Sport is the least optimal tools to get healthy. It doesn't matter what sport: Powerlifting, tennis, cricket, swimming, running, olympic lifting, strongman, badminton, skiing. Doesn't matter.

Sports means repeating the same patterns. It might be fun. It might be unpredictable. It might require a lot of skill. All that is great. But a sport by definition needs repetition and lots of it to get better. Phelps, Jordan, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal all spend 6-10 hours a day getting better at their sport. But only a portion of the time was spent on the sport. A good chunk is spent preparing. Lifting weights, mobility work, sports massages, steady state training, sprints, plyometrics etc.

The best part of playing any sport is how it forces your brain to ‘talk’ to your body to produce action or a reaction. It is not an exaggeration to say this body-brain ‘conversation’ is something your body and brain has evolved over millions of years to do.

Improvements in coordination and reflex are among the biggest wins in the first few months of playing a sport or training. A large part of getting stronger in the early days of consistent training is your brain learning to work with the muscle your body is already carrying.

Playing any sport requires you to tread the fine line between overuse and optimal volume, honing technique and doing the prep necessary to perform better at a sport. It is easy to forget that playing only a sport for the cause of fitness or wellness runs the risk of overuse. No amount of training can negate the sporting phenomenon known as shit happens.

The most well honed athletes tear ligaments, strain tendons, break bones not because of a lack of prep, training or skill. If you spend enough time on a court or on a field, you are bound to increase the odds of hurting yourself. Be mindful with technique, volume and preparation. Then have some fun.