When the faculty of the International YMCA Training School in Springfield Massachusetts had to find a way to keep students active during winter because all the other sports were meant to be played outside, they came up with basketball. 

Depending on where you live most people can find a basketball court within walking distance or just a short drive. The differences between outdoor basketball courts and indoor courts are many. But since the weather is getting colder as we approach winter, Some players avoid outdoor courts altogether due to the weather. 

When you play basketball you get a full-body workout and it helps you burn calories. The quick lateral movements, running, and jumping give you an aerobic workout, which allows a person who weighs 165 pounds to burn about 600 calories. The physical part of basketball also helps improve and build bone strength. And because you keep moving during the game, your heart rate increases and also helps build endurance. This keeps your heart healthy, lowers the risk of stroke, and prevents heart disease.

Indoor Soccer is a type of five-a-side football that was developed in the United States and Canada to provide an option to play soccer during winter. The sport is played on an artificial turf surface that gives the feel of playing on fresh grass and retaining predictability and control.

Indoor soccer features constant, end-to-end action, very few breaks in play, and frequent scoring opportunities that make it one of the most active games to play. It provides a wealth of benefits that can supplement any player's development. Indoor soccer is faster, smaller, and more intensive than its outdoor counterpart. Due to the smaller field size and a faster surface, the ball moves much faster and requires quick decision-making. It offers players the opportunity to stay in shape all year round. The consistent play and movement of indoor soccer help players hone their endurance, speed, coordination, and sports IQ. 

Indoor soccer is very similar to Futsal and you will likely be faced with choosing between Futsal and Indoor Soccer for continued soccer development over the cold winter months. The major differences between Futsal and Indoor Soccer are that Futsal is played on a hard court, without walls, and with a special low bounce ball. And though Indoor soccer and Futsal may differ in rules and size of the field, the health benefits that come with the continuous workout are the same.

You can only comfortably play tennis outdoors for about half of the year. Fortunately, indoor tennis makes the harsh conditions of fall and winter an afterthought when it comes to playing tennis. The only potential trouble you have now is negotiating a few snow-covered roads in your car on the way to the game.

The interesting thing about tennis is that the game is remarkably different depending on the surface and whether it is played indoors or outside. Indoor tennis is renowned for being a much faster game. The lack of wind and artificial surfaces reduce the risk of bad bounces so players can be more accurate. The bounce height also tends to be lower inside so players need to adapt their technique.

The most noticeable and renowned benefit of tennis is the cardio aspect. If you pick up tennis as a regular hobby, expect your cardio capacity to increase immensely. Playing tennis for one hour can burn up to 400 to 600 calories, making it as effective as jogging or taking part in a spin class. This full-body workout has been known to increase aerobic capacities, as well as improving muscle tone, strength, and flexibility.

Rock climbing is one of the biggest trends in physical fitness and one of the world’s fastest-growing mainstream sporting activities. Climbing appeals to people of all ages and skill levels because it’s easy to get started. And since you don’t need any fancy equipment right away, anyone can show up at a local rock gym and start climbing. It's a great way to work on your endurance, build strength and give your balance a boost.

Compared to most other sports, rock climbing is very diverse and provides benefits in every aspect of your life including physical, mental/emotional, and social benefits. Indoor rock climbing uses virtually every major muscle group in your body, making it a great whole-body alternative to pumping iron at the gym. You’ll use the large muscles in your arms and legs to pull your body up the wall, while your abs work to keep you stable and balanced. Rock climbing is a low-impact exercise, which means it is easier on your body, particularly your joints, while still being a great full-body workout.

A form of rock climbing you can do is Bouldering. Bouldering is rock climbing stripped down to its raw essentials. Leaving behind ropes and harnesses and just using climbing shoes and a bag of chalk over safety mats, your challenge is to climb short but tricky routes using balance, technique, strength, and your brain.

Badminton is a racquet sport that is very similar to tennis. It is a very popular sport not only for competition but also a fun sport which can be played among your peers. But unlike tennis badminton is a naturally indoor-played sport making it an ideal sport to choose during winter. 

Playing badminton takes a lot of energy and is very exhausting as it uses every muscle in the body. If you play even for an hour, you will be able to burn about 480 calories which are the highest among all the sports. Being a fast-paced game, it requires constant movement to keep up a long rally without tiring. Playing the sport a few times a week will steadily build your body’s endurance during aerobic activity. This endurance and stamina translate into other areas of your life, such as running, gym workouts, or cardio fitness.

Racquetball is another great indoor sport that offers tremendous benefits for the whole body, inside and out. The best part of it is that it can be played by yourself, against an opponent, or with a partner against another team of two players. 

