Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.
How to choose the right sport for you
Whether you’re looking for a fun and healthy pastime or you’re building more physical activity into your daily routine, choosing the right sport for you can present many mental and physical health benefits. To get the most out of your chosen sport, it’s worthwhile identifying which options may be better suited to your skills and temperament. To help you choose an activity, we’ve compiled a list of factors below that you should consider when making your decision.
What to consider when choosing a sport
Choosing a sport isn’t always a straightforward decision based on what you think you’ll enjoy. Whilst this is an important factor, there are plenty of other things to consider which can influence your decision and ability to commit to your chosen sport. Of course, to help you make the right choice we would always encourage trying a variety of trial sessions or classes to help you pick out potential options, but before dedicating your free time to a sport you should think about the following points.
Cost
Undertaking a new sport can be a costly hobby. Whilst some sports will require a yearly or monthly membership for venue hire, rental equipment, or tuition, some will require an initial investment to ensure that you have the right clothing and gear. It’s important to ensure that you can afford these costs before starting your sport. For example, if you decide to cycle you’ll need to be able to buy a bike and protective gear, and afford maintenance costs, but you won’t be required to pay any monthly membership fees unless you are cycling as part of a club or on a track that asks you to. On the other hand, clubs for sports such as swimming and tennis are likely to be cheaper upfront but charge a monthly fee to use the facilities.
Health and physical traits
Different sports require different levels of stamina. If you can’t withstand fast-paced sports that require lots of running or you have physical ailments that would make contact sports a risk, then you may be better off with something more relaxed such as golf.
Another thing to consider would be your physical stature, as you may naturally face limitations as to what you can achieve. For example, if you are very muscle-heavy and lean, you may benefit more from sports such as boxing or swimming. Alternatively, if you are of a slimmer build you may find that you excel at cardio-based sports like running.
Commitment
Learning something new requires time and commitment to master your skills. You’ll need to consider how much time you have to dedicate to your chosen sport, especially if you want to improve quickly. Sports that can be done on your own or at home such as running and cycling may be easier to fit into a schedule and require less dedication than team sports such as football.
Team vs individual sport
Many sports require a lot of teamwork, so you’ll need to make sure you have good organisational and communication skills. Team sports will mean that you’re relying on other players so you will need to be somewhat flexible to ensure that you can organise a time to meet. If this doesn’t appeal to you, you may be more suited to individual sports or sports where you are competing against other individuals.
Your temperament
Fast-paced sports can be stressful, if you don’t thrive under pressure it wouldn’t be advisable to pick something that you don’t have the disposition to enjoy. If you have a more laid-back and calm personality, you should consider choosing a sport that reflects this. Alternatively, if you have a competitive nature you’re more likely to enjoy fast-paced sports like fencing, tennis, and netball.
Sports Skills
Skill is the fundamental element of success in competitive sports. If you’re hoping to play professionally, or in tournaments, you’ll need to consider your strengths and weaknesses. For example, common sports skills include things such as being able to dribble a football, serve well in tennis, throw and catch in baseball, and so forth. Whilst you can certainly practice and improve in these areas, some things will come more naturally to you than others and if you can hone in on these, you can pick both a sport and a position that aligns with your natural skill level. This can also help you perform better under pressure, with quicker reaction times and improve your mental resilience, all of which can enhance your overall performance output.
If you’re just looking for a sport to play on a recreational level to improve overall fitness or a new enjoyable hobby, you could choose areas that you wish to improve in and use sports to improve these skills.
Sports are not entirely about physical skills though, as in some cases you’ll need to have organisational and teamwork skills to excel at your sport, especially in cases where you may need to be a team captain who can show leadership skills to create a strategic and effective gameplay approach or in cases that require a lot of coordination and thought. Examples of high-organisation and coordinated sports would be the triple jump, dancing, and team sports such as netball. Low organisational sports would be things like javelin throw, table tennis, and bowling.
How to choose a sport by goal
Whether done recreationally or as part of your general fitness regime, sports can present plenty of benefits. Those who undertake regular physical exercise can benefit from fat loss and muscle gain, which means that by partaking in sports that align with your fitness goals you can achieve your desired physique.
Which sports are best for building muscle?
If building muscle is your goal there are plenty of activities that you can do instead of weight training at the gym, or even alongside it. Depending on the factors listed above and whether you want to target specific muscle groups or do a whole-body workout, you can choose from a range of options such as rowing, swimming, yoga, Pilates, climbing or bouldering, pole fitness, gymnastics, aerial sports, martial arts and boxing.
Which sports are best for burning calories?
You’ll burn calories with any sport that you choose to partake in, however, you are likely to see a greater benefit from incorporating cardio-based options alongside some resistance training. Therefore, if weight loss is your goal you could try a sport such as running, cycling, football, skiing, tennis, or squash, all of which can help you to burn calories at a more rapid speed.
What to wear for sports trial sessions
If you’re planning to test out a few different sports, you’ll need some versatile athletic wear to help you perform at your best. It isn’t necessary to commit to a full kit for each sport before you’ve made your decision, instead, we’d recommend opting for sportswear that can accommodate a selection of sports. This could be track pants or fitness leggings alongside a breathable jersey top. Our Tech leggings and track pants are an excellent choice as they’re made with breathable materials that offer plenty of stretch, keeping you comfortable whilst ensuring unrestricted movement.
Women’s Tech Leggings Black £11.95 | Focus Tech Pant Black £14.95
Alternatively, for peak performance, you could opt for BodyFit clothing which will help to keep blood circulating and your muscles warmed to assist with avoiding fatigue or strain injury. These also make for excellent baselayers if you decide to take up any sport where you’ll require an extra layer of warmth. Our signature BodyFit jersey has been crafted with a lightweight design using quick-dry fabric, allowing for easy body temperature regulation and a streamlined fit suitable for a range of sports.
Find performance sports clothing at Avec Sport
Once you’ve found the right sport for you, it’s time to choose the right clothing. No matter if it’s running gear or football clothing, we’ve got you covered. We stock a wide range of men’s and women’s fitness clothing to keep you cool and comfortable, as well as team wear if you choose to join or start a club, shop the full range of sportswear at Avec Sport.