Sports, Hiking

Sports are one of the most popular leisure activities. This is mainly due to the fact that they help one to keep fit both physically and mentally. Such a form of relaxation as sports is refreshing, can help take off some weight, and makes use of one’s skills and strength. During sports events one can meet a lot of new people and see how it feels to be a winner or a loser.

Usually all sports and games are divided into two groups according to where they can be practiced. Indoor sports include for example gymnastics, table tennis, boxing, wrestling etc. On the other hand, among outdoor sports are skiing (down-hill, slalom, ski jump), sledding, hiking, rock climbing, horse riding, golf and some aquatic sports such as rowing or windsurfing. Non-professional cycling, or riding a (mountain) bike, which is one of the most popular activities, is also enjoyed out of doors (on the roads or paths).

But most sports and almost all games can be done both indoors and outdoors. Meetings in all track and field events (sprints, middle and long distance runs, high and long jump etc.) také place in summer stadiums as well as in athletic halls. Also one of the healthiest sports, swimming, and figure skating don’t actually demand a roofed room. One can easily recognize that those sports which can be done only on ice or snow (skating a skiing) are winter sports.

The games are usually all-season activities, and they are practiced both indoors and outdoors. The most numerous group of games are the ball games. Let us mention the individual games in the order in which they are popular in Great Britain, the United States, and the Czech Republic.

England was also the first home of many modern games, for example: football (in United States it’s named the soccer), rugby football, golf, cricket, tennis and squash. In the USA most sports are very popular, football, baseball, basketball and ice-hockey (it has its roots in Canada). These games are turned into big shows in which the sport stars make a lot of money. In our country ball games include football, volleyball, basketball, handball, and tennis. In the ice-hockey we are the champions. Our country has produced many sportsmen who are succeded in top international competitions. In the first place athletics (recently javelin and decathlon)have excelled abroad.
I don’t forget to mention the Olympic Games, which were already held in ancient Greece. The Olympics were renewed by Pierre Coubertin about a hundred years ago and today as well as in ancient times they také place every four years. Since 1924 there are two parts to the games – the winter part and the summer part – which alternate once every two years.