Playing a round of golf may be better than Nordic walking for health
Playing golf may be just as good – or better – than Nordic walking for older people, a small study suggests.
Nordic walking involves a specific technique that uses the power of the upper body and walking poles to provide a more vigorous workout than just walking.
But a new study, published online in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, found that rounds of golf may be more likely to provide health benefits.
Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland analysed data for 16 men and nine women who were golfers, healthy and aged 65 and over.
The team looked at three aerobic exercises – an 18-hole round of golf, 3.7 miles of Nordic walking, and a 3.7- mile regular walk. Researchers measured the effects on blood pressure, blood glucose and blood lipids, such as cholesterol.
To do this, they took blood samples, blood glucose
finger-prick tests and measured blood pressure, while people in the study also wore fitness measuring devices to record things such as distance, duration and pace.
Those people taking part also wore an ECG sensor with a chest strap to measure their heart rate.
The results showed all three types of aerobic exercise improved cardiovascular health in older adults, including by lowering blood pressure.
However, the study suggested it was golf that seemed to have the biggest effect on blood fats and the metabolism of glucose, which keeps blood sugar levels stable.
The researchers said: "Despite the lower exercise intensity of golf, the longer duration and higher energy expenditure appeared to have a more positive effect on lipid profile and glucose metabolism compared with Nordic walking and walking.
"These age-appropriate aerobic exercises can be recommended to healthy older adults as a form of health-enhancing physical activity to prevent cardiovascular diseases and can also be used as a treatment strategy to improve cardio metabolic health among those who already have a cardiovascular disease."
Sindy Jodar, senior cardiac nurse at the british heart foundation, said :" Check with your doctor first about what exercise is right for you if you have a heart or circulatory condition."