Golf is often considered a leisure activity done solely for fun and recreation. However, you’ll be surprised to learn about the significant physical and mental health benefits that come with playing a round of golf.
From walking miles over hilly terrain to engaging specific muscles and practicing concentration, golf can be a surprisingly excellent way to stay active while having fun outdoors. Read on as we look into how golf can be a fun way to stay fit and active on the course, all while enjoying the game with the help of used golf clubs.
Fun Ways for Incorporating Fitness into Your Golf Game
There are many ways for you to keep fit when playing golf – even though it is considered a low-intensity sport. Here are some of the ways you can do this.
Carry Your Own Bag
While most golfers opt for a cart to haul their bags around the course, carrying your bag is a great full-body workout. Lugging your bag of clubs and gear strengthens your back, shoulders, arms, and core as you walk the undulating terrain.
You’ll burn additional calories and enhance your stamina for the full 18 holes. Plus, walking allows you to take in more of the natural scenery surrounding each hole. It’s a low-impact cardio blast that gets you in shape while enjoying nature.
Play Speed Golf
Regular golf can involve lots of waiting around, but speed golf is all about quick turns. The goal is to complete your round in the fastest time possible by taking no more than two practice swings and jogging or speed walking between shots.
This pulses your heart rate up throughout the game. You’ll work up a sweat blitzing through holes and hustling from tee to green. Try to beat your personal best time each round for added motivation and competition.
Practice Competitive Chipping
Near the green is where many strokes are gained or lost. Fine-tune your chipping technique and accuracy with mini-competitions against friends. Set up multiple flagsticks within a 30-50-yard radius and see who can sink chips the fastest.
Make it more intense by adding pushups, situps, or jumping jacks for missed pots. You’ll sharpen an essential golf skill while burning calories through bursts of activity between shots. Chipping is a full-body motion, so you’ll tone your arms, core, and lower body.
Walk and Stretch Between Shots
Instead of sitting in your cart between shots, get your blood pumping with walking stretches. After your drive, march to your ball doing arm circles, side bends, or leg swings to stay limber. Gentle stretches prevent stiffness from long periods of sitting and get oxygen flowing to your muscles.
Walking the course at a brisk pace revs up heart rate and burns more energy than riding. Stretching and fitness moves keep you limber for accurate ball striking throughout 18 holes.
Play Two Balls Per Hole
Doubling your workload per hole is an excellent way to incorporate fitness. With two ball Golf, you