Fitness benefits of handball

Handball is a great sport for getting your body fit and healthy through fast-paced exercise. Improving agility, flexibility and the body′s cardiovascular system, handball offers a fine workout. Here is a quick introduction to its health benefits.

Handball is a fast-flowing game. The aim is to is to throw the ball into the opponent’s goal as many times as possible within two 30-minute periods of play.

The players work together, passing and dribbling the ball up the court in an attempt to score a goal. The fast pace of the game results in many shots being taken, and it is not unusual for more than 20 goals per side to be scored in game.

The sport requires strength, speed and agility and has been compared to being a cross between football and basketball, although the players (other than the goalkeeper) are not permitted to kick the ball.

Handball is often referred to as Olympic handball so as not to be confused with other completely different versions of ‘handball’ which involve the use of hitting a small ball with the hand in a walled court.

Health and fitness benefits of handball

Playing handball has a number of health and fitness benefits, including the following:

• Improves arm muscles and upper body strength.
• Develops agility of hands and feet, with sudden changes of pace and direction required.
• Boosts the body’s flexibility.
• Improves mental focus and self-confidence.
• Provides the body with a good cardiovascular workout, feeding more oxygen to the muscles via the bloodstream.
• How to get involved in playing handball

Handball develops athletic skills, promotes team work, and increases fitness and general well-being. Although not a major sport in the UK, it is hoped that the impending the 2012 Olympics will provide a platform to increase the profile of the sport.