Golf is one of the best games to enjoy for individuals of any age as it can be played throughout life. By delivering engagement to the mind and body, golf has become a popular activity in part to its rewarding social aspects and ability to engage the mind.
Here’s a list of four reasons why golf will keep you feeling younger in mind, body, and spirit.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy
Playing golf is a great aerobic activity that pushes the heart to work, providing excellent exercise that keeps your body fit. Whether you choose to walk the course, or even ride in a cart, golf forces the player to move and as you age, staying active is paramount to feeling great throughout the day.
If you choose to walk, even if it’s just nine holes, you can expect a decrease in your risk of diabetes, strokes, heart attacks. Golf is an excellent exercise for those of us who don’t want to move without an activity to participate in.
Improving Your Flexibility
Golf improves flexibility, and by increasing your flexibility, you help your ability to stay mobile longer in life. Stretching exercises before and after a round will help you stay limber as you play and increase muscle density while keeping your joints fluid.
One of the worst things we can do for our bodies is to stay seated throughout the day. Golf allows us a fun avenue to get off the couch and break away from our sedentary lives.
Spending Time with Close Friends
Golf is a terrific way to spend concentrated time with friends without the distractions of technology or the everyday hassles of life. When combined with the physical aspect of the game, golf can also provide a much-needed morale boost when played with friends.
Since the typical round can last 3-4 hours in length, golf allows for constant social interaction that can reduce stress and enrich friendships. Studies have shown that golf can contribute to a boost in self-esteem, confidence, and significantly reduce the ill-effects of such harmful ailments such as depression and anxiety.
Golf is an excellent outlet for catching up with an old friend or even discovering new acquaintances that can enhance your social life away from the course.
Sharpening Your Mind
One of the best-hidden treasures of regularly playing golf is how it sharpens the mind. The game throws a lot of obstacles at you throughout 18 holes and how you use your brain to solve those problems, keeps you mentally engaged and active for a full round. This kind of activity is great for keeping the mind sharp and young through consistent use.
Another way that golf can keep the mind clear and healthy is by helping us temper and control our emotions when a shot doesn’t go our way. By calmly dealing with the problems on the course, our outlook stays positive and doesn’t fall into negative traps.
With these four reasons in mind, grabbing the clubs and hitting the course is an ideal way to push away those blues and stay active, keeping your spirit feeling young and attuned to your best self.