The health benefits of golf are endless. Especially when one opts to walk a round rather then use a cart. It has been proven that walking 18 holes of golf equates to 70-80% of the intensity of a maximum aerobic workout. This is amazing considering the slow pace and relaxing nature of the game. Walking will also helps strengthen and tone leg muscle and greatly improve cardiac health. Upper body strength can also be improved if one carries their own bag while they walk the course. Playing golf can also improve a person's flexibility, as a great deal of arm, wrist, hip and knee rotation is needed to hit the ball long and hard. Not to mention that anyone playing golf should stretch thoroughly before beginning a game. As the most common golf injuries are muscle tears and ligament strains. One study even found that playing a round of golf helped people lower there blood pressure as well as stress levels and cholesterol. People as young as 8 and as old as 80 play golf, which says something about the sport. Other Studies show that people over 60 years old can increase their strength by over 60%. Of course golfing will increase strength in people of all ages but it can be extremely beneficial to senior citizens. Another proven benefit of playing golf is hand-eye coordination, which is improved every time a person takes a shot. I Found it interesting to read that during pregnancy, many women start playing golf to stay in shape because it is not only a low-impact sport but it is excellent for the cardiovascular system which is beneficial to unborn Babies.
