If you’re a huge sports fan who never misses a game the chances are you enjoy sitting on the sofa or in a bar watching your favorite teams. There’s nothing better than a great game in a relaxed setting with friends. However if you’re worried about your fitness levels, and don’t fancy hitting the gym, you could turn that fandom into fitness. Here are some two of the best sports to watch, and how you could get fit by playing them.

Basketball

Basketball is a hugely popular sport and one which teaches a great many skills. As any fan of the sport will know it involves a huge amount of variety. Players shoot, dribble, pass, defend, and do much more throughout the course of the game. Now, basketball is a stop-start kind of a game, which means it’s not recognized as a hugely aerobic sport. However playing basketball can burn up to 700 calories (when played for an hour). Burning calories is the best way to lose weight and develop tone. Not just that but playing this sport can build up your endurance and stamina. You will also be improving your balance and coordination, plus you’ll build muscle and self-discipline.

If the fitness aspect wasn’t enough to get you involves, there are other benefits too. Basketball is a team sport which makes it hugely social. It’s also played indoors so it’s one of the few sports that can be played in all weathers. Official games need 10 players but you can play with as little as two. Get yourself kitted out with a Warriors varsity jacket and get playing! All you need to get started is a ball. There are plenty of courts to play in, and you only need the right footwear if you’re playing indoors.

Ice Hockey

source: wikipedia

For those of us watching hockey from the sidelines we could be forgiven for thinking it’s not as tough as some other sports. In fact, because of the intermittent nature of the game, hockey training has to be highly specialized. The sport itself is made up of short and high-intensity outbursts of power, speed, and strength. So, for example, players could be skating furiously towards the net at one moment, and cruising back to their re-start point at another.

Ice hockey players need the killer combination of power, strength, and speed. It’s a pretty unique combination which isn’t easy to achieve. As well as the obvious burning of calories, ice hockey also boosts the metabolism. The stop-start nature of the game means that the players receive greater cardio benefits. It basically becomes an HIIT session. The sport is also a complete all over body workout. Shoulders, forearms, triceps, hamstrings, and leg muscles are all exercised.