Keeping Fit Through Sports In Pattaya

By Kevin Cain

Everybody is aware in this modern connected world how important it is to look after your body and in turn take care of your health. Health problems for obese or overweight adults and children are a major concern for over extended health services worldwide and because of social media and the world-wide-web everybody is fully advised on what conditions can be brought on by being overweight. Heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer and depression can all be caused by excess body weight.Obviously we are all fully aware of what remedial action needs to take place if you do have an extra few pounds to lose. A combination of a healthy diet together with an active lifestyle will get you into better shape, and the longer you take to lose those pounds then the longer they will stay off, crash diets are never the answer.

Living in Pattaya we are most fortunate, as the scope of outdoor activities available is almost second to none. Water based activities are foremost with all Pattaya’s beaches and the surrounding islands. However, because of the number of expats from around the globe that have settled on the Eastern Seaboard, there has been a demand for a variety of sports that are not found elsewhere in Thailand. Sports that are currently available in and around the Pattaya include: golf, football, rugby, polo, archery, bowling, petange, tennis, badminton, cricket, hockey, volleyball, sepak takraw, table tennis, squash, and cycling.

In addition to all these there are a plethora of gyms and personal fitness options such as running, walking and weight training that can easily be taken advantage of. The key to keeping fit is motivation and finding the time each day to allocate to it. One of the best ideas is to either join a club or play a team sport. In this way you will have colleagues to egg you on when perhaps your inclination is not at its highest.

One such club is Pattaya Archery Club, which has been operating in Pattaya for over a decade. They actively encourage all levels of archers from novice to fully fledged experts, and you don’t even have to have your own equipment. Pattaya Archery Club is actually a non-profit making club and exists to give an opportunity to everybody to try the sport.The members are gathered from all over the world and are a mix of retired expats together with younger people who are either staying or working in Pattaya. Pattaya Archery Club also actively encourages Thai nationals to try the sport for the first time and to get involved in a friendly and convivial sporting club atmosphere.

For those who prefer to work out in a gymnasium and change their body fat into a little more muscle, then Pattaya is ideal. There are gyms located all over Pattaya and range from leisure clubs at five star hotels, to free gyms on the beach. People should be aware that turning up at a gym after a long period of inactivity can be precarious. It is possible to easily do more harm lifting weights than good. If you have not been to a gym for a long time or are not familiar with the equipment, then you need to understand fully how everything operates and how you should exercise.

One of the better and most popular gyms in Pattaya is Bear Gym in Jomtien. For beginners there are always professional coaches at hand to ensure you are using the equipment correctly. Novices and long term absentees are advised to take advantage of the personal training services which also includes general dieting advice. You coach will consider your personal goals and objectives and then will tailor make a schedule especially for you. Which will include weight loss, stamina development, strength and functional training.

Volleyball is another highly popular sport in Pattaya, and it gives the participants the benefit of playing in a team and all the advantages that go with that. By taking exercise whilst playing a team sport your mind is automatically taken away from the physical element of what you are doing. You are more focused in defeating the opposition rather than how long you have been actually exercising. It also gives the added impetus of pushing you harder to reach a difficult ball as if you don’t you are letting your team down. The added benefit of your team-mates encouraging you as you play also acts as a great incentive to push yourself harder.

Playing volleyball in Pattaya is really easy as there are courts just about everywhere including many free facilities. If you go down to one of the many beaches in Pattaya you will see Thais playing volleyball after work and they are happy to accept new players into the game. There are also many municipal sports complexes dotted around that have floodlit courts and are happy for newcomers to either join in or book their own time to play a match.

The truth is that Pattaya has the climate and facilities open 24 hours a day that leave little excuse not to exercise. Even a late long stroll along the beach in the cooler hours of the morning or evening is a fine way to start your fitness regime, it is totally free and gives plenty of opportunity to fill your lungs with fresh sea air.

Keeping fit through sports in Pattaya is easy if you have the inclination. Firstly you have to accept that you really want to embrace a more healthy lifestyle then sketch out a plan to follow. Take things gradually from the start, perhaps with long walks, then bit by bit step your regime up to involve the types of activities you prefer so you will be more likely to continue in a long term healthy lifestyle.