As a part of everyday life, sports can involve a wide variety of physical activities. While most forms of sports involve physical exertion, such as running, jogging, and jumping, others are simply pastimes. Many types of sports involve the physical exertion of athletes, which is why they are called “sports.” In addition to physical exhaustion, such activities can help an athlete improve a specific body part. And, because of their competitive nature, many sports are also popular with fans.
Modern sports have evolved in a number of ways. The first modernized forms of sport emerged during the Restoration period in England, when Puritans drove traditional pastimes underground and replaced them with organized games. The Marylebone Cricket Club, founded in 1787, is largely responsible for the development of the game of cricket and other sports. In this period, women were able to compete in formerly masculine sports like football. Several of these innovations are still in use today.
In addition to the health benefits of participation in sports, the social and emotional benefits of physical activity are significant. Young girls, for example, tend to have lower self-esteem than boys, and many believe that their bodies are only useful if they attract boys. But the Women’s Sports Foundation compiled statistics about young female athletes and found that they benefited substantially from participating in sports. These statistics include a reduction in drug use and pregnancy, as well as a threefold increase in college graduation rates.