We all know that sports are good for our physical health, but did you know that team sports can have huge benefits for your mental health too, particularly if you’re a man?

Whether you’re feeling a little stressed out about work, you’re feeling lonely, or you’ve got a dose of the blues, but playing with a team can dramatically improve your mental health. Here’s how:

It Connects You with Others

A lot of men are very reserved; they find it hard to open up to people, which means if they’re having a tough time they’re more likely than women to bottle it all up inside. However, if they have played as part of a team for a while, they will have built bonds with their teammates, which means they’re more likely to open up, seek advice and reach out when they’re experiencing mental health problems like loneliness and depression.

Sports Releases Endorphins

This is one that anyone, male or female can benefit from but it’s a biggie – when you get physically active, your body releases endorphins, which are basically feel-good chemicals that can help to make you feel calmer, happier and a lot more relaxed than you were before you started running around batting and throwing.

It Improves Concentration

Many mental health problems cause your concentration levels to plummet, and that isn’t good if you have a job to hold down and a million other things to do. Not only that, but poor concentration levels and mental skills, in general, can lead to illnesses like Alzheimer’s in later life. Luckily, playing sports doesn’t just strengthen your body and build your muscles – it does the same for your brain too. That’s why you should think about sending your teens to, for example, a soccer camp like the one here, as well as playing team sports yourself. It will help them with their studies and  you to have a healthier brain and stronger career.

It Increases Motivation

When men are feeling low, they can find it difficult to get up and moving (as can women). However, research has shown that men who have team sports to go to are more likely to get up and moving, even when they’re stressed or depressed and don’t feel like it because they don’t want to let the rest of the team down. So, playing a team sport is a great way to ensure that mental health problems don’t totally pull you under.

It Boost Confidence

Due to the way we have always treated men in society, stressing the importance of strength, both physical and mental and how they should be the breadwinners, men have a lot of pressure on them, and it can cause them to feel pretty inadequate. Luckily, playing team sports can alleviate some of that inadequacy by making them feel good about their body and their discipline in turning up every week to play their very best.

If you aren’t already playing team sports, now might be the perfect time for you to get started. It is so beneficial, as you can see, in so many ways.

I love watching Forged In Fire, it’s so cool to see the art of making knives and swords. I’d love to be able to make my own sword or knives but I don’t have the tools nor the time. It will remain on my list but until we are able to make our own, here is what you need to know!

The ultimate steel for sword has always been Damascus steel and even the history holds records of it. Damascus has been used considerably in the history because of its brilliant features which no other form of steel bore. Even after the new era, damascus has been able to retain its importance in the market with various variations. It is now used for knives and also for engagement rings. They have unique patterns which distinguish them from all other steel swords and knives. To facilitate better learning, here we present to you some valuable information which will help you know better about damascus steel.

History of Damascus swords

Ordinary steel never deemed fit for swords because it would turn brittle. However, damascus was made of a different material which made it better than any of its counterparts. Damascus was strong and flexible and it had unique patterns which could cut an armoured soldier in two halves without too much effort. Such swords were used by Muslim warriors in the 11th and 12th century when they fought a war against crusaders. These swords were crafted by the brilliant bladesmiths of damascus which gave it its name. They were making such swords from 300 AD but till 1700, the world was unknown to this crafted metal.

Basic information about Damascus

• Damascus steel swords have unique patterns which are neither lasered nor rippled, but inherited from the ingots which formed the blade for the steel. Till date, there are only two methods to obtain such designs on the sword.

• Damascus steel is made from Wootz steel which has different properties from the general steel. This steel was originally found in Southern India from where it was sent to Damascus to be mastered by the brilliant bladesmiths for muslim warriors.

• Around the 1700s, Damascus steel blade production stopped for numerous reasons unknown to us. However, a theory explains that wootz was made from impurities which made it so strong and uniquely patterned and as it was imported from India, it was starting to deplete. To prevent complete depletion, the manufacturing of such steel blade stopped.

• Pattern welding is used to manufacture damascus steel rings and knives. To give the rippled effect, different sheets of steel is put together with different levels of carbon content. It also assisted in producing different shades on the steel. Pattern welded does not bear the same strength as Wootz steel swords, but it bears remarkable resemblance with the ancient wootz damascus steel swords and patterns.

• Vikings and Japanese blacksmiths also made their own versions of patterned and rippled damascus swords as they variated pattern welded method. Apart from swords, steel gun barrels were also made from damascus steel. However, smokeless powder and laminated damascus did not go hand in hand which led to gun barrel explodes.

• Many attempts were made in order to replicate the damascus steel, or at least it’s might but nothing worked until a discovery was made. For many centuries it was believed, that only Wootz steel made damascus but another component by the name carbon nanotubes had the same importance in its existence.

Damascus has increased its usability as it is no longer used for only sword making. Highly useful knives for hunting and for display are made from damascus as well. It offers strength and durability which is why it is used for making engagement rings too. If you find this above mentioned information useful, share this article with those who might be benefitted with it.

