volley ball or cross country?

allisonander11
allisonander11 Posts: 11 Member
edited November 18 in Fitness and Exercise
im torn between doing volleyball or cross country this season. im not very good at either sport but im definitely worse at running, and volley ball is more fun. but the problem is, i want a sport that will help get me in shape and i dont know if indoor volleyball can help with that? and also, does swimming help you lose weight too?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited May 2017
    Any exercise will increase energy expenditure, but losing weight comes down to eating. I'm cutting winter weight at the moment, but when I'm in maintenance I still do the same exercise...I just eat more...when I'm cutting I do the same exercise...I just eat a little less.

    I detest long distance running so CC would never even cross my mind. When I was in high school, one of my girlfriends was on the volleyball team...they were all very fit...they all lifted weights, practice (which included plenty of sprints and other cardio), and played matches.
  • Boland_D
    Boland_D Posts: 85 Member
    All three sports mentioned will help with weight loss if you actually do them properly.

    If you're simply throwing volleyball out because of your reason given then do volleyball because it will definitely help you get in shape.
    Volleyball practice at my highschool consisted of intense cardio and strength training.
  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
    Choose the activity that you can stay with so if that's volleyball then maybe that's your answer. The only thing about cross country and swimming is that they will typically take any warm body willing to train so you know you will get to race. Depending on your school and the competitiveness of the volleyball team you may or may not get as much playing time. Who knows once you get in better running or swim shape they may turn out to be something you enjoy and are good at. Talk to some kids who are already involved in those sports so you can get an idea of what it's like to be part of those programs. Playing in sports is a lot more than the sport itself or shedding a few pounds. Friendships, camaraderie, and the kind of coach go a long way to making it both a fun and rewarding experience.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Do the sport you like. If you don't like it you won't excel and may even quit. That may be worse than not joining a sport at all.

    The coach will see to cardio and strength. That's essential.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Do the sport you like. If you don't like it you won't excel and may even quit. That may be worse than not joining a sport at all.

    The coach will see to cardio and strength. That's essential.

    I agree! You'll stick with something you enjoy. If you hate it you'll find reasons not to do it.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I don't know how athletics are these days, but if you aren't very good, running would probably be the better choice. You would still run in meets as well as practice. If you aren't any good at volleyball, all you'll do is practice and probably not play much. Just something to consider.
  • owen1826
    owen1826 Posts: 53 Member
    I did both in High school. If you like volleyball more, do it. You can always go for runs in your free time. Volleyball can get you into shape, but diet is going to be more important if you're looking for weight loss.
  • owen1826
    owen1826 Posts: 53 Member
    Oh I should add I thought cross country would make me lose weight, but no it did not. Definitely pay attention to diet for that.
  • MyFreakingNameIsScott
    MyFreakingNameIsScott Posts: 199 Member
    edited May 2017
    As a VB coach I can tell you my kids do 200 squats as part of our warm-up routine and when we break for water, it's 3 minutes of planks. They will also do a variety of push-ups after a drill....and we have a lot of fun so....volleyball is what you want to do. ;)

    I'm a club coach and we also have our own facility so we also do strength and conditioning for 30 minutes before or after our practice(s) depending on our scheduled start time.
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