits for your physical and mental health.