Golfing is Like a Hole In One for Your Health

Grabbing your clubs and hitting the fairway to strike and then chase a little white ball sounds a bit silly, but it’s far from it.

Golf is an excellent form of exercise for older adults. One study found that playing golf had a positive impact on participants’ lipid profile and glucose levelswhile also being a relatively low-impact form of exercise.

Golf has also been around for a long time. History.com reports that the modern game of golf was first played in the 15th century in Scotland. There are many good reasons why roughly 66.6 million people around the world play golf, not the least of which is the ways in which golf benefits players’ health.

Here are a few:

Cardio Health and Endurance:

It’s reported that a golfer will walk between four and six miles in a typical round of golf, which is about the same as taking 10,000 steps. Walking 18 holes can burn about 1400 calories. Of course, one doesn’t need to walk an entire 18-hole course to get some of those benefit.

Increased Strength and Flexibility:

Swinging a club is an integral part of the game and contributes to core muscle strength and builds muscles in the chest, back and forearms.

Better Balance and Coordination:

When you are focused on hitting a ball toward a little hole way off in the distance, you may not realize the subtle ways in which you are improving your overall health. Golf, which can involve climbing hills and walking on uneven surfaces, is a form of balance training that may help prevent falls for older adults and others.

Stress Reduction:

Any golfer will tell you there is something about being outdoors that lifts their spirits. Many studies support the notion that exercise done in the outdoors, such as golf, is better for mental health and stress reduction than working out within the four walls of a gym.

Socialization:

Golf is a game that people can play on their own, but it’s very often a social activity that is played in small groups. Golf helps players connect with others and has mood-enhancing benefits. It’s also a sport that a person can do at any age, depending on their level of mobility.

Low Risk of Injury

Playing any sport requires caution, but a study published in the National Library of Medicine finds that golf is a low-impact, all-around workout that promotes range of motion, activation of muscles in the upper and lower body, and flexibility.

Improving one’s golf game is a practice that not even Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson can ever say is entirely done. That’s where Quail Haven Village comes in. The rental senior living community in Pinehurst, North Carolina, is the perfect place for golf aficionados to practice the game. The property is located in the heart of a temperate climate that is well-suited for getting in a round of golf at least three, if not four seasons a year.

Residents of Quail Haven Village have access to Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst, and also have the benefit of living near many other courses which have different features and skill levels.

Pinehurst boasts 19 golf courses within the city and another 19 within 20 miles of the city, including 18 public and one private course. The oldest course in the area is Southern Pines Golf Club, which opened in 1910. One of the best rated courses is Knollwood Fairways, according to golflink. Pinehurst Resort’s Pinehurst No.2 golf course, the site of more single golf championships that any course in the country, will host the 2024 U.S. Open. It is only five minutes from Quail Haven.