We’re lucky because our climate in Central Texas allows for golf to be played year-round, and there are numerous accessible, public courses throughout the city, suburbs and beyond.
Golf is also one of those unique sports that can easily be played by anyone at any age. No cumbersome equipment is needed, and the basic physical requirements are simply that you can walk and swing a club.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine touted the many health benefits of the sports, while also emphatically stating that yes, golf is considered a sport, contrary to what many fitness skeptics say.
Here’s what the study found:
- Whether you walk or drive a cart is the single biggest factor in determining the quality of exercise you are getting on the course. Walking is understandably the optimal option.
- Walking a typical 18-hole golf course will measure about 4 to 8 miles long. The recommended daily amount of walking to reap benefits for adults is 30 minutes, or 2 to 3 miles. Playing (while walking) a round of 18-holes far exceeds that.
- Golf has been proven to enhance cardiovascular health and also lung function.
- In addition, golf may help older players with improved balance, flexibility, and even ease minor aches and pains associated with arthritis.
The mental health benefits of playing golf are that it can be an uplifting, social escape if played in a group with friends. Or it can be a calming, restorative, almost meditative, ritual if played on your own.
As with most sports, there’s the risk of injury. Here’s what we see at Texas Orthopedics:
- Back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain
- Sprains and strains
- Golfer’s elbow
- Tendonitis
- Overuse injuries due to the repetitive nature of swiminging a club
If you are experiencing any aches or pains as a result of your golf game, please contact us for an appointment.
(Adapted from CNN-Health)
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