If you’re a regular golfer and love going to beautiful golf courses, then you know how a round of golf can be both physically challenging and mentally stimulating. Now, we all are aware of the fact that golf is not one of the physically demanding games. But a single round means playing outside, walking a lot, moving around, and keeping your brain occupied and choosing the best equipment senior golf balls, golf clubs… So what are the top 10 health benefits of playing golf? Keep reading to find an answer!
Photo credit: blog.fuertehoteles.com
The sport requires you to keep your thinking cap on throughout the game. On top of that, every single game of golf encourages you to walk for as much as six to seven kilometers. So it comes as no surprise to know that game offers plenty health benefits.
So let’s find out how good the game is for your mind and body!
Builds Relationships
You will be quite surprised to know that there are social benefits of golf as well. Indulging in the game doesn’t just mean playing golf in golf resort. It also means keeping in touch with your friends on the turf. The sport, unlike many others, gives you the opportunity to interact with new people while also building a community.
Golf is in no way like basketball or soccer. You get a lot of time to interact on the course. And this you can use to the best of your social abilities. Talking to fellow golfers is a great way of fostering new relationships. And I’m sure you know all about business men and women striking major deals on the turf.
Also, you can have a great romantic getaway in a golf resort as I did in Innisbrook.
Strengthens your bladder
Photo credit: jiromyhero.com
This came as a shock to me too, trust me. Out of the 10 health benefits of playing golf, strengthening the bladder is the most surprising. And let me explain how something like this is possible.
If you’re a regular golfer, then you know how important it is to keep yourself hydrated on the course. And when you’re consuming those drinks, your bladder is getting full too. But you can’t make frequent visits to the bathroom now, can you? So holding it intends to strengthen bladder capacity.
In fact, women golfers find this particular habit incredibly useful for strengthening the leg muscles as well. It encourages them to perform quadriceps at such times, which is an excellent form of leg exercise.
Exposure to nature
Most golf courses are at least 200 acres large. This means 200 acres of nature. And the game demands you to stay outdoors and bask in nature. Being in such an environment is extremely beneficial for both the body and mind.
Studies have come to prove that regular exposure to green tends to reduce stress and relax the body. It also goes a long way in helping you deal with anxiety. So these are the mental benefits of playing golf.
Another fact that you should know is that exposure to the sun rays allows sufficient amount of Vitamin D to enter your body. And this activity boosts bone health and eliminates the chances of developing depression, cancer, and heart disease. So there are many reasons why you need to learn how to play golf if you don’t know that already.
Burns calories
Photo credit: ijga.com
Playing a single round of golf means covering a distance of anything between 30 and 200 acres. And this is a lot of physical activity, isn’t it? So you better have the most comfortable golf shoes for walking.
When you don’t choose to use a golf cart, you end up walking for at least seven kilometers. And with your golf clubs on your back, the physical movements burn more calories. But do you know how many calories you can burn in a single round of golf? As many as 1,000 calories each time. Isn’t that impressive?
Good for heart health
Now I’m going to discuss one of the most significant health benefits of golf for seniors. Playing golf doesn’t only mean physical exercise but heart exercise too.
It’s only logical to state that movements such as swinging, carrying the good golf clubs, and walking burn calories. When that happens, it increases the heart rate. This means healthy blood flow in the body, right? And such activity goes a long way in reducing the chances of developing heart diseases. In fact, playing golf regularly also contributes to decreasing the bad cholesterol in your body.
Improves vision
[Image name: golf-health-benefits]
Photo credit: golferhill.com
Every “10 health benefits of playing golf” list discusses how the game improves vision. Zooming in on the tiny, round white ball requires good vision, doesn’t it? Sometimes the ball tends to be quite far away, but you still manage to spot it.
The game requires you to work with small targets even from a long distance. So even if the golf ball is lying on the tee, you have to evaluate your vision’s judgment. And this is something that you do along with improving your hand to eye coordination. If this doesn’t improve vision, then what will!
Reduces stress
When it comes to alleviating stress, physical activity goes a long way in distracting the mind. Golf is a sport that you indulge in around nature. It is an outdoor activity that encourages you to foster new relationships. Interacting with fellow golfers is quite common while playing a round of golf.
Also, you get the opportunity to walk in an open, natural environment. In such a setting and with such a mood, your body releases endorphins. These compounds are nothing but mood enhancers that our brain produces. And they are responsible for relaxing your mind and making you feel happy.
No-injury sport
Photo credit: freefitnesstips.co.uk
When the physical activity doesn’t involve human contact, the chances of injuries get eliminated. No game is as fun and relaxing as golf, wouldn’t you agree?
The game demands the use of accuracy, coordination, and strategy more than anything else. The physical movements that you have to perform are swinging, pivoting, and walking. The best part about golf is that it keeps your muscles engaged while also reducing the risk of developing injuries. So all the more reason to play golf, isn’t it?
