Looking for some good reasons to play golf aside from it being a fun way to spend a couple hours? It turns out there are some great health benefits that come along with a round of golf! Moderate exercise, like playing 18 holes, can actually protect you from stress and anxiety.
Exercise to Reduce Anxiety and Stress
A recent study by the University of Maryland found that the light exercise involved with a round of golf can not only reduce existing anxiety, but can help you maintain that reduced stress even after you finish the game. Not only is spending time outdoors in the fresh air and wide open green spaces some of the greatest ways to relieve stress, the study found the moderate exercise involved is actually more effective than quiet rest!
Here are some of the top reasons why the game of golf for beginners or the experienced is a great stress reducer.
1) Golf can be a great cardio exercise to reduce anxiety and stress.
- Walking around the golf course for a three- to four-hour game of golf can do wonders for your cardiovascular health. It can:
- Strengthen your core and lower body
- Strengthen bones
- Reduce stiffness in joints
- Improves posture and flexibility
- Improve heart and lung efficiency
- Increase circulation
- Burn fat and help boost your metabolism
- Help you sleep better
- Improves mental health and concentration
- Boost mood and self confidence
2) Golf for beginners or even professionals can help release endorphins.
Endorphins are essentially natural pain killers that can give you a “high,” and playing a round of golf is a great way to release them. Although more research is needed, it’s well known that long periods of moderate exercise can positively affect our emotions. And four hours on the course is sure to help. Plus, playing golf gives you the opportunity to spend time outdoors surrounded by beautiful landscapes and some wildlife. When it comes to ways to relieve stress, taking in the fresh air and beauty on the greens is one of the most calming choices you can make.
3) Think of all the mental reasons to play golf.
Since golf is a mental game, it requires a lot of concentration, which can actually be quite meditative for many people. While you can enjoy the physical exercise to reduce anxiety, the mental exercise that comes along with the sport has huge benefits. You’re spending a good amount of the game focusing on your accuracy, timing, power and external factors like wind, so you may find yourself getting into what many refer to as the “Zen zone.” This mental state is one of pure calm and centeredness that actually helps you remain consistent on the course. Additionally, according to many dedicated golfers, spending four or more hours on the golf course can help you regroup and rebalance.
There are plenty of reasons to play golf, but learning that it can actually have a positive influence on your mental well-being should make you want to schedule a tee time tomorrow! From businesspeople choosing to have meetings on the golf course to friends reconnecting on the green, golf is one of the greatest ways to relieve stress and anxiety in daily life. Plenty of courses offer golf for beginners if you don’t have your own clubs, but if you do, grab them and head to the course. You won’t regret it!