Why Choose Football?
Women’s football has come a long way in the past few years
Anyone can Play, Anywhere
Not only does football offer tremendous health benefits, it is a relatively simple sport to catch onto – all that is needed is space and a ball
Women’s Football is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in Australia and is continuing to grow in levels of participation. In 2019, 156,893 women played football across Australia – that’s up 11% on 2018 and 22.5% on 2016!
Not only does it offer tremendous health benefits, but it also teaches positive life lessons by instilling a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. And now that it is gaining ground at the professional level in Australia, it is inspiring many females to pick up a ball and hit the field for a good workout.
Besides being loads of fun, here’s the top benefits of Women playing Football:
Increased Cardiovascular Health
The constant walking, jogging and running helps keep the players’ heart rates up, providing excellent cardiovascular exercise. Studies have found the type of running in intervals in a soccer match are actually better for heart health and weightless than just jogging.
Increases Bone Strength
In general, bone density decreases as Women get older. The repeated weight-bearing loads on the body during a soccer match are an excellent way to increase the strength of our skeletal frame. Maintaining fitness through football is a great way to keep bones strong.
Builds Muscle Strength
Lower body strength is required for kicking, jumping, tackling, twisting and turning and also forms the foundation for explosive speed.
Upper body strength is required for shielding the ball, holding off opponents, throw-ins and also contributes to overall power and explosiveness.
Women who play or train build strength by using the whole body.
Lowers Body Fat and Improves Muscle Tone
Football is a great sport for burning fat because it works the muscles and your heart in different ways.
As a general workout, Women playing football burn more calories than typical workouts because players are forced to switch between using the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways.
Promotes Teamwork and Sharing
While fitness goals are generally very personal, Girls and Women can all benefit from sharing common goals with others who push them towards them. The lessons that players learn on the field translate to the rest of their lives and the camaraderie teammates share in unparalleled. The ability to work with others to reach a common goal is powerful when related to everyday life- in other words, join a team!
Increased Social Interaction and Support
Most women cite time constraints as the main reason for not working out. However, being on a team brings women together in a supportive manner and makes them set aside time for physical exercise. Joining a team leads to more commitment and actually following through with fitness and health goals.
Improved Coordination
Due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting, coordination is developed in Football. Body coordination is improved through the complex movements like dribbling, turning and passing, which are performed at varying rates of speed and direction. Hand-eye coordination is improved when players either kick the ball or receive a pass from someone.
Increase Confidence and Self-esteem, and Helps to Reduce Anxiety
Building physical strength and endurance helps build confidence in a player both on and off the field. Confidence and self-esteem not only impact sports performance, but also performance in school, career, family life and friendships.
Also, as with all forms of exercise, the feel-good endorphins released into the body after a match are major stress and anxiety reducers. Several studies point to exercise as being a highly effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
In addition to this there’s a whole host of emotional and mental benefits too.
On top of all of the physical benefits that playing football brings, there’s a whole host of emotional and mental ones, too. For instance, besides developing your self-confidence and self-esteem, football can also help with your resilience, mental strength, and analytical and problem-solving skills.
In addition to this, it also helps with everything from your strength and stamina to your social skills, self-control, and sense of responsibility.
Simply by kicking a ball around with friends and having fun, players can improve their physical, emotional, and mental well-being in many different ways.