How Golf Boosts Your Physical and Mental Health

There has always been the perception that golf is a sport for the elite or old people. Some people find golf dull and time-consuming, yet the activity doesn’t yield as many benefits as other more exhilarating sports (like football, baseball, or basketball) do. Contrary to what many people believe, playing golf does offer benefits to your health, both physical and mental.

Get More Exercise

Golf may not be as physically demanding as other sports, like tennis or boxing, but playing 18 holes can give you plenty of exercise. What the sport lacks in physical intensity is compensated for in the time and endurance it takes to finish a single game. An 18-hole game takes four or more to complete.

If you leave your golf carts to charge safely at home and play on foot, you can get much more exercise, burn more calories, and enjoy more physical benefits from playing one game.

Enjoy Being Outdoors

Golf courses are known for vast green expanses. Everywhere you look, there are verdant grasses, robust trees, and scenic ponds or lakes. Aside from the game itself, the view of a golf course can be simultaneously relaxing and stimulating to the eyes and the mind.

Getting outdoors and playing golf means you can soak in some much-needed vitamin sunshine and breathe fresh air while enjoying the mentally rejuvenating effects of being surrounded by nature and natural elements.

Foster Relationships

Golf is very much a social event as it is a sport. The game is most enjoyable when you’re playing with old friends or getting to know other golf enthusiasts. One course can last for hours, and a significant portion of it will be spent walking from one hole to the next. Within three hours, there will be plenty of downtime to chat with the person or people you’re playing with

Relieve Stress and Tension

Golf combines several things that are known to relieve stress and tension, the outdoors, exercise, mental stimulation, and positive social interactions. For people who prefer to go at their own pace, golf can be a slow, relaxing activity that provides ample physical and mental challenges, as well as opportunities to socialize with family and friends and meet new people.

Exercise Your Brain

One reason golf is popular among older adults is the mental exercise it provides. Playing requires intense concentration, precision, and memory. For many longtime players and enthusiasts, golf is far from dull.

You don’t have much room to think about other things when you’re playing a game. Your focus is to get the already-tiny ball into the equally small hole, so there’s no room for any distractions. Regular participation in golf improves one’s focus and mental sharpness.

Healthy Mind and Body

Playing golf is more than just swinging your arms to get a tiny ball inside an equally small hole. It takes excellent hand-eye coordination, strength, control, precision, and focus to win a game of golf.

Consequently, you won’t see an active professional golf player who isn’t physically fit and mentally alert themselves. Just like all other sports, golf takes a lot of time, practice, and work to master. As you play, you become a better golf player and enjoy the health benefits of the sport.