While the uninitiated might assert that golf isn’t a sport – we’re sure you must have heard someone claim that it’s an “old man’s game” – us chosen ones who take to the fairways in search of our next great shot and lowest ever score (admittedly often an exercise of futility) know the opposite is in fact true and that playing golf is actually a great way to stay fit and healthy.
However…you might not realise just how good golf can be for you so here are a few reasons why it is just so…
Exercise
The debate over whether golfers are athletes are not and whether golf is a sport rather than just a pastime ended when Tiger Woods transformed the sport throughout the early 00s. Now…while us weekend warriors might not have the time or desire to hit the gym, run ourselves into the ground and treat our bodies like temples when it comes to meal times 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, simply playing golf is actually pretty good exercise.
In fact, according to studies carried out at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, walking a golf course and completing a round is better for you than an intense workout at a gym. Shove that in your pipes and smoke it naysayers!
Why I hear you ask?
Well…assuming you play golf (and walk the course) once a week, you’re probably walking between four and eight miles on a regular basis, burning calories like it’s going out of fashion along the way.
Carry your clubs while you’re at it and the health benefits, which include a lowering of harmful cholesterol and an increase in metabolism – can you say weight loss? – simply increase. Doctors recommend that we do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. Seeing as a round of golf (18 holes) takes between 3 and 4 hours, that box gets ticked with just one visit to the golf course every week!
Fancy doing your heart and lungs a favour while burning almost 1000 calories? To the 1st tee it is then…even a practice session on the driving range will burn around 200 calories per hour!
Weight Bearing = Strong Bones
Weight bearing exercises – i.e. carrying your golf clubs around the course – performed on a regular basis can help build muscle mass which not only helps support your skeleton, but can also help prevent bone degeneration and even osteoporosis.
Time to ditch the Powakaddy!
Endorphins
Not only is golf physically good for you, strolling the fairways also releases powerful mood enhancing drugs called endorphins into your bloodstream. That is of course unless you are one of those golfers who lose their rag after every imperfect shot! Except your limitations and enjoy the great outdoors with a few or your pals – the sun shining is a bonus as well – and you’ll feel happier!
Sunshine
While eating foods that are rich in Vitamin D will help strengthen bones by regulating the amount of calcium and phosphorous in the blood, your body can actually produce plenty of the stuff all by itself. When the sun is soaring, it’s time for a quick round of golf to top up your Vitamin D levels…finally a real excuse for being a fair-weather golfer!
Brain Power
While hacking it round the course and missing putts left, right and centre can lead to your brain melting and steam pouring out of your ears, rounds of golf where the red mist doesn’t descend are good for your brain.
New brain cells are created and more oxygen is pumped to the brain when you partake in aerobic exercise – so walking the course is recommended – and in addition to a healthy diet; exercise and brain activity can stimulate blood circulation and improve neural pathway connections, perhaps even helping to ward off Alzheimers later in life.
Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course — the distance between your ears”, alluding to the old cliché that the game of golf is 90% mental.
Estimating yardages, slopes on the greens and the effect of the wind on your ball through visualisation and strategic thinking, not to mention the coordination and concentration required to complete an 18 hole round of golf to a decent standard, ensure the game of golf constantly has your brain on its toes, leading to the aforementioned benefits to your mental health.
Live Longer!
A Swedish study on the health benefits of golf found that people who play the game on a regular basis have a 40% decreased mortality rate when compared to their non golf playing peers. This equals a 5-year increase in life expectancy and in a similar study, this time carried out in Finland, it was found that regular outings onto the fairways (exercising for around four hours) decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 58%!
Sign me up doc…
Zzzzzzz
Countless studies have indicated that regular exercise – in this instance let’s say at least 18 holes per week – improves sleep patterns and thus increases the benefits of catching a few Zs. Those who exercise regularly, in general, fall asleep faster and remain in a deep sleep for longer. While asleep, your muscles repair themselves and your brain is preparing for the next day by forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information. Playing a round of golf by day will likely increase the quality of your sleep by night which could have a knock-on effect going forwards.
More golf = better sleep. Better sleep = healthy mind and body leading to increased performance in day to day tasks.
Wash…rinse…repeat!
Exercise can help your golf too!
If you’re already aware of the health benefits associated with golf and take to the fairways on a regular basis, you will no doubt be just like any other golfer, constantly wanting to improve. Guess what? Exercise can help with that too.
These days the PGA Tour is full to the brim of gym rats. Now we’re not saying casual weekend golfers need to put as much into their games when it comes to fitness as the likes of Tiger Woods and Camilo Villegas, but the odd visit to the gym and a more healthy outlook on life might just help lower your scores.
As we previously mentioned, Tiger Woods’ arrival on the pro golfing scene and his dedication to fitness – an aspect of his game that saw him raise the bar to astronomical heights – highlighted just how much performance can improve on the course if you’re physically prepared for the challenge golf presents.
Paying attention to golf fitness can improve your scores so if you’re looking to shave a few shots off your score the next time you tee it up with your mates, why not get into the spirit of Men’s MOT Week and get fit for golf by addressing issues of strength, flexibility and balance?
Here are a few suggestions…
Flexibility
When it comes to adding a bit of snap to your swing, flexibility may just be the single most important factor. The X-factor (as it’s known in the bizz), which is basically the degree of separation between shoulder and hip rotation in the backswing, is all important when it comes to increasing clubhead speed.
Basically flexibility allows for a full range of motion, which in turn allows you to reach your maximum potential strength. The upper body is more involved than the lower half during the golf swing so loosening up your shoulder, back, and abdominals through stretching exercises and perhaps even a spot of yoga.
And speaking of strength…
Whether it’s getting home in two on a par 5, driving the green on a short par 4 or excavating your ball from the deep rough, a bit of brute force and ignorance applied at the appropriate time can help you on the golf course by setting up birdie chances or indeed getting you out of trouble.
Training for added oomph on the course doesn’t necessarily involve employing traditional methods used for other sports such as heavy lifting and explosive ballistic workouts because bulking up too much can actually hinder your performance by reducing your flexibility and range of motion.
In terms of golf specific strength, focus on your core as this is what powers the golf swing, not to mention helping to improve your posture and stabilise your body during the swing.
Cardio training is also going to help improve your golf. If you’re out of steam with a handful of holes to spare, concentration, accuracy and general motivation will be on the wane so with 18 holes taking around 4 hours to complete, enough endurance to ensure full concentration and a powerful swing right up until your approach into the 18th green is very important indeed. In between rounds, dedicate some time to running, swimming or cycling and the next time you’re standing over your ball in the middle of the 18th fairway, 3 iron in hand, with only one more good swing required to shoot your lowest ever score, you might just find the energy to pull it off!
As we can see, golf and fitness go hand in hand.
Play golf and your fitness and health will improve. Take part in a golf-specific exercise programme off the course and so will your scores!
3 Comments