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As a cardiovascular exercise, squash has been my go-to for the past couple of years. It’s an incredibly intense sport that requires a great deal of skill and physical exertion, but it is something I’ve grown to love due to its many benefits. Not only is it a great way to stay in shape and maintain good health, but it’s also incredibly fun, rewarding and good for my mental wellbeing.
I first started playing squash because I wanted to improve my overall fitness level. As someone who has been active for a few years now, and having decided to walk 20,000 steps each and every day, I was looking for an activity that could help me push myself further and get into better physical shape. I considered tennis, badminton too, and I even looked at pickleball, but squash seemed like the perfect option as it offered a high-intensity workout without being overly strenuous on my body.
The intensity of the game means that every match is different, which makes it all the more exciting each time you play. You are constantly pushing your boundaries as you try to outplay your opponent and reach new levels of endurance. The fast paced nature of the game really gets your heart pumping and forces you to work hard if you want to be successful in matches. This makes squash one of the best exercises for cardiovascular health; it not only strengthens your heart muscles but improves circulation throughout your body as well.
In addition to providing an excellent cardio workout, playing squash also helps with agility and coordination – both essential skills when playing any sport at a competitive level. The quick movements involved in trying to outmaneuver your opponent mean that you must react quickly while making sure you don’t overexert yourself either physically or mentally. This aspect of squash can really help build up stamina over time; allowing players with less natural athleticism than others to still compete at a high level if they put in enough effort during training sessions.
Squash is also great for people wanting to improve their reflexes; due its fast-paced nature there are plenty of opportunities for players to practice their reactions quickly which can come in handy in other sports too such as football or tennis where quick reflexes can often be decisive factors between winning or losing points or even games! Having good reactions can be beneficial even outside sports; giving people an edge when trying new activities or challenging tasks such as driving tests etc – so its clear why this aspect would make squash attractive to many different types people looking develop themselves further beyond just improving their health.
Another reason why I personally enjoy playing squash so much is because it provides social interaction with other players – something which was particularly important during lockdown periods when traditional team sports were limited or unavailable entirely. Often, I take my son or close friends for an informal games where we don’t count points. It’s always nice being able take part in shared experiences with other people that have similar interests, whether its competing against each other on court, exchanging tips on technique or simply having friendly conversations over post-match drinks. Playing together not only helps strengthen friendships between individuals but builds up communities around certain sports – something especially relevant considering how many clubs across UK have closed down recently due financial hardship caused by pandemic.
Finally, no matter what age group you belong to, there’s always room for improvement when playing squash – whether that’s increasing power behind shots, developing new strategies during rallies or working on footwork techniques. If anything, these challenges motivate me even more to keep coming back to courts to develop my skills further; despite having played regularly in the past year, I still feel like there’s far more room to grow to become an even better player.
All things considered, its easy to see why I’m such big fan of this amazing sport; not only does it provide fantastic cardio benefits, but it offers plenty of opportunity to socialise and build relationships with others, while challenging us to strive to higher levels of performance. With all these advantages in mind, I guess I’ll stick around a little longer and enjoy what squash has offer.
