As students, most young people spend many hours a day sitting and studying, at least 5-6 hours in school and several more in the afternoon. Then often, when they do have free time, a lot of students just want to relax and sit around even more. Of course everybody knows that this is unhealthy but many lack the motivation to work out after a long day of school. This combination of no exercise and often also a poor diet can have devastating effects on students’ health.

This is where sports teams or groups come in. When you have a team relying on you, it is a lot easier to find your motivation and oftentimes groups and teams are also working towards tournaments, which is another motivating factor.
But how do you find the sports team that’s right for you? Obviously, you first have to find a sport that you like. There is such a huge variety, from ballet to parcours there really everybody will find “their” sport sooner or later. What you will want to do next is find a gym or club near you that offers this activity. To some this may prove challenging since not every group has an internet page or is otherwise well known, but do not give up! With more intensive search you will most probably find a group. If there really are no groups in your area that offer a sport that you like, you can always organize your own! Get together with a few friends that have similar interests and decide on fixed “training sessions” each week. How far you want to go in your sport is, in the end, your decision.
Personally I joined a sports team about a year ago, after practicing my sport alone for years. At first I was decided to continue doing it “just for fun” but forgot about that very quickly and have even qualified for the Austrian State Championship. There just are few things as rewarding as seeing your efforts bear fruits, especially in a team!

I hope that this blog could spark your interest in group sports and maybe even motivate you to join a team yourself. Stay healthy!