Is softball beneficial for your health? Some people may think softball doesn’t have any effects on the player’s health. For many years I have been playing softball; people always wonder why. People think it’s just about hitting a ball and running base to base, but for those that don’t know the sport may think its that simple. In this piece of writing it will discuss the positive effects softball has a player’s health. As well as it will go into detail about my personal experience playing softball. Softball encourages a healthy lifestyle among all ages, 65% of our population is overweight just in the United States alone. (Hussey) Softball will decrease the likely hood of a player becoming over weight. Pitchers and catchers burn more calories
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Softball players should spend some time developing a base of aerobic endurance in the off-season but the most important thing to train is the ability to move explosively for a short period of time. Eating healthy as well has drinking a lot of fluids will help a player stay energized while playing. Although it is most important to train your body to do short explosive things; its also good to make sure your body can last at least two hours in a game. Without energy it will affect your strength every single action in softball is an explosive action. Hitting, throwing, quick lateral movements, jumps off the bases and others are all explosive. They all contribute in one way or another to enhance performance in softball. Shoulder and back strength as well as the rotator cuff muscle group are important to throwing but the legs and the core (hips and abdominals) also contribute to the throwing motion. The legs and the core are even more important for hitting since the power comes from the middle and lower body. (Tudor) Flexibility is utilized to minimize injuries. Most common injuries are, elbow, shoulder, ankle, hip, and knee. (Tudor) Softball players need multi-directional quickness, first step quickness, lateral movement, acceleration and linear speed. Speed is a huge part of the game as well as coordination if a player cant react by throwing the ball quick enough
Softball players should spend some time developing a base of aerobic endurance in the off-season but the most important thing to train is the ability to move explosively for a short period of time. Eating healthy as well has drinking a lot of fluids will help a player stay energized while playing. Although it is most important to train your body to do short explosive things; its also good to make sure your body can last at least two hours in a game. Without energy it will affect your strength every single action in softball is an explosive action. Hitting, throwing, quick lateral movements, jumps off the bases and others are all explosive. They all contribute in one way or another to enhance performance in softball. Shoulder and back strength as well as the rotator cuff muscle group are important to throwing but the legs and the core (hips and abdominals) also contribute to the throwing motion. The legs and the core are even more important for hitting since the power comes from the middle and lower body. (Tudor) Flexibility is utilized to minimize injuries. Most common injuries are, elbow, shoulder, ankle, hip, and knee. (Tudor) Softball players need multi-directional quickness, first step quickness, lateral movement, acceleration and linear speed. Speed is a huge part of the game as well as coordination if a player cant react by throwing the ball quick enough