How Does Playing Golf Help You Stay Healthy?
One of the best ways to stay fit and healthy is to participate in sport. Whilst most people would recognise sports like football, swimming or running as being beneficial to our health, many people might assume that golf is a very passive sport and that it does not offer any of the health benefits of those more active ones. However, as any golfer will tell you, this is a common misconception. There are many physical actions that a golfer will perform whilst playing a round of golf, which can have significant benefits for physical health and fitness. Golf is also a fantastic way to improve mental health and promote an overall healthy lifestyle. This article will explore those benefits and explain how golf can help you stay healthy.
- Playing Golf Promotes A Healthy Heart
Playing sport is an excellent way to get your blood flowing and your heart pumping and this is a major factor in promoting a healthy heart. A round of golf involves walking long distances, carrying a heavy bag and swinging a golf club which raises your heart rate and increases your blood flow. Good heart reduces the risk of many cardiovascular problems like strokes and diabetes and also reduces blood pressure and cholesterol. Especially for older players who are more susceptible to cardiovascular complications, a round of golf is an excellent way to maintain a healthy heart.
- Playing Golf Stimulates The Brain
Golf is a fantastic way to stimulate the brain and keep your mind healthy. Our brain’s memory circuits are strengthened by regular walking and this can reduce the rate of regeneration. Regular physical activity has been linked by some studies to combating the onset of senile dementia and Alzheimers syndrome. Golf is a very technical game and the intricacies of the golf swing demand a lot of focus and careful attention. Putting likewise requires excellent concentration and thought which also stimulates brain activity. More and more golf players are benefitting from putting indoors between rounds and this not only improves their short game but improves their brain health too. For older golfers, the regular play has shown a marked effect on cognitive deterioration.
- Playing Golf Helps You Lose Weight
Playing golf is an excellent way to burn calories and lose weight. These days, stepometers have been very popular in counting people’s steps and telling them how much they need to do to stay fit. The recommended daily amount is 10,000 which pales in comparison to the number that the average golfer will walk during an 18 hole round (Providing they don’t use a golf cart of course!). Studies from various countries have found that golfers can burn up to 500 calories during a round of golf, which is the equivalent of running five miles. It is not just the person playing, of course, who will be putting in the hard yards. Caddies burn even more calories as they are walking the same distance while carrying a heavy bag of clubs!
- Playing Golf Helps Relieve Stress
Playing golf is a fantastic way to forget about your troubles and enjoy some time in the great outdoors. Being outside golfing will relieve the stress by walking in the fresh air, socializing, and with an added mental challenge means golf releases endorphins, which will lift your mood. Also, the sunshine provides Vitamin D which can help to regulate mood and stave off depression as well as boosting immunity, promoting heart health and weight loss. Rising levels of serotonin in your brain help to relieve stress and anxiety and the social aspect of playing golf with friends or family members is invaluable for promoting and maintaining a happy life.
- Golf Can Help You Live Longer
All of the above health benefits of golf can ultimately lead to a longer life expectancy. One study found that regular golfers had a 40% lower death rate which equates to five years! As people get older, the physical and mental benefits of golf become more and more important and can help to ensure that older golfers live longer happier years. Especially after retirement, a period that often sees a notable decline in physical, mental and emotional well being, playing golf regularly has been shown to have a positive impact on every aspect of people’s lives.
Golf is a sport that provides measurable health benefits to regular golfers as well as promoting an overall healthy lifestyle. Playing golf once or twice a week can have a real positive impact on physical health as well as cognitive and emotional well being. Common misconceptions about golf have long been disproved and more and more people are hitting the links and starting to reap all the health benefits that golf offers.
And if you’re not into golf or just fancy a change, then you should try fly fishing. Heather Bond is seeking more opportunities to share her love of fly fishing, she aided in setting up and running charity fly fishing events benefiting youth and wounded military.