Fishing is known as the ‘patient sport.’ You might initially think that title belongs to Golfing, but you’d be mistaken. Fishing is undertaken for a variety of reasons, but catching fish isn’t always an intended goal. Sometimes the best fishing sessions are when you’re relaxed, laying back with a book in a little nook no one can find you in. It helps you absorb nature and acclimate, if only for a few hours, to your own little paradise.

Fishing is the sport that brings family and friends together because long efforts sitting down and waiting for that ever desired bite can yield some of the most interesting, thoughtful and deep conversations you will ever have. There’s a reason fishing has lasted far beyond the invention of surplus food resources.

If you’re new to fishing, welcome aboard! This hobby will provide you with much-needed downtime it would do anyone good to have. When starting out though, due to the jargon that’s accumulated over time, it can be difficult to figure out what equipment you really need. This list has everything you could possibly want to be included. Write this list down and take it into a fisherman’s store, and you’ll be good to go.

Also, make sure you have a premium destination where you won’t be bothered to fish. A professional and community-based focused organization like river fishing with Lance Fisher Fishing could serve you well, for example.

FISHING ROD

This is the basic piece of fishing equipment you can’t really go any further without. There are many to try, but a decent, shallow water fishing line should do you well here. Be sure to ask for the store owners recommendation, and ask about any accessories you might include in your purchase. Supports are popular because it means you don’t have to keep the rod upright at all times.

DECK CHAIRS

A pair of small deck chairs, one for you and one for a friend, are necessary for the long hours you’ll spend in nature. It also helps if weather conditions haven’t been as comfortable as they possibly could have been recent. Making sure that you bring these will give you a dry, warm bottom, and sometimes that’s all you need.

EXTRA LINES

If you’re a novice fisher, you’re going to break the line. In fact, you’re going to break it a lot. Taking extra lines not only allows you to make those inevitable mistakes but relining a rod can help you learn about the components of the rod.

EXTRA HOOKS

If the line breaks, you lose your hooks. Remember to bring them to re-attach when you inevitably bring in the catch incorrectly.

BAIT

The fish need something to bite, or they won’t go for your line. Attract them using worms, colored pieces of fabric or even little insects to ensure you attract the best fish possible.

First Aid Kit

Anything can happen in nature, especially if you’re bringing and piercing insects on a sharp hook, and throwing it in the water. Be prepared and be safe with a First Aid Kit, and make sure it has all the essential items.
Having this list ready and to hand will set you up as a fisherman. Now you just need to use it. Cast a line today and watch your free time melt away into peace and solitude.

Golf is a great game to get into. The courses are often set in some of the most beautiful places in the world, and getting out there on a sunny day is a brilliant way to waste an afternoon. Sports are also a great way to meet people. But it can be daunting stepping onto the green for the first time. You’ll be surrounded by seasoned players that make it look easy, while you flounder around, struggling to get out of the woods. If you want to avoid embarrassment, you need to know what you’re talking about. Here are a few tips that you can use to convince them that you’re a pro.

Good Clubs

Choosing the wrong club is an immediate giveaway that you’re an amateur, so knowing your clubs is key. You don’t need to be an expert, but you need to know the different types and what they are used for.

The first club you’ll need is your wood. The wood, so called because the head used to be made from wood, is the largest club in your set. These days the head is made from metal, but the name has stuck. They’re usually hollow, and have the longest shafts, so the player can get the fastest swing. This is the club you’ll use to tee-off with, as it gets the most distance.

Next are the irons. They usually have a solid head, as opposed to the hollow one that you’ll find on your woods. The shape of the head is also different, as it is thinner towards the bottom, giving it an angled blade shape. The angle helps you to get more lift on the ball. You will be using these clubs for mid-range shots, and occasionally for teeing-off if the course is a shorter one.

Then we have the wedges. They can still be considered an iron, but they have their own specific purpose. The angle is much greater as they are specifically designed to chip the ball. There are a few different types including the sand wedge, pitching wedge and the lob wedge. As a beginner the sand wedge is the most important one for you. You are likely to end up in a bunker, but you can still look like a pro if you get it out on your first try. Working out what’s the best sand wedge for you can help you to avoid the humiliation of getting stuck in a bunker.

If you make it to the green, then you’ll need a putter. They are only used for the final portion of the game, guiding the ball into the hole.

Proper Attire

Looking the part is another good way to convince your fellow players that you are a pro. Golfing attire etiquette is very important on a lot of courses, so make sure that you get it right. You need to wear a collared shirt, most clubs won’t let you play without one. Jeans are also a big no-go. Instead, wear some pleated trousers, or shorts in the summer months, but make sure they extend to the knee. A good pair of golf shoes is also vital, not only as part of the dress code, but because it will improve your stance and make your swing better.
If you follow this advice, you can convince everybody that you’re a golfing pro.