A surge of interest swept through the world of golf in '15 when it captured the hearts (and weekends) of about - wait for it - two-point-two MILLION people! Wondering if golf should be your new go-to activity? Let's dive into why it’s time to grab those clubs and hit the green. We will approach the issue from the point of view of the health benefits of golf. Plus, we're curious - does lugging your clubs around eighteen holes offer more than just a good walk spoiled by trying to hit par?
Health Benefits of Playing Golf
1. Reduce Fat
Dreaming of a sculpted core? The solution might be more enjoyable than you expect—golf. Surprised? You shouldn't be. The golf swing is an exceptional core workout, engaging your abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back with each motion. Picture yourself at the tee, swinging with all your might. That action forces your core to work diligently, not just for strength but for precision.
Golf isn't just about physical benefits; it's a powerful way to unwind. Imagine strolling across sun-dappled greens, engaging in easy conversation with friends. This serene environment helps melt away stress, contributing to weight loss, especially around the midsection.
2. Build Muscle
Golf is more than a game of precision — it's a powerhouse for strengthening your lower body. With each step forward, think of it as giving your legs a power-up in strength. As you push against gravity during those uphill climbs - remember something cool is happening beneath the burn. Those tired legs of yours are slowly but surely turning into pillars of strength by firing up everything from quad city right down to booty town. Executing a swing involves a dynamic back, shoulder, and arm effort. If you want a stronger, more chiseled torso, make swings part of your routine.
3. Whole Family Activity
Why not make your next golf outing a family affair? If your children are of the right age, they can join you for a walk along the course, combining fitness with fun. For the little ones, a golf cart makes the adventure accessible. With golf clubs available in various sizes, shapes, and colours, there's no need to confine your children's golf experience to mini-golf. Introduce them to the full joys of golfing, allowing your family to enjoy quality time together and creating lasting bonds through the sport.
While you don't have to be good at golf to reap the physical benefits, it is necessary for mental satisfaction and motivation. Try reading guides and advice online. If you install VeePN, even foreign sites will open to you. With VeePN you can unblock almost any site with valuable information, services or products. The desire for more, the development of skills, is a necessary condition for long-term golf practice.
4. Improve Concentration and Boost Your Brain
Golf not only hones precision, focus, and the ability to concentrate but also nurtures creativity and the capacity for strategic foresight, enabling players to predict the trajectory and distance of their shots.
Mastering hand-eye coordination is crucial in golf, as well as the skill to track where your ball lands. The relatively tranquil environment of a golf course provides an ideal setting for developing these abilities, free from the distractions of crowd noise or an umpire’s whistle.
Engaging in golf offers a moderately vigorous form of exercise, stimulating circulation and increasing blood flow to the brain. Numerous studies have explored the cognitive benefits of golfing, noting that repeated swings refine muscle memory, while navigating through the course enhances one's understanding of space, distance, and depth.
Related: Lower Your Golf Handicap with These Proven Strategies
5. Benefits for the Heart and Cardiovascular System
Golf is not just a leisurely activity; it's an effective way to enhance your cardiovascular health. Engaging in golf stimulates blood flow, thus prompting your heart to operate more optimally and strengthening cardiac muscles.
Grab your clubs and get ready to boost your heart's health – every swing on the golf course keeps it pumping strong. Imagine reducing your risk of heart complications and slashing harmful cholesterol - that's exactly what we're talking about here! Regularly enjoying a game of golf could be your ticket to more birthdays.
6. Low Risk of Injury
While no sport is entirely free from the risk of injury, golf is often considered to be among the safer options. Known for being a 'low impact' sport, it minimally exposes practitioners to the likelihood of sustaining severe injuries. However, injuries are not completely off the table. Maintaining proper form and handling your equipment with care are key preventive measures against common golf-related injuries.
Spending considerable time refining your backswing might introduce you to 'golfer's elbow', a condition akin to the 'tennis elbow', characterized by pain from excessive use of forearm muscles and tendons.
Typically, a brief period of rest suffices for recovery, though seeking physiotherapy can offer additional benefits such as muscle strengthening and pain alleviation. Conveniently, initiating physiotherapy does not necessitate a GP's referral, and should further intervention be necessary, your physiotherapist is well-placed to direct you to a specialist.
Conclusion
Is golf exercise? Definitely yes. If you use golf for exercise, you can tone your body, improve your well-being and even your mood. The above are only the benefits for the body, but there are many more arguments in favour of golf in the areas of social life, mental health, etc..
