Most women believe that a game of golf is just another fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Besides being pleasant and relaxing, golf can offer surprising health benefits. Instead of going to a gym, you can buy attractive golf attire, book tee time, and head for an exciting calorie-burning session at the course. Swinging your club, carrying your bag, and walking from one hole to another doesn’t just improve your mood, it makes you healthier.
In the recent years, doctors have been recommending golf to both men and women due to its numerous health benefits. A round of golf is equal to a 30-minute grueling gym session. Simply walking around carrying your golf clubs helps you burn about 400 calories per hour. A 9-hole round takes about 2 hours so you can burn over 800 calories per game without any effort.
Besides helping you lose weight, golf has other health benefits for women. Let’s take a look.
1. Improved mood
A paced and smooth game like golf is a great stress reliever. While breathing fresh air and enjoying greenery can improve your mood, the endorphins released by your body, thanks to the exercise, help relieve stress. If you bring friends and add some chatting and laughing into the mix, the effects will multiply.
2. Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
Depending on which round you choose (9 or 18 hole), you can get 2 or 4 hours of steady exercising. This is very beneficial for your heart rate. The heart pumps fast, the blood circulation improves and naturally decreases the risk of heart disease. Improved blood circulation is very beneficial for your skin. It can also reduce the levels of “bad” cholesterol.
3. Eye Training
Not too many women know that proper eye exercise can help improve their vision. It’s much easier to put your contact lenses on and spend hours in front of a computer than to find some time to train the eye muscles.
Playing golf helps you exercise your eyes naturally. Golfers have to look for the little white ball among the green trees, ponds, and hills. Before each swing, a player needs to evaluate the distance. Looking at an object next to you and then switching the focus on a distant object is one of the most effective eye exercises.
4. Lack of Insomnia
If you are suffering from insomnia, golf can help you forget about it after a few games. The number of endorphins your body produces mixed with improved blood circulation, fresh air, beautiful nature, and steady exercise can do wonders for dealing with sleep disorders.
Golfers usually fall asleep faster and enjoy deep sleep for longer periods. This helps the body restore energy so players wake up happy and refreshed in the morning.
5. Impressive Concentration
Many women, especially after the menopause, report having concentration problems. Golf is a perfect sport to exercise your concentration. By spending more time at the golf course, you can hone your concentration skills and reap the benefits at work. Golfers know that lack of concentration leads to a bad game. That’s why each player, even a newbie, uses all her resources to concentrate.
6. Improved Patience
If you are having problems with your patience, golf is an excellent game to train it. Every time you are on the course, you need to manage your eagerness, impatience, and aggression. Golf does a wonderful job teaching players how to keep calm, concentrate, and enjoy themselves in the process. After a few months of playing golf, women report a more relaxed approach to daily problems thanks to their newly found patience.
7. Longer Life
Golf & Health Project, supported by the World Golf Foundation, reports that people, who play golf on a regular basis, live about 5 years longer than non-golfers. The numerous health benefits of golf add up and extend your life.
8. Ability to Make Good Decisions
Besides being beneficial for your body, golf can help you improve the way your brain works. Even if you attend the same course repeatedly, each round is unique. You can never make two identical shots or mistakes. You need to make good decisions every time you swing. This skill can help you beyond the course.
Do It Right
In order to take advantage of the health benefits, you need to take a smart approach to every game. Otherwise, instead of acquiring a slim body and a sharp mind, you may get an injury.
- Always do a 10 – 20 minute warm-up before each game.
- Buy the right attire and equipment. Pay special attention to comfortable shoes.
- In case you are injured, forget about bravery; get an ice pack and a doctor’s attention.
- Take advantage of lessons with professionals, which are available at almost every golf course, private or public.