The Top Benefits of Sports for Veterans

Recovery from both mental and physical injuries can be long and difficult for veterans, and this can subsequently reduce their happiness and quality of life. However, sports are one way to help increase veterans’ satisfaction and it can even aid their recovery in the future. Sports are also being used as a treatment for many mental health disorders that veterans often have. This article will focus on some of the key benefits of sports for veterans and what playing them can do to improve their lifestyles.

·        Improves Quality of Life for Disabled Veterans

Many veterans have debilitating injuries or disabilities which can prevent them from living the lifestyle that they had previous to their service. This can lead to many negative impacts on their mental health which results in increasing loneliness and isolation. However, sports can improve the quality of life for disabled veterans by allowing them to participate in an active hobby that has the potential to boost their self-esteem. Adaptive sports — which are those that have been modified for disabled participants — have been created to help disabled people and veterans to enjoy the emotional and physical effects of sports without the barriers that physical injuries can hold against them from performing successfully.

·        Increases Socialization

Sports also increase socialization amongst veterans who may be isolated due to physical or mental conditions. Sports allow veterans to interact with other people who have experienced the same situations as they have, including other veterans and their families. The best sports to increase socialization in veterans include team activities such as soccer and rugby, or those that are based in social clubs, like golf, where it is easy to interact with others and build an extensive social calendar. For those who are interested in taking up golf, PXG sells a wide range of golf clubs that veterans can choose from to suit their personal needs.

·        Keeps Veterans Healthy

Serving with the forces is an incredibly active profession and one which needs strong devotion to training and physical activity. However, this means that veterans often lose some of the physical health that they had previously attained as a result of their injuries and the inability to perform exercises that they had been previously able to. However, participating in sports can help keep veterans as active as possible; it can also prevent illnesses such as heart diseases, strokes, and cancers, as well as help their injuries to heal quickly.

·        Improves Mental Health

It is estimated that 11 to 20 veterans out of every 100 have PTSD, and much more return from service with other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. However, it has been proven that exercise and the outdoors can aid those suffering from mental health conditions while boosting self-esteem, improving the ability of veterans to instill coping strategies within their lives, and even enhance sleep quality for those suffering from PTSD. This makes sports one of the best hobbies that veterans can take up to reduce symptoms of mental health disorders and feel a greater sense of achievement within their daily lives.