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How Golf Can Keep You Fit

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Golf Can Improve Your Health

Golf may just seem like a relaxing past time, but did you know it’s benefiting your health, too? Of course, you feel the advantages of all of the walking and weight lifting you do, but golf can help you mentally and boost your stability. Let’s not forget to mention all of the vitamin-D you get from the sun!

Walking

As you may have guessed, the main health benefit comes from all the walking you do out on the course. While the size and layout of golf courses vary across the nation, the average course will yield a 2.5-mile walk in just 9 holes. As if all the benefits weren’t enough, this comforting Saturday stroll received high honors from Harvard Medical School where researchers claim “walking 18 holes three to five times a week will provide an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart.”

You may not have realized this, but your casual afternoon is getting you up to five miles’ worth of exercise. With the undeniable benefits of fresh air, social time, and exercise, you can’t afford to go.

Weight Lifting

To really bump up your casual workout, try carrying or pulling your clubs to “burn even more calories each round.” This could even become a strength training routine. Be sure not to over-exert yourself: begin by having someone else carry your clubs until you get used to walking the course. Then you can increase your routine by carrying your clubs yourself while you walk the course. Before beginning any exercise routine, including this day out on the green, consult your health care professional.

Mental Exercise

Golf can be a great way to keep your mind sharp while staying social. Golf is a low-impact exercise that gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing without being too physically demanding. Add to the exercise by mentally computing your score; a fun practice for easy math problems that you could use weekly! To add even more fun to your evening out on the links, race your friends in computing your scores!

Avoid Injuries

Golf is certainly a great workout, and has a lot of experts talking. Reviewed by the faculty at Harvard, the InteliHealth website has a great list of ways to avoid common golf injuries. Even Mayo Clinic created a similar list of avoidable golf injuries. Typical golf injuries are attributed to posture, training, and equipment, so to better protect your health, focus on perfecting your posture before trimming points off the score. If you really want to benefit your game and your health, begin a year-round training routine that includes cardio and weight training.

Improving your physical fitness will ensure a better performance out on the course and will reflect in your score. If are playing golf in Virginia you can learn from the professionals and invest in the right equipment. After ensuring you’re fully prepared, you can begin to really train. The most common mistake you could make is to over-exert yourself. You’re not a professional—yet. But with these tips in mind, you will be in no time!