With the advent of Facebook and smart phones, everybody indulges themselves in the virtual world. Whenever we have time, we would rather play “Happy Farm” and “Candy Crush” and compete with others instead of playing sports. But dear schoolmates, have you ever felt the spiritual emptiness once you log out Facebook? Perhaps, playing sports is a better option when you are free!
You may ask why sports far transcend the electronic world and here is the answer — “Health”, which comprises of physical and mental aspects.
Physically speaking, working out can bring about a spectrum of benefits when compared to merely surfing the internet. You know, obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus are ubiquitous in Hong Kong. This can be attributed to the lack of exercising. When we give ourselves to the computer screen, we do not have the chance to enhance metabolism of our body. This will only lead to obesity, hindering our body growth as well as worsening our lymphatic system. In contrast, playing sports can strengthen our muscles and bones. The extra fat can be effectively decomposed. While we are playing sports and this enables us to be healthy physically.
Mentally speaking, indulging ourselves in the virtual world is detrimental to us. According to a research conducted by the Baptist University, Facebook users are prone to suffer from depression when they see the photo albums of their friends. When they realize that they are being isolated while their friends are having fun, their self-esteem plummets. As a result, depression is very likely to be developed. On the other hand, sports can promote our mental health. Based on scientific research, it is proven that when we are working out, our cerebrum in brain secrete “endorphin”, which is a hormone. It enables us to have a cheerful disposition and helps us to be optimistic, so that we won’t be easily let down by adversities. That’s why sports is a much better option than merely gluing ourselves to the Internet.
Dear schoolmates, you may well realize that sport is really a boon to our health, both physically or mentally. But still, some may ask “How can we choose suitable sports activities”. As a matter of fact, there are two things that you can do.
First of all, find out your body strengths and weaknesses. Those with good stamina can choose activities like swimming or running. For those with good agility, perhaps soccer will be a favour to them. Dear schoolmates, you can find out your body strengths and weaknesses during the tests in PE lessons when you are supposed to have a 9-minute run, push-ups and the like. By matching your strengths with the sports activities, you can surely unleash your potential and you can, in no doubt, enjoy every moment, perhaps better than playing “Candy Crush”.
Besides, you may be unfamiliar with some of the sports activities. This time, the Internet helps! Sports like rugby may not be common in Hong Kong. By watching video clips like “Highlights of Hong Kong Rugby Seven”, you can immerse yourself in the craze of the match as well as knowing more about the sport. By such, you can choose the one which you are most interested in.
Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis talent, once said that sports inject his life with colours and passion. Perhaps, you will discover it as well when you turn off your computer and work out now !