A wise person once said that volleyball isn’t just a sport but also a way to blow off steam without hurting anyone. That’s one good reason to engage in it, but there are other purposes that would make you (and people who care about you) appreciate the sport.
The value of volleyball goes beyond its benefit to the athletic community. Not only does it offer health benefits to regular people on a physiological level, but also on a mental, social, economic, and psychological basis.
We’ll discuss what these benefits are and how you can apply these to daily life.
These are 14 reasons why you should play volleyball.
1. Volleyball Provides a Strength and Energy Boost.
Playing volleyball improves stamina, speed, agility, balance, dexterity, adaptability, and flexibility by maximizing energy levels. It increases metabolic rates through rapid movements. It tones legs, arms, and core.
The physical activities involved increase upper body, arm, and shoulder strength. Acquiring renewed vigor encourages players to improve other aspects of maintaining health, such as proper hygiene, a balanced diet, and a regular sleep routine.
2. Volleyball Improves Motor Skills.
In volleyball, you need to pay attention to the position of the ball and opponents. This improves hand-eye coordination and develops fast reflexes. Volleyball demands quick changes of pace and direction from its players.
This builds up their agility and sprint speed. This will help in adulthood and the twilight years, as it helps in staving off debilitating medical conditions involving degeneration of movement.
3. Volleyball Helps With Weight Loss.
Playing volleyball burns calories and fat as a result of tremendous energy demands. Therefore, it’s a preventive measure for obesity.
A report from Harvard Health Publishing cites that a 185-pound person burns 133 calories when playing non-competitive volleyball for 30 minutes. This increases to 178 calories in competitive volleyball undertaken in the same amount of time.
4. Volleyball Provides Musculoskeletal Benefits.
Practicing volleyball develops bones, muscles, and tissue. The demanding activities involved stabilize the muscular system by building and energizing muscles. They strengthen the upper body (including arms and shoulders). They also tone the muscles of the abdomen, thighs, and lower legs.
Volleyball improves hand and foot flexibility. It is good for bone and joint health, as it prevents osteoporosis. Your skeleton will thank you for it.
5. Volleyball Provides Respiratory Benefits.
Volleyball compels the lungs to distribute more oxygen throughout the body. Constant rapid movement helps you breathe more efficiently.
Practitioners of outdoor volleyball benefit from exposure to fresh air and the natural environment. Kids who regularly play sports (including volleyball) are less likely to smoke and have a lower chance of developing serious illnesses in adulthood, like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and cardiac disease.
6. Volleyball Provides Cardiovascular Benefits.
Rapid movements in volleyball propel the heart to beat faster, helping maintain 60 to 80% of the target heart rate. They also compel the heart to pump more oxygen to the cardiac vessels, thereby strengthening the entire cardiovascular system. Improved circulation means optimum blood flow and nutrient delivery, improving the body’s other functions.
7. Volleyball Revitalizes the Nervous System.
As volleyball involves quick movements to get the ball and hit it towards the opponent, it improves the performance of nerve cells and fibers that transmit nerve impulses between various parts of the body.
8. Volleyball Serves as a Fun Aerobic Exercise.
Many people hate exercising, especially going to the gym. But with volleyball, as with most sports, you’re exercising—and reaping its benefits—without being conscious of it because it’s pleasurable.
Volleyball requires a lot of running, diving, jumping, arm movements, and many other forms of exercise. These combine to create an aerobic exercise that is both fun and beneficial to your health.
9. Volleyball May Improve Physical Appearance.
Most volleyball players are a picture of health. They’re more toned than many people. They’re leaner, have very little body fat, and don’t have the usual problems most people complain about, such as love handles, bouncy bums, protruding bellies, etc.
10. Volleyball Inspires Confidence.
Thanks to the sport’s health merits, volleyball practitioners look fabulous, which makes them feel better about themselves, both physically and emotionally.
Many shy youngsters have become more confident after immersion in sports, especially when they notice regular skill improvement. This will sustain them right through adolescence and adulthood.
11. Volleyball Fosters Camaraderie.
Communication and trust play a big factor in volleyball because it requires working with a team to score points and beat opponents. This encourages teamwork because players and coaches rely on each other. Each player has a role in motivating their teammates, keeping the court setting positive, and working toward a common goal—winning.
Kids who play volleyball learn valuable skills, such as goal-setting, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. These will be beneficial in adulthood (especially as part of a future workforce), as the skills can be implemented on or off the court.
Playing on a team teaches the values of good sportsmanship, hard work, and fairness. The competitive and physically demanding nature of volleyball forms the framework for emotional strength and integrity. It teaches you to be gracious in accepting defeat and courteous in victory.
12. Volleyball Reinvigorates Your Social Life.
Volleyball helps you make new friends and strengthen ties with old ones. It gives an opportunity for bonding with others. On occasion, it has also mended relationships and coerced enemies to make up.
It improves the social life of players, especially those uncomfortable with hobnobbing or any involvement with social gatherings. Tournaments, championships, together with the traveling and networking that often accompany these sporting events, provide an effective means to develop the skills necessary to get along with others.
Regular social interaction makes people happy and feel valued and loved. Being part of a group gives you a sense of belonging and community.
13. Volleyball Offers Psychological Benefits.
Volleyball reduces stress, worry, and anxiety. Engagement in the sport transports players to a fun, relaxing environment that provides an escape from reality. It staves off depression and relieves symptoms of other mental health conditions.
Volleyball (as well as other team sports) is recommended for sufferers of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), as it provides a platform for venting anger, frustration, and excess energy. Besides that, aerobic exercise also benefits people with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), as it is an excellent avenue for expression. OCD patients can channel their compulsions into the rapid movements associated with the sport.
14. Volleyball Provides Cerebral Benefits.
Playing volleyball forces you to calculate your moves, think, and act fast. Mastery of the sport requires extreme focus. This improves concentration, thereby contributing to brain health.
Sports, in overall, also increase the production of endorphins in the brain. These “feel-good hormones” foster positivity – essential in any sport.
Sports can help kids do better academically. Contrary to popular belief, playing sports doesn’t interfere with study time (except in extreme cases). Also, studies have shown that sports-active youngsters are more likely to graduate from school compared to their inactive counterparts.
With that being, the exercise involved in volleyball improves memory, concentration, and learning, giving active kids a competitive edge.
In closing
We usually are conditioned at a young age by society to focus on extrinsic virtues, such as external appearance, socioeconomic status, and physical prowess.
But we shouldn’t just develop superficial qualities. Instead, we should strive for a higher sense of self. This is where volleyball is beneficial. It addresses the requirements of mind, body, and spirit, thereby improving one’s overall sense of well-being.