Golf more than just a good walk spoiled
Physical payoffs are difficult to calculate, but game’s mental health benefits abound
Ever wonder how much your golf habit contributes to your overall health?
Unlike runners, cyclists, swimmers or team sports athletes, golfers aren’t known for the type of fitness typically associated with improved health and longevity. And despite a more recent trend by the pros to hit the gym, the average golfer doesn’t get in shape before picking up the clubs for the season.
Admittedly not every golfer approaches the game with the same level of intensity. From swinging a club to walking the course, the energy needed to play 18 holes varies depending on the individual and the course being played. Yet despite golf ’s popularity, there’s very little data on the degree to which golfers accumulate the 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity necessary to reap the health benefits associated with being physically active.
Studies reviewing the energy expended during an hour on the links show a range of intensity from low to high with calories burned estimated at 264 to 450 or 531 to 2,467 per 18 holes played.
Why the huge difference between the least and greatest number of calories burned? The age, fitness level, gender and weight of the golfer make a difference, with older, heavier, lesser fit and male golfers burning the most calories.
Then there’s the course terrain and the decision to use a cart or walk, with the combination of walking a hilly course with a golf bag slung over your shoulder offering the greatest potential to burn the greatest number of calories.
How many steps does it take to play a full round? Walking 18 holes will log between 11,245 and 16,667 steps or four to eight miles (6.4 to 13 kilometres) on your activity tracker. But since most hilly courses require golfers to use a cart, those numbers aren’t typical.
That’s the trouble when it comes to determining the intensity required to play an average round of golf.
There are so many variables from game to game and course to course, it’s tough to get an accurate read on just how many calories golfers expend.
As for how many steps golfers take while using a cart, 6,000 is the average, though once again the numbers vary considerably.
Another way to measure the health effects of golf is to compare the life expectancy of golfers versus non-golfers. Swedish and American studies suggest that golfers tend to live longer than their more sedentary counterparts.
But there’s a caveat: It’s likely that there are factors other than golf that contribute to the estimated five extra years of life most golfers accrue over time.
For those who walk enough of the course to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, a reduced risk for chronic diseases like colon and breast cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and stroke is a benefit. As for the game itself, everything from swinging a club to bending over to retrieve a ball will help maintain balance, strength and muscular function with age.
Then there’s the other side of golf; the one that leads to injury. Golf is hard on the back, wrists, elbows, hands and shoulders, with the lead side of the body more likely to feel the effects of the game. Up to 60 per cent of golfers will experience some sort of injury during their playing career, with more frequent golfers prime candidates for overuse injuries and less experienced golfers more prone to injuries related to poor technique.
But it’s not the just physical aspect of the game that has the potential to benefit health. Mental wellness is also improved on the links. Golf is a social game, which provides opportunities to interact with others and get rid of some of the everyday stress that occurs off the course. And while golf can cause its share of frustrations, it just takes one great shot to forget about the ones that got away.
It’s also an outdoor game, which is in itself a mental boost when compared to time spent breathing in stale air at the office or sitting in front of the television.
Fresh air and sunshine have long been linked to improved mental wellness, which makes a day spent of the golf course with a few friends a natural stress reliever.