Recreational soccer is an effective health-promoting activity for untrained men

British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:825-831
To examine the effects of regular participation in recreational soccer on health profile, 36 healthy untrained Danish men aged 20–43 years were randomised into a soccer group, a running group and a control group. Training was performed for 1 h two or three times per week for 12 weeks.
In conclusion, participation in regular recreational soccer training, organised as small-sided drills, has significant beneficial effects on health profile and physical capacity for untrained men, and in some aspects it is superior to frequent moderate-intensity running.