The inception of the pandemic last year was a complete life changer for the rest of humanity. Many plans and activities had to be cancelled due to quarantine. People were forced to stay at home, and businesses had to close temporarily.
However, people had been inventive and tried to think of ways to have fun while in quarantine. Some people invented indoor games, switched to indoor workouts, and utilized online games to entertain themselves. Later on, as quarantine became lighter, people craved to be outdoors and wanted to get some sweat out of their bodies. After all, staying at home meant sacrificing the outdoor physical activities that they used to do.
But due to the changes that the pandemic has brought during the year 2020, it actually became a chance for some sports to increase their reputation. While team sports like basketball or football had declined due to their high demand for social contact, some sports that don’t require much physical contact have risen in terms of popularity.
If you’re searching for a sport to do for this year while ensuring the same social distancing, read on below to learn about the four sports that increased in popularity during 2020.
1. Golf
Perhaps the most adaptable sport for social distancing is golf. Social distancing will never be a big problem for golf because it can be played alone or with your friends while still maintaining a safe distance. After all, golf has always been a unique sport. For safety measures, you can use gloves when touching flags, have staggered tee times, and still continue to play even with the closed clubhouses.
If you don’t want to risk sharing equipment with others, you can use and bring your own and disinfect it every after use. Don’t forget to wear your favorite Thiago de Mattos jersey to really immerse yourself in the game.
2. Tennis
Another sport that has become increasingly popular during 2020 was tennis. Since it only requires two players, it doesn’t require as much physical contact as other team sports. Plus, you can secure your own tennis racket to prevent touching equipment from other players. You just need to be more careful when handling the tennis ball. Tennis balls are thrown everywhere and can be picked up by anyone.
To ensure safety while playing this sport, always remember to refrain from touching your face, nose, or other open parts of your body during and after the play. Instead, always secure a hand sanitizer with you or take your time to wash your hands before and after playing. Another safety precaution you may also do is using two sets of balls for the game. For instance, you can use green balls while your opponent can use yellow balls. You only get to use and pick up balls that are your color. This will ensure that you and your opponent will not be touching the same balls.
3. Biking Or Cycling
This activity is one of the sports that had vastly increased in popularity last year. Prior to the pandemic, people almost forgot about this activity due to their busy lives, and some only consider it a game for learning kids. Plus, some people tend to think of biking as a traditional way of transportation.
However, ever since the quarantine became more moderate, people become more appreciative of cycling. Not only is it a good exercise, but it can also be done by yourself without compromising social distancing. As long as you’re wearing your face masks, you’re good to go. Additionally, instead of biking on the main roads, you can bike around parks and hills so you can enjoy this activity with fewer people around.
4. Badminton
Badminton has the same concept as tennis when it’s played. Two or more players can play it, but the safest number is two to ensure social distancing. Players use badminton rackets and a shuttlecock for this sport, but it’s best to use your own racket and shuttlecock to ensure your safety. What made people appreciate this sport more during the year 2020 was that there’s no need to go too far to play this game. As long as you have a backyard that’s spacious enough, you can play this sport with your family and remain physically active despite the quarantine
The Bottom Line
While the quarantine may have caused some of the most popular sports to cancel their games and tournaments, it also made way for the other types of sports to increase in popularity due to their practicality with the new normal. These sports mentioned above became part of most people’s new quarantine routine.
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