The 5 Most Complete Sports

Exercising, in general, is very good for our health, but some sports are more complete than others. Knowing and practicing them is essential to work on our physiques, but they also help to keep our minds healthy too. 
The 5 Most Complete Sports

Last update: 20 August, 2019

While it’s true that any fitness discipline we practice is good for our health, it’s important to know that some sports are more complete than others. We are referring to those that include cardio and work on endurance, muscles, and strength. In this article, we’ll consider each sport.

The most complete sports

Maybe you’re looking for a change in your routine because you’re not seeing the results you expected? Perhaps you need more challenges when training or you may want to become fitter faster? To achieve these goals, we recommend that you consider the most complete sports. Here’s the list:

1. Swimming

It’s known as the most complete sport that exists because through swimming, we can work out all of the muscles in the body. Not only that, when we swim, we improve our cardiovascular and respiratory systems as well.

With this exercise, we increase muscle strength and endurance, especially in the back. In turn, we improve the elasticity of the muscles and the flexibility of the joints. As if all this weren’t enough, swimming is good for the body since it relaxes us.

2. Boxing

If you don’t like the idea of swimming because you prefer land sports, then boxing can be an excellent option. Indeed, it’s a very complete discipline.

Boxing isn’t just fighting in a ring, there’s a whole physical preparation behind a good boxer. That’s where the secret of one of the most beneficial sports resides.

Boxing is one of the most complete sports you'll find.
With this sporting activity, we work out not only the arms and the torso but also the legs. That’s how we tone our muscles, burn fat, increase our strength and flexibility, and enhance our coordination.

If you don’t think boxing is complete, we recommend you take a class. By just jumping rope for five minutes, you’ll soon realize how much work is involved; and that’s only a small part of the workout!

3. Running

Going out to run is a very popular activity. However, beyond that, we should know that running is a complete sport because it helps burn calories, tone the buttocks and legs, aligns the spine, improves cardiorespiratory functions, and works out our arms, abdomen, and shoulders.

Additionally, running is a very effective natural therapy for reducing stress. If we practice it outdoors, we also enjoy other benefits, such as incorporating vitamin D, breathing in the fresh air, and being in contact with nature.

At the same time, running is a very affordable sport since we don’t need anything more than comfortable clothes and shoes to practice it. Test it out and confirm its benefits!

Yoga stands out among the most complete sports

Lots of people don’t believe that yoga is a sport, but it’s considered as such. Moreover, it belongs on the list of the most complete sports that exist. Thanks to this discipline, we can develop our bodies and improve ourselves spiritually and mentally. 

There are many advantages to doing yoga. They include increasing flexibility, losing weight, increasing energy, correcting bad postures, eliminating tensions and contractures, incorporating oxygen into the body correctly, avoiding stress, and reducing digestive problems or menstrual pain.

5. Cycling

It’s not necessary to become a professional cyclist to take advantage of all the benefits of this sport. You don’t even need a state of the art bike with all the features to participate in a race.

Cycling is a great way to lose weight.

Cycling allows us to lose weight by burning calories, shaping the abdomen without doing abdominals, toning the legs, and increasing heart and respiratory resistance. If you do it outdoors, you’ll also enjoy other advantages, such as being in contact with nature, admiring the landscape, and breathing in the fresh air.

Besides these five options that are among the most complete sports, we can highlight other disciplines that are very good, which can be fun and entertaining. 

For example, there’s rugby and American football; physical contact and specific training allow a greater increase in muscle mass and strength. Field hockey or skating can help us tone our arms and improve cardiorespiratory functions. Tennis or paddle tennis tone, burn fat and help with coordination.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Varo Cenarruzabeitia, J. J., Matínez Hernández, J. A., & Martínez-González, M. Á. (2003). Beneficios de la actividad física y riesgos del sedentarismo. Medicina Clinica. https://doi.org/10.1157/13054307

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.