The Great Health Benefits of Soccer

In an innovative new Denmark study, researchers found that a group of ‘couch potatoes’ transformed into fit individuals following three months of soccer training, even reaping more health benefits than a group who jogged for three months. A third group in the study served as a control, with no exercise participation.

The participants in the soccer and jogging conditions completed three hours per week of exercise. After three months, the subjects in the soccer group had lost (on average) 7.3 pounds of fat and gained 3.7 pounds of muscle. The jogging group subjects lost an average of 4 pounds and had no significant change in muscle. Additionally, the soccer group showed a dramatic reduction in LDL, or ‘bad’ cholesterol. Both groups had better balance, a lowered heart rate, and improved insulin sensitivity after the three-month training was complete.’

There are a few reasons why soccer is so great for you – first of all, the constant stopping, starting, and turning around are components of any great interval workout. Playing soccer, in a way, is like one giant interval workout. Also, physically, soccer is a more taxing sport—with all of the sprinting, kicking, stops, and sudden starts, the heart is working near max capacity.