As India basks in the afterglow of what was India’s best Olympics performance ever, the discussions have inevitably turned to India’s sporting culture (or lack of it). There is a buzz around need to encourage sports at the school and college levels. It’s also been a clarion call for adults to get off the couch and move.
Last year, the nationwide lockdown did force everyone to explore their sporty side – allowing us to practice hockey strokes while sweeping floors and advanced gymnastics while trying to dust fans.
There is overwhelming evidence that points to the benefits of regular exercise among adults. For most of us, however, our involvement in sports is generally limited to cheering for Kohli and his boys from the comfort of our couch or playing ‘dog and the bone’ at the annual office offsite.
So, how does one go about choosing the right sport? You must obviously choose it based on factors such as your personality, current fitness levels, and lifestyle. For instance, ice hockey isn’t an ideal sport for someone living in Chennai. Also, no, shavaasana is what you do after a physical activity and is not a sport itself!
Here are a few tips that might help choose the right sport for you:
What are your skills?
If you were a naughty back bencher at school who mastered the art of correcting aiming at the back of that nerdy kid in the first bench with a rubber-band powered paper plane, then shooting or even bowling, could be your chosen sport. This might also be a good option for an old time teacher who could successfully hit the chalk piece on the head of that mischievous kid who was playing hooky(not hockey) in the class.
If you grew up with pesky siblings who made it necessary to physically fight for that last piece of cake, refereed ably by your parents, then boxing might be the sport for you.
Where do you live?
If you live in a city such as Bangalore or Pune and have mastered the fine art of jumping over potholes (especially during the rains) while walking on the streets, you might want to consider long-jumping as your chosen sport. If you live in Mumbai and have braved the monsoon there, swimming could be your thing.
What’s your personality type?
If you’re able to single-mindedly focus on what your boss is saying even when he drones on over a zoom call that has run way past your dinner time, don’t waste your incredible concentration levels. Enrol for the nearest academy that teaches archery. There’s Arjuna, and then, there’s you. On the other hand, if the boss’ droning makes you want to let off steam, then consider taking a run! Great way to blow off steam while also building incredible overall strength.
So, as we gear up towards National Sports Day in India, which is celebrated on 29 August, to mark the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, we say, Chak de!
