Many sports fans felt disheartened by the fact that, since the pandemic started, there have been little to no sports games to look forward to, say perhaps for the Olympics. But even that was a subdued ceremony, devoid of the same hype and excitement that usually preceded it. Indeed, sports fans and players alike have found the pandemic to be a nearly impossible challenge in their active lifestyles.
But still, they’ve prevailed, and athletes find even more creative ways to keep up their training at home however they can. Even amid a pandemic, sports have helped to relieve people’s anxiety and not only keep up their physical well-being but their mental health as well.
If you and your family have been looking for ways to exercise and get sporty even when confined to your house and your backyard, here are some ways you can keep playing your favorite sports even without a field or a team:
Backyard soccer
If you or your kid is an avid soccer fan, chances are you already have your own ball and a net set up in your own backyard. Even though it can’t really compare to a real field, it still helps to be able to play soccer even when you’re at home. Don’t be afraid to wear all your gear, including your best soccer cleats, and go all out.
Backyard volleyball
You’re right to guess that many of the sports here will be ones that you can play in your own backyard. Like soccer, volleyball is another ball sport you can play with the right space and equipment. Just get the proper net and ball, set it up in your yard and you’ll be playing volleyball in no time. If you live near the beach, you can even play beach volleyball, provided that you’re in a private area with people that you trust or somewhere without a lot of people.
Badminton
Another backyard sport that you can start playing immediately is badminton. Unlike its close relative tennis, there’s no danger of accidentally breaking any windows or other house fixtures with the force of a tennis ball. All you really need are a pair of rackets and a shuttlecock to get you started. It’s a fairly easy sport to learn — really just an upgraded version of ‘don’t let the balloon touch the ground’ — and is very accessible even to people who are new to the active lifestyle.
Batting cages
Baseball is one of those sports that really need a large field and a complete team of other people to be played to its fullest, but there are ways to still practice your pitching and batting at home. A speed pitch booth can be helpful for anyone who wants to sharpen their pitching skills or keep up with their training without the risk of breaking anything at home. For batting, you can still do drills at home with rubber balls, provided that you have enough space, and warn your family or roommates about it beforehand, lest they end up with a concussion.
Swimming
If you’re lucky enough to have your own private pool at home, you can make the most out of it and not only swim for leisure but for exercise as well. Useful for both competitive swimmers and artistic swimming. The extent of your swimming exercises would have to depend on the size of the pool, but if you haven’t already, take advantage of the pool right behind your home and start taking swimming seriously.
Table tennis
If you’re looking for something that you can play from right inside your house, or don’t have the space for a backyard, then table tennis is another way you can keep active with relative ease. Like badminton, it’s an easy game to learn and requires only paddles, a small ping-pong ball, and something to act as a net if you don’t have your own table.
Treadmill
If you want to run but can’t go outside for obvious reasons, an alternative is to use a treadmill, which almost perfectly simulates the act of running. It’s another indoor exercise that you can do and because you can set it up inside your own house, you can even watch TV or listen to music while you’re doing it so you don’t get bored.
Jump rope
Another alternative to running is a jump rope. It stimulates the same muscles that you use for running, namely your legs and your arms, and can be played both indoors and outdoors. It’s one basic exercise that anyone can do at home that’s been proven to have some excellent benefits.
Cycling
If you prefer cycling to work out your calves and leg muscles, you can also buy a stationary bike for use inside your home. Just like the treadmill, it simulates an outdoor sport but in the comfort of your own home so you don’t have to worry about meeting other people.
Dancing
When all else fails, dancing is another way you can keep fit in your home. Unlike the other sports, there is absolutely no equipment needed to start dancing. Just pull up a YouTube tutorial or the video game Just Dance and you have yourself a complete workout!
Conclusion
Just because it’s a pandemic doesn’t mean that we can give up sports altogether. Keeping active is just as, if not more, important now than it was before, and finding ways to stay active even when you can’t leave home is all just a matter of creativity and determination.
