Is Playing a Sport Enough?

Quick Intro

Playing a sport regularly counts as real training. Many sports keep the heart working hard and train speed, agility, balance and reaction time, and in a large British study several sports were linked to lower risk of death. Most sports leave some parts of fitness out, though, especially strength, so a little strength work alongside your sport covers the gaps and helps you keep playing.

This article explains what sport does well, what it tends to leave out and how to add what is missing.

What Sport Does Well

Stamina. Football, badminton, tennis, basketball, netball and dance all involve long periods of movement with bursts of harder effort.
Skill parts of fitness. Speed, agility, balance, coordination and reaction time are trained naturally by most sports.
Enjoyment and company. Sport is social and absorbing, which helps people keep going for years.

In a large study of British adults followed for many years, people who regularly played racquet sports, swam, did aerobics or cycled had lower risk of death than people who did not. Football and running did not show a clear link in that study, but other studies have found benefits for running, and recreational football in small teams has been shown to improve fitness and blood pressure. So the fair conclusion is that many sports are linked to better health, not that one sport is best.

What Sport Tends to Leave Out

Most sports train some parts of fitness much more than others:

Strength, especially in the upper body for football and other running-based games, and in general for most sports beyond what the game itself asks.
Flexibility and mobility, which many sports do little to develop.
Balanced use of both sides, since racquet and throwing sports favour one arm.
Bone loading in sports without impact, such as swimming and cycling.

What your favourite workout leaves out covers the gaps for different activities.

Why Strength Work Helps Players

Adding a little strength training helps in two ways. It fills the fitness gaps, and it helps protect against injury: in a pooled analysis of injury-prevention trials, strength training cut sports injuries substantially, while stretching alone showed no clear effect.

A short routine twice a week is enough:

a squat or lunge, such as a Bodyweight Squat or Reverse Lunge
a hinge, such as a Romanian Deadlift or Glute Bridge
a push, such as a Push-up
a pull, such as a Dumbbell Row or Resistance Band Row
a trunk exercise, such as a Side Plank
single-leg work for balance and landing control

For racquet and throwing sports, train both sides evenly to balance out the one-sided demands of the game.

Warm Up Before You Play

Structured warm-ups before sport, combining running, strength, balance and jumping drills, have been shown to reduce injuries substantially in players who use them regularly. A few minutes of easy movement, dynamic stretches such as Leg Swing — Forward and Back and some build-up drills before a game is time well spent. Do I really need a warm-up and a cool-down? explains more.

Fitting Strength Work Around Games

Strength sessions work best when they do not leave you tired for a game:

Leave a day between a hard strength session and a match where you can.
Keep sessions short in a busy playing week, with one or two sets of each exercise.
Do more in the off-season, when there are fewer games, and less during the season.
Use a light session after a game for gentle mobility work and easy movement.

When Sport Is Enough on Its Own

If you play regularly, several times a week, and you have no pain or recurring injuries, your sport may cover most of what health needs for now. Strength work becomes more important with age, as strength falls without training, so adding it over time is sensible even for keen players.

Who This Applies To

This applies to recreational players of most sports. If you have had injuries, play at a high level or are returning after a long break, a coach or physiotherapist can help you plan training around your sport.

FAQ

Does football count as exercise?

Yes. Casual small-sided football keeps the heart rate high and has been shown to improve fitness and blood pressure in untrained adults.

Is badminton good exercise?

Yes. Racquet sports train stamina, agility and reaction time, and were linked to lower risk of death in a large British study.

Do I need to go to the gym if I play sport?

Not necessarily. Two short strength sessions a week at home cover the main gaps.

I play sport once a week. Is that enough?

It is far better than nothing. Adding some walking and a short strength session on other days brings more benefit.