Golf is one of the oldest sports around. When you think of golf, you may think of it as an activity to do casually or something social to do with a group of your buddies. Golfing may conjure up images of riding golf carts and enjoying one too many beers at the clubhouse after hitting a round of golf. If you look at the sport of golf a little closer, you may discover it is a great workout to incorporate into your regular workout routine. Here are three reasons to include golf into your workout routine.
Burns Calories
Golf is a sport where you want to skip the golf cart and walk the course. Some courses can be as large as several hundred acres. This means a lot of walking considering the average 18 hole golf course can cover a distance of 3-4 miles. If you decide to carry your own clubs you will burn even more calories. A 190-pound golfer will burn nearly 500 calories per hour by carrying their own clubs. All the walking, carrying and swinging that golf involves will increase your heart rate, keep your heart rate up and increase blood flow.
Low Risk Sport
Anyone who has had a substantial sports injury knows that recovery can be painful and long. Golf is called a leisure sport for a reason and compared to other sports there is a low risk of injury because it is no contact. James Roland, a contributor for www.livestrong.com, writes that golf is one of the safest sports and you can avoid rare contact injuries as long as you stay alert for stray golf balls and stay far from someone swinging a club. So if you are looking for a workout with low injury risk, or you have a sports injury you are nursing but still want to stay active, look into golfing. Though golf is primarily a sport of strategy, it still provides enough physical activity to keep the muscles engaged.
Reduces Stress
Because golf is played in an outdoor arena, it can help lower your stress. According to an online poll conducted by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, around 14 percent of people make use of regular exercise to cope with stress. In most cases, golf is a social sport, and spending time with friends in a relaxed but competitive setting can put you in a better mood and add a little fun to your workout.
From burning calories and getting your heart rate up, avoiding injury and reducing stress, golf is a great workout for any fitness level. You may even grow to love the sport, just don’t undo your workout by having too many beers afterward.