Here are ten ways that golf can improve your physical health if you decide to play, whether you are a beginner or a returning golfer.
Golf is a sport which is suitable for most people and you don’t need to have picked up a golf club before in order to play!
Golf can be played alone or with friends, and there are many ways it can improve your fitness.
Here at Pip on the Tee, you will find our golf community welcoming, relaxed and sociable.
One: Aiding Better Sleep
Playing golf on an outdoor course means you can feel the benefits of fresh air, sunshine and natural light, even during the winter months.
Courses are often in rural locations or close to the sea and the landscape can form a wonderful backdrop.
A round of nine or 18 holes means you work most of the muscles in your body and the game distracts you from your everyday stress.
A better night’s sleep can be elusive to many of us: a round of golf might just provide the ‘key’ to unlocking the means to a decent slumber session.
Two: Helping Your Heart
As you play your round, think of how the swings, the putts, the walks and the bending provide exercise for most of the muscles in your body, including your heart.
While golf is often regarded as a gentle workout, it can be effective in getting your heart rate up in a safe way.
Find out how you can improve your swing here:
Three: Boosting Your Brain
As well as having that sense of well-being when you’re outdoors, a round of golf, whether you’re a beginner, a returner or a skilled player, ticks so many boxes.
Many of us have busy lives: we have careers, families, we might be caring for someone; we might also be thinking of returning to work, building up our confidence and ability to concentrate; we might have our own health challenges, or it might be a mix of all these.
Golf can help boost your brain so things are not so overwhelming.
Picking up a club, a tee and a ball means you are then ready to learn the skills of accuracy, focus and concentration.
Did you know that golf can also be ‘strategic’: you learn to ‘read’ the ground, the air conditions and lots more as you plan your next shot.
Golf can also help you with your sense of direction, distance and depth of field perception.
Four: Improve Your Hand To Eye Co-Ordination
Golf can help hone the ‘hand to eye’ co-ordination skills.
Your eyes need to ‘follow’ the ball and remember where it landed!
While this can sound like a bit of pressure, if you are with a small group or playing alone, then take your time to develop this skill.
Five: Help Your Circulation
As golf is an active, physical activity, blood is pumped around your body and also to your brain, helping with muscle memory.
It can also help with your breathing by getting more oxygen into your lungs.
Six: Play As A Team Or On Your Own
Golf is a very sociable sport yet it doesn’t have to be.
Sometimes we all need a bit of time by ourselves to help us have time away from the routine.
Golf can also be a game with the pressure of ‘keeping score’.
Some players obviously prefer to do this, yet there are those who play simply to improve their physical and mental health.
Find out more about how Pip on the Tee can help you find the perfect way to play your own game of golf, whatever your age.
Seven: Relieve Stress
There is nothing more rewarding than hitting that ball and feeling that sense of fulfilment and relief as you watch your shot find the green!
Life is stressful and our brains can be very busy … golf is great for getting away from the stress for a few hours, forgetting those nagging lists of ‘to dos’.
If you’re not in the best frame of mind when you tee off, chances are you’ll feel much better by the last hole.
Testimonial:
“I found I could forget everyday stress for a while … I was able to be myself.”
Read the “How I Feared the Fairway” blog and see if this can inspire you to get in touch with us.
Eight: Release Those Endorphins
The release of endorphins can follow exercise, and golf is no exception.
This can really boost your general sense of well-being and can reduce pain and even feelings of depression.
Golf can, perhaps without you realising, improve your mental health by enjoying the great outdoors, breathing in fresh air and focusing on the game at hand.
Those who play golf tend to feel they can cope better with some of life’s challenges if they keep the game as a regular and focussed form of exercise.
Nine: Burn Those Calories
Exercise is the best way to burn off calories.
While you might not be at the gym, the exercise involved in golf ‘adds up’: pulling that golf cart or golf bag; teeing off; taking those fairway shots and walking to each of the holes.
If you’re keeping up the momentum and moving on a regular basis, then your heart rate can be raised.
Of course, golf can also be more leisurely if needed with a rest between holes.
Depending on the size of the course, you will end up walking several miles which is great if you’re ‘counting steps.’
Ten: Golf Can Be Social
While sometimes you need time to yourself, golf is well-known as a social sport, both on the course and at the ‘19th hole’.
Many of us feel anxious at social occasions yet golf doesn’t have to be that way.
Pick the right course and the right ‘tribe’ and while competitiveness can be part of the experience, it is also supportive and encouraging.
Find out more about Pip On The Tee is about more than golf.
While the above shows the many ways golf can help with your physical fitness, players should also keep tabs on any niggles such as elbow or shoulder pain and seek professional help if they feel worried.
Pip on the Tee can help you on your golf journey.
It’s not just about the game; it’s also about connecting with people and being made to feel welcome.
Did you know that golf can help with many conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia and cardiovascular limitations.
It can also help those experiencing menopause or hormonal challenges, too.
