Benefits of doing sports

It is a 1-mile race. I'm 12 years old, and I am racing my cousins. It's a warm, sunny, summer day on the island where my grandparents live by the otherwise windy and rainy Norwegian Atlantic coast. We are running down the narrow, quiet, one-lane country road where only a few neighbors will drive to their small farms, and occasionally some tourists to watch the ocean. When we reach the main road across the island, we turn around and race back. The finish line we've agreed upon is where the paved road ends and the gravel road begins. We give everything our young legs have got. We have no breath left. Our legs and even our lungs hurt. But only for a brief moment. The next day, we go out and do it again.

I can't remember who won. Maybe it mattered a little bit then, but it doesn't matter now. What matters now is that it is a nice childhood memory. And, that it was the beginning of my life in sports. From running to skiing, cycling to mountaineering, it's been a journey of pain and pleasure. Has it been worth it? What has it added to my life? Have others benefitted from it?

Community

Almost every time I climbed mountains in the Alps, I promised myself that I would never do it again. There wasn't pleasure in the altitude symptoms, carrying a heavy backpack, sleeping poorly in a tent, eating simple food, or being in the cold snow. On the contrary, it was rather unpleasant. Of course, there were spectacular views, satisfaction in making it to the top, the joy and blessing of being in nature. Still, on those long days of walking and climbing, I sometimes questioned, why am I doing this?

The answer was quite simple. I did it with friends. And I made new friends by doing it. Even though I had mixed feelings about the climbing itself, the reward of community made it worth it. Strong bonds were created when suffering together, seeing each other's strengths and weaknesses, fears, and triumphs. The joys of succeeding together were pure. The evening conversations we had in the camp about life and faith were open and honest.

Shared interests and passions are excellent gateways to meaningful and rewarding connections. Some of my best and closest relationships have developed in the context of doing sports together. Relationships that might not otherwise have grown deep and strong. We all need connection. We all need to spend time with others. By doing sports together, you may not only satisfy your own needs for connectedness, but you may also meet the needs of someone else who desires exactly that.

Health

When I was in medical school, I was usually most regular in doing exercise when I was having exams. I experienced that in order to function optimally, physically and mentally, I needed the boost that exercise gave me. Maybe there also was an element of procrastination in it, a good excuse for taking a break from studying. Anyway, I believe it was an excellent investment of time.

The benefits of exercise to our physical health are well-known, proven, and undisputed. Equally, the benefits to our mental health are just as important and often even more immediate. Few things boost our mood and provide a sense of calm as fast as vigorous exercise. My motivation for exercising is just as much what it does for my mind as what it does for my body.

In the pre-industrial world, physical activity was a normal and natural part of everyday life for most people. Today, most of us live far removed from that world. Most of us are quite sedentary throughout most of the day. We were given muscles and bones so we would be able to move. 30 minutes a day or more is what we need. And, if you struggle to make it happen, make appointments to do it together with someone. It is easier to do the right thing when you are accountable to someone. You may be helping someone else as much as you are helping yourself.

Discipline and character

A mountaineering friend of mine who was single at the time said he would never marry someone he hadn't climbed a 13,000+ foot (4,000+ meter) mountain with. Why? Isn't a dinner date just as good for getting to know someone? No, it's not. Climbing a mountain requires perseverance, the ability to endure suffering, soundness, self-control, calmness, and courage in the face of risks. Who is the person when they are tired, cold, hungry, or in pain? Do they become grumpy, miserable, uncooperative, self-centered, aggressive, passive? Or, do they keep going, do they see and care about others and help them, do they work together in a constructive, pleasant, and supportive way?

Who people are when they do sports says something about who they are in general. Sometimes engaging in sports is criticized for bringing out the worst in people. And, yes, some people behave and relate in deplorable ways in the context of sports. But sports really can't bring out something that is not already there. Sports may bring things to the surface, but sports do not create appalling traits in people.

Therefore, sports can reveal to us who we are, and who others are. Through sports, we may learn about ourselves and others, and we can help each other grow and develop through practicing self-discipline and other-centeredness. This way, sports can help us develop and cultivate desirable character traits and weed out undesirable ones.

Doing sports is a good metaphor for life in general. If one is to grow, discipline, patience, perseverance, and tolerance for pain are required. But the rewards are plentiful. I will continue to enjoy the pain and pleasure of sports for as long as I can.