it’s your SWING
BY DON DELORENZO
Golf…for the "HEALTH” of it
I
WESTERN
GOLF
GETAWAYS
n this day and age we are all looking to get and stay
healthy. People are joining a gym, doing CrossFit, Pilates
and yoga.
But remember long before there was a gym on every cor-
ner there was a golf course in every town. Golf offers count-
less benefits as a way to get and stay in shape both mentally
and physically.
On the mental side of things golf is great for the psyche.
It keeps the mind alert. On every shot your brain must
process the swing thoughts you have versus the elements
that are presented before you. You must weigh the risk vs.
reward element of the shot. This provides a challenge to
your mind as you contemplate how to hit that particular
shot. Totaling up your scores at the end of each hole and
each round helps keep your mind sharp and alert.
Golf provides that vital human contact that we all need
to survive. Besides being a competitive sport (well…as
competitive as you want it to be) it is a very social sport.
The golf course is a great venue for socializing and meeting
new people with a variety of lifestyles. Golf can provide an
escape from the hassles of day-to-day “life,” reduce stress
and anxiety as well as increase relaxation.
Physically, a round of golf is an excellent part of any
physical fitness program. Along with the amount of walking
involved, the golf swing itself is a great full body workout.
Every round of golf, you are taking a full swing some 40-60
times depending on how accomplished you are and how
many practice swings you take. The full swing uses all the
body parts. It uses your feet for balance and legs for stability
and power. Hips and back for rotation and to generate swing
speed. Your arms and shoulders are used to deliver the club
to the ball. Let’s not forget the mind to put it all together into
one fluid motion.
During a full 18-hole round of golf you will walk off
approximately 1500 calories. That is on a typical flat course
of 5-6 miles. Add to this if the course you play is a little
hilly. Just a good walk in the fresh air does wonders for the
endorphin and serotonin levels. This leads to improved
mood and reduced stress. I can’t think of a round of golf I’ve
played that even if I played poorly, I didn’t physically feel
much better after words. Even if you take a cart and ride the
course you still are walking from the tee to your cart to the
ball on each shot and getting the muscles to exercise on
each swing.
Golf is a “low impact” sport. So unlike jogging, tennis or
weightlifting it’s easy on the joints and won’t lead to long-
term damage. This is what makes it popular among older
players who can’t quite get out to the park and play football
or basketball anymore like they could when they were in
high school.
For the young player and the concerned parent, golf is
the perfect sport. With the increased risk of head trauma in
the major sports, golf is virtually free of that risk. It provides
the best of all worlds. Golf provides great exercise in an open
environment. An individual sport where there are no referees
to blame and really challenges your psyche and makes you a
stronger person.
So if you didn’t know about all these health benefits
before, you do now. Go ahead and venture out to the links
and start living the healthy life of golf.
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