While hanging out at the 19th hole is guaranteed to pile on a few pounds over time, actively playing golf presents a host of health benefits for the young and old alike. The golf swing is an action that involves the entire body but it’s the simple act of walking that really gives this form of cardiovascular exercise its good reputation and its value in your physical fitness artillery.
The Health and Fitness Benefits of Golf
The thing is, the average golf course is around 5 miles or 4 kilometres long and walking for the duration of the game is what is going to provide you with a health kick. Walking an 18-hole golf course of 5 miles three times a week gives your heart the recommended amount of exercise, as advocated by doctors and medical specialists.
If you want to intensify the caloric burn and add resistance make sure you pull your clubs along instead of using a golf cart. Of course, surrounded by natural beauty and keeping your eye (and mind) on the ball makes you less likely to notice your physical exertion.
The maximum perks are only available, of course, if you walk the entire route. Walking an 18-hole golf course burns around 2000 calories, but by hiring a pull caddy the average golfer will lower his caloric consumption by 25%, to 1500 calories. Riding a golf cart will drop calories burned by 35%, to only 1300 calories for the average game.
For those who dislike intense physical exercise and older and younger people who may not be as fit and strong as others, golf provides a moderate and manageable way to exercise and is much more enjoyable than many other forms of physical activity. By way of comparison an 18-hole round of golf equates to a 3.5 or 4 mile run. Nine holes of golf works out to 40-minutes of mowing the lawn for older men and provide a significantly more entertaining way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Walking the golf course for four hours also works out to the same caloric consumption as attending a 45-minute fitness class.
The Effects of Playing Regular Health on the Function of the Body
Research studies have shown that men who walked the golf course regularly saw a noticeable reduction in blood glucose levels. The young and the elderly men showed the most significant increases of the three groups studied. Young men saw a 20% decline, middle aged men’s blood glucose dropped by 10% and elderly men witnessed an average 30% drop in their levels.
Furthermore, men who played regular golf and didn’t use golf carts were found to experience an average weight loss of 1.4kg, 2.2 cm loss in their waist circumference, and a 2.2 cm reduction in the thickness of their abdominal skin folds.
Golf has been found to be safe for the heart and good for your health and the heart beats at less than the optimal rate making it more difficult to over-exert yourself.
Men who play regular active golf were found to have higher HDL (good?) cholesterol levels and an improvement in their proportion of HDL to total cholesterol count.
The Harvard men’s Health Watch recommends that older golfers should stretch a minimum of three times per week, being more intensive on the arms, shoulders and back. You should also take 10-minutes to warm your muscles up before you play. Practicing the right technique is the best way to protect yourself against injuries, but wearing the right protective gear as you get older, can also add a useful layer.
Golf for Kids
Golf teaches youngsters about healthy competition concentration and good physical discipline from a young age. It also provides a social avenue for them to experience and enjoy sport, in a game that they can continue to play and improve in, as they get older.