Good for brain health
Any physical activity increases your heart rate, which results in healthy blood circulation. What does this mean? It means that your brain along with the rest of the body receives enough blood flow. And that is responsible for improving various connections of the nerve cells.
When the nerve cells present in your brain are in good shape and condition, the risk of developing mental illnesses gets minimized. One of the most common diseases that you can prevent is dementia.
And hold on, there are emotional benefits of golf too. When you’re out there on the turf, you’re not just playing but competing with fellow golfers as well. In fact, some golfers even like to compete with themselves so they can beat their previous scores.
These types of challenges boost confidence and improve self-esteem. Plus, you encourage your brain to foster hand to eye coordination, tally scores and create better strategies. So you’re keeping the brain cells active while performing such logical functions.
Better sleep
Photo credit: travel.mapquest.com
When you exercise, your body gets tired. This, in turn, helps you sleep better, doesn’t it? Everybody needs a good night’s rest. And after a round of golf, you can achieve something like that without even trying.
Golfers tend to sleep faster and deeper. And this they can do for longer hours because of the amount of physical exertion they apply on the golf course.
Let me tell you something about deep sleep here. When your sleep is more profound, it can help the body with the process of cell regeneration. Deep sleep also helps in repairing injured or damaged tissues and muscles.
So these are the top 10 health benefits of playing golf. I hope you liked them!
That’s All Golfers!
When I conducted my research to create content for the article, I was surprised to find out most of the health benefits. The 10 health benefits of playing golf that I have discussed in the article are the most important ones too. You might think that a round of golf is just a game, but that’s not the case. The sport benefits your body and mind in more ways than you can imagine.
So why don’t you share your experience with us here? Do you feel happier now that you’re playing golf? Have you seen any difference in your weight or sleep? Let us know in the comments section below.
I hope the article was useful and interesting to read. And I hope that you start playing golf regularly if you don’t already do that.
Thank you for reading!
About the author: Felicia Taylor, the founder of GolferHill, is a professional golfer who has had the opportunity to play and interact with some of the best golfers in the world. Her mission is to provide the right kind of information in the form of useful tips and product reviews. She has been writing about the game of golf for many years now. Her cheerful and practical style of writing is what her readers love the most about her work. She is an advocate of making the sport not only more professional but enjoyable too.
Sources:
1. https://www.eigca.org/Articles/21696/7-health-benefits-of-golf-why-golf-is-good-for-body-and-mind
2. http://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-health-benefits-golf/
3. https://www.golfacademy.edu/about-golf-academy/golf-news/industry-news/5-surprising-health-benefits-of-playing-golf/
I have just started playing without knowing the health benefits. As my all friends play golf I have just joined them. Now I am feeling good after reading your article. I am 55 years old now. At this age playing golf will give many health benefits, that is amazing. I have just purchased golf alignment sticks for better shots. No doubt golf reduces the stress. I am happy that it is good for heart and vision. Thanks for your sharing.
I thought it was great how you said that golfing offers more exposure to nature. I have been wanting to pursue a new hobby that can take up my time during the summer. It would be great if I could find a mental golf profiling service so that I can go golfing.
I never knew that playing golf can actually cause healthy blood circulation. My dad has wanted to start golfing and he wanted to know if there were any health benefits of playing it. I’ll make sure to pass this information along to him if he does decide to start golfing.
I honestly loved how you mentioned that golf can help you deal with anxiety. I have a friend who is wanting to start his own golf course with some land that his parents left him, and he would benefit from learning all this information about golf and how it helps people. He is also thinking about selling products and starting a brand for it, so he will need to look online to find a service that will suit him.
I have always found golf interesting but I have never actually played before, so I am thinking about trying out the sport. You make a great point that there are many physical and mental benefits of playing golf! I like that you say it’s a great way to build relationships and friendships while helping you to burn calories at the same time.
It’s interesting that you mention that playing golf is a great way to reduce stress. I’ve been looking for a good way to deal with the stress in my life, so I’m thinking about taking up golf as a hobby. I’m going to look for a good golf course in my area to use.
Wow I didn’t know that playing golf can actually be beneficial for our heart. I have always thought that only aerobic exercises are good for the heart. My father has high cholesterol and he is not into exercise. Perhaps I can suggest to him to play golf so that his bad cholesterols can decrease in his body.
Thank you for pointing out that playing gold can help relieve stress. I have had a very stressful year, so I’m thinking about playing golf this weekend. I’m going to search for a good golf course in my area that I can use.
Thank you for pointing out that playing golf can help relieve stress. I have had a very stressful year, so I’m thinking about playing golf this weekend. I’m going to search for a good golf course in my area that I can use.
Thank you for explaining that the chances of injuries with golf is extremely small. As we’ve been getting older, we’ve been wondering what kind of sports might be best for us to try. It seems like golf could be a good options, so we’ll have to look for a country club in our area.
It’s great that you pointed out how playing golf doesn’t only mean physical exercise but heart exercise too. My physical fitness has been a bit poor lately, so I want to become more physically active again. So first off, I need to book golf lodging packages.