An intense racquetball session burns a lot of calories and does wonders for hand-eye coordination and reflexes. In order to run across the court and dip low to hit the returning ball, you need balance, coordination, and flexibility. You'll use a wide range of motion in racquetball, forcing your body to stretch and in turn increasing your flexibility. 

Racquetball also promotes heart health. During a racquetball game, the player will maintain a high heart rate level for an extended period of time, which develops aerobic capacity progressively.

You'll also get the same benefits in Squash. And though Racquetball and Squash may seem like identical sports on a surface level, they’re actually 2 different things. Squash courts are much smaller and the racquets are shorter. And though the materials for both balls are similar, the racquetball is much more bouncier. With regards to the rules, the most important difference between racquetball and squash is that the ceiling is out of bounds in squash but not racquetball.

When people box for fitness, they often use a punching bag, speed bags, and focus mitts, avoiding the physical contact that can lead to concussions and other injuries. However, boxing for fitness still provides boxing’s inherent benefits.

Boxing is a combat sport that has been practiced since before the time of ancient Greece and the original Olympics. It has been used to train people for performance in the art of striking, as well as general physical conditioning.

Something that is very beneficial about boxing is that it is excellent for your cardiovascular health. The training involves a lot of cardiovascular exercises, as boxers often do things like jump rope, circuit training, cycling, and running on treadmills to increase their stamina. Another great benefit that you'll get in boxing is weight loss. An average training or sparring session in the ring will allow you to burn anywhere from 400 to 700 calories every single hour.

If you live in the city, you'll likely find a boxing gym nearby, where instructors will coach you through a mix of punching combinations and body-weight exercises. There are also at-home programs that make it easy to turn your living room into a makeshift boxing gym.

Like basketball, the original incarnations of volleyball were modeled as an indoor sport. It's a popular sport worldwide that can be played purely for fun in the backyard or in a highly competitive manner. But since the weather is getting colder, you might want to look for indoor courts for a game.

One of the greatest benefits of playing volleyball is that it helps to burn off calories. As a result, your body can effectively maintain a positive ratio between muscle and fat. It has been estimated that just a half-hour game of competitive volleyball can burn anywhere from 120 to 178 calories, while a less competitive game may result in 90 to 133 calories burned off. Volleyball is a great way to maintain a healthy weight, which reduces the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.

All styles of dance make for great cardio workouts since your heart rate gets challenged from executing the different moves. Dancing will improve your cardiovascular functioning due to the constant movement required. This has significant implications for your overall health, especially as you age. Not only can you delay or prevent the onset of heart problems, but you can also reduce the risk of many other chronic diseases.

While the physical benefits of dance have been known for years, there's also a lot of mental health benefits. Dance is an intensive challenge for your brain, requiring a combination of vision, rhythm, balance, coordination, and multi-planar movement. The mental advantages of dancing depend on the type of dance you learn. Styles like ballroom dancing require a large degree of improvisation. These improve your decision-making skills more than completely memorized movements and routines. On the other hand, interpretive modern dance styles offer more benefits for creativity. 

There are lots of different places where you can enjoy dancing, for example, at dance schools, social venues, community halls, and in your own home. Dancing has become such a popular way to be active and keep fit, that most fitness clubs now offer dance classes in their group exercise programs. A dance class is a great way to make new friends and branch out socially. Having positive relationships is a major contributing factor to better mental health as it can increase feelings of happiness, reduce stress, and even lead to a stronger immune system

Martial arts provides a number of excellent health benefits, in addition to instilling discipline and confidence within students. Through improving one’s skills during practice, a student of martial arts will also be able to build a healthier body and, by extension, lifestyle Since health and fitness are closely intertwined.

Martial art is a complete workout of body and mind. Perfect coordination between the two is required to perform it. It not only deals with physical stamina but mental pressure as well. This is the reason why it is considered the aptest practice to incorporate in life.

It’s not all about punching, kicking, and throwing each other on the ground. It is about finding a balance between mind, body, and spirit. The mental health benefits of this key training style have a great effect on your ability to learn self-discipline. You'll be able to maintain control of your emotions, resist negative impulses, and better manage your overall behavior.

Picking the right martial art to study is crucial if you’re going to enjoy yourself and ultimately stick with it, so do your research and think about what discipline you'd want to follow. Joining a martial art can be extremely rewarding for your fitness and overall well-being. No matter the martial art you choose, commit to it with all your heart. Always respect your instructors who pass down their knowledge to you. Respect your fellow students as well who at the end of the day are just trying their best to learn, just like you.

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