Golf is often considered a passive sport that does not require a lot of intense exercise or offer many cardiovascular benefits. This stereotype comes down to the media portraying golfers as people who do minimal walking, do not carry their own golf clubs and who only complete a few holes.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with playing golf at such a casual level, for those who play on a more intense or professional level, golf offers a great workout and can even improve your mental wellbeing and burn off a lot more calories that you may have originally thought.
From providing a great workout to contributing to better mental health, here are a few ways in which golf can be a great form of exercise for you to consider taking up.
4 Health Benefits of Golf
1. Improves Stamina and Increases Cardiovascular Health
Walking a golf course counts as a form of exercise and depending on how vast the course is and whether it offers inclines and slopes, it can push you to improve your stamina and increase your cardiovascular health. People forget that golf courses can be quite large and that not everyone wants to take a golf cart. Some golfers even prefer to carry their own clubs!
That being said, even if you do use a golf cart and have someone to carrying your clubs for you, you are still participating in a rigorous form of exercise. If you have mobility issues or are wanting to find an easy sport that helps you slowly improve your cardio, you can invest in a golf cart,find affordable parts for golf carts, and have the best of both worlds. This means using your golf cart between swings and getting from one place to another, but building strength, improving your balance and burning calories by swinging and putting.
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2. Improves Balance
It may surprise you, but golfing offers a great opportunity for you to build your core and improve your balance. You will find that when trying to remain still and by holding the golf club properly, you will be tightening and using your abdominal muscles as well as your lower back.
These muscles are working together to keep your body in place so that you can swing and follow through with a straight line that will direct the ball exactly where you want it.
You want to ensure that you are using your core properly so that you reduce the likelihood of accidentally hurting yourself and developing back pain. This means taking the time to learn and master the correct posture for before, during and after a swing. Remember that there are many benefits of having good posture, so make sure that even when golfing, you train your body to hold itself properly to minimize the risk of short and long-term injuries.
3. Builds Strength
When thinking about a game of golf, you may only consider the walking to and from the balls as being the only form of exercise. This is not the case. There is plenty of exercise happening when holding yourself before, during and after a swing that accounts for strength training. You are working your legs, arms and core when swinging and putting, contributing towards your muscles being used and worked out.
If you also decide to walk to and from your ball and between shots, you are also participating in a lot of strength training associated with walking on slopes and inclines that help you work out your leg muscles, such as hamstrings and quadriceps. What’s more, the simple act of lifting up your golf bag and carrying it around the course or even lifting it out of and into the boot of the car can all contribute towards a few hours of consistent strength training.
4. Burns Calories
How many calories you burn depends on the length of time you play golf for, how much walking you do and if you carry your own golf bag and clubs, but typically, you will burn a reasonable number of calories when playing golf.
In fact, onestudy found that a golfer may burn around 800 to 900 calories during a typical round of golf, which is quite impressive. If you are looking for a low intensity way to burn calories, a round of golf is a great way to keep on top of your exercise requirements while also engaging in a sport that you love.
As well as golf providing many physical workouts and benefits, it is also a sport that can aid mental health. This is because golf allows you to get outside and walk around beautiful surroundings and golf clubs. You can also meet likeminded individuals and even enjoy an air of socializing that is usually associated with golf. What’s not to like?
