Dribble Your Way to Better Health

In the movie "Bend It Like Beckham," two English girls -- one from an Indian background -- become serious soccer players. Their mums are less than impressed by their choice, and the Indian family is actually quite scandalized when their daughter tells them she'd like to go pro.

According to a study by scientists at the University of Copenhagen, though, the soccer-playing girls had the right idea.

In a EurekAlert article, Associate Professor Laila Ottesen said: "What is really interesting is that the soccer players differed from the runners in their motivation. The runners were motivated by the idea of getting in shape and improving health. But the soccer players focused on the game itself and were motivated by the social interaction and by having fun with others. As it turns out, the soccer players got in better shape than the runners, and that combined with the social benefits makes soccer a great alternative to running."

Not only did the women get into better shape right off the bat, they continued their interest in soccer.  After the study ended, their groups continued to train and play -- while the running groups slowly fell apart.

The researchers suggest two reasons for this difference in outcomes.

For one thing, playing on a team involves showing up on time or disappointing your teammates. So players show up for soccer.

For another thing, running can get...  just plain boring. After a while, runners lose interest and get involved with other activities. Soccer, on the other hand, is a complex game that requires cross training, speed, agility and strength -- all the elements you'd work toward if you went to the gym every day.

This finding is certainly a good argument for getting involved in real, honest-to-goodness sports. Another good reason: you can drop that pricey gym membership -- and expect to build skills, muscle, health and friendship, all for the price of a pair of cleats.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng