Sport is a powerful tool to improve the quality of life, as long as it is done well. Lots of people play sports, but unbelievably, only a small portion of them gain long-term benefits, while others capture only a few advantages, and some even worsen their quality of life due to a misunderstanding of sport. The sport practiced correctly can –

– Protect against diseases that kill most people.

– Let’s live in a more dynamic and active way.

– Let’s stay active for longer, drastically slowing down the decline in physical performance, especially after the age of 40.

– Improve our physical appearance.

Improve our willpower.

To be safe and really enjoy sports, we conclude that sports should be practiced:

– With sufficient intensity and frequency;

– With sufficient caution to avoid accidents;

Keep motivation high, so you can practice forever.

Now science has unequivocally shown that below a certain intensity, sport is not capable of modifying our body to protect us from diseases and make us live better and longer. One of the first studies was carried out at the beginning of the last century at Harvard, on 17,000 students followed from 1916 to 1950. This study associated the lowest cardiovascular risk for those who practiced medium to high intensity sports for 6-8 hours a week, then about an hour a day.

Other recent studies, like this one, confirm that only those who practice sports with intensity obtain real benefits in terms of health. Many studies have shown that physical activity can reduce mortality, with a continuous and gradual increase in calories consumed per week. The minimum calorie intake to get the same result is 500 kcal per week and the maximum is 3100 kcal. Thus, an average caloric expenditure of 200-300 kcal per day (1400-2100 kcal per week) can reduce mortality by approximately 30%, that is, reduce the risk of death by 1/3. How can we know now if we are playing sports the right way?

Proper fitness tests verify that you are playing sports at the proper intensity. The minimum time to consume 200-300 kcal per day is equivalent to 3-5 hours (depending on the type of sport) days of real physical activity (excluding warm-up and cool-down) with a minimum frequency of 3 times.