A game of golf can be much more than trying to break 100 in 18! Next time you want to spend a great day outdoors, get in a decent workout and de-stress while socializing, set up a tee time at your local club! Here are some of the benefits.
Keeps you fit
Sure, zipping from hole to hole in a golf cart is great fun, but is it a great workout? Instead, walk the course to gain the maximum health benefits. The benefits of walking are well documented, and to name just a few, walking aids in lowering blood pressure, helps maintain bone and joint health and reduces body fat. While the distance covered will vary from person to person and course to course, it can add up quickly to approximately 4–8 kilometres or more! And it’s not only the walking that is responsible for helping you keep in shape; the repetitive motion of swinging a club can help tone the muscles of the arms, back and shoulders, and the overall movements necessary for a game may also help keep you limber and improve your balance!
Reduces stress
Getting away from the everyday grind of work and other obligations to have fun can do wonders for keeping stress at bay. Take into account the fresh air, being surrounded by the beauty of nature and the physical element required for golf, and you have a great activity that will help you relax. When participating in an activity that gets your body moving or when something excites you — such as sinking that putt for par on hole 9 — your body releases endorphins, the chemicals responsible for making you feel great and helping to combat feelings of stress.
Improves your brain power
Golf can be a competitive game, but ultimately it’s an individual pursuit, played stroke by stroke or round by round in a quest for a personal best. This requires a lot of mental energy, and as such, helps boost your brain power. A person’s mind is continually being stimulated with thoughts of strategy, concentration, coordination and visualization, and an active brain is a healthy brain!
Social activity
Hitting the links is a great excuse for some social fun! The slower pace is conducive to conversation, while the low risk aspect makes it an appropriate game that can be played by almost everyone, young and old alike. Not only is it fun for connecting with your current friends, it also offers a wonderful opportunity to make new ones. After all, you already have one thing in common: the love of golf!
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