Exercise And Weight Loss
Everyone needs exercise. And golf, gives fairly intense physical activity, such as walking (if you chose not to use the golf cart), carrying your bag, and swinging.
Swinging is also great in providing a full-body workout. Each swing requires you your legs, back, and abdomen muscles, with repetition. Carrying your clubs can be counted as weight-bearing exercise, which helps build strong bones and muscles. This sport also increases your heart rate, and as your heart rate increases, so will the blood flow to your brain. This improves nerve cell connections and keeps the mind alert. Also, “Physical activity helps decrease the time it takes food to move through the large intestine, limiting the amount of water absorbed back into your body and leaving you with softer stools, which are easier to pass,” says Dr Ana Raimundo.
Improving physical activities also means losing weight. Playing golf takes 4-5 hours, and you walk more than 7,500 to 10,000 steps during an average 18-hole round. It exceeded the amount of the recommended number of steps for weight loss, which is about 10,000.
With proper diet, playing golf regularly can keep you in good shape. It can tone up your body, build your endurance, help you lose weight and of course, melt those fats.
Relaxation And Stress Relief
“When we think a stressor is too great for us to manage, we feel overwhelmed,” Marla W. Deibler, PsyD. said. Fortunately, golf is a sport played outdoors. Being one with nature and breathe in fresh air shakes off everyday stress. Surrounded by green sceneries, can increase the levels of endorphins and serotonin in your brain, which leads to a reduction of anxiety, as well as improved self-esteem, and confidence.
Since golf is a sport that is not highly intense or competitive like other sports, it is a significant social element. It allows people to meet new friends or it can be a great time to spend with friends and family. Making business deals? Just take them to the golf course to mix business with pleasure.
Good For Your Brain
Golf itself is known to provide several benefits for individuals with mental health issues, without any of the side-effects associated with medications.
It is a game that focuses more on concentration than the physical aspect. Playing golf requires you to visualize your succeeding shot, your form, and plotting your strategies; it can sharpen focus and coordination. This can be counted as exercising your brain because it needs much oxygen as your muscles, all that oxygen-rich blood, increases the capabilities of your mind.
Soaking In The Vitamin D
Exposure to sunlight allows the body to soak up vitamin D, and it plays a substantial role in the regulation of calcium, which is extremely important for maintaining healthy bones.
The “sunshine” vitamin, also known as Vitamin D, supports the immune system, brain, and nervous system. It also regulates insulin levels and aid diabetes management. It also reduced the risk of depression, heart disease, and it can reduce cancer progression.
Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels
“Research is now uncovering more information about just how consuming excess sugar impacts our overall health-not just our physical health but also our mental health.” Mary C. Wiley, PsyD said. That is why physical activity can lower your blood sugar after your workout by making your body more sensitive to insulin. And golf is a good sport for that, along with a proper diet!
Boost Your Confidence
Self-confidence is built over time, and meeting new people boosts your self-esteem and confidence. And golf is a social sport being played outdoors, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than mastering a sport!
Improvement in your physical fitness can boost your confidence. By practicing some more, you put in extra time going over the skills that you need until you feel confident within each play or strategy. Visualization is a powerful confidence booster, and mental golf gaming is the right sport for that!
Prolong Your Life
The benefits mentioned above worked together to prolong life. One of the top and most appreciated health benefits of golf is the increase in life expectancy.
Golf is a leisure sport, and as a result, your joints are not subject to the stresses and strains like other sports, which requires an enormous amount of running. This makes the sport an ideal activity for older players who want to enjoy this sporting activity.
Keeping yourself physically and mentally fit is beneficial for your health, and as what they say, “health is wealth.” And golf might help you with that!