|
By Kendrick Go
Since time immemorial, women have been engaged
in the “Battle of the Bulge,” the quest for that perfect trim
figure has led women to try out all sorts of ways to shed those
excess pounds. Methods like taking diet pills, starving themselves
with diets, tiring themselves out in the gym and just going under
the knife, women have been obsessing for a way to slim down.
Unfortunately, most of these methods are either
boring (working out lifting all those weights), expensive
(liposuction, thermage) or just downright dangerous (diet pills and
extreme diets). So one would think, why bother slimming down, right?
But in a society that prizes beauty and physical perfection, looking
good is not only a nice thing. It is a necessity.
That is why those who would like to lose weight
in a safe, interesting and enjoyable way should try dodgeball.
Contrary to its portrayal in movies as this brutal game played by
bullies to torment their chosen prey, dodgeball is actually quite
safe and fun. Enthusiasts say that the game offers a full-body
workout that even gyms will find hard to match. It is also fast
becoming a rage in universities and company team building exercises,
thanks to a small but dedicated group.
The Philippine Dodgeball Association (PDBA) has
been promoting dodgeball as a sport and as a fun way to stay fit for
the past two years. Dodgeball games involve two teams of three or
six people each. They play with six balls in the field and basically
try to hit each other with the balls. After the time, the team with
the most number of players standing wins.
The games typically last around five minutes but
during those five minutes all hell breaks loose as players use all
the muscles in their body, even those they probably didn’t know
existed to try and eliminate their opponents, while at the same time
stay in the game.
When asked why they like dodgeball, players said
that aside from being fun, the experience beats an hour of working
out in the gym in terms of physical exertion.
The best thing about this sport, however, is not
the workout it offers, but that “the focus is on fun,”
emphasized Karen Tanchanco-Caballero of Club 650 one of the founding
teams of PDBA.
To play this sport, Caballero says that all you
need is, “Energy, humor—getting hit in the face is a very funny
thing and the players are laughing while they are playing, which is
unlike other sports, where you have to concentrate. Walang
kailangang sports orientation.”
Far from its initial appearance as a simple
game, dodgeball is actually very complex, with players excelling in
one aspect of the game depending on what other sport they play.
Dodgeball is one game you can have pretty much in any way you like
it. For example, the baseball players who hurled balls against the
football team, led the game with fast-paced and accurate hits, but
the latter put up a fight with their remarkable agility. Some teams,
on the other hand, preferred the suspense of strategic attacks and
defenses. Others just throw and dodge balls like there’s no
tomorrow and laughed our heads off at every hit.
Dodgeball is fast picking up in popularity with
the PDBA conducting campus tours to promote the sport. Aside from
the thrill of the game, players point to the camaraderie the game
evokes bringing players together in friendship.
So for those women who dream of getting that
perfect body but don’t have the patience or the interest for the
usual weight loss, one can try dodgeball.
|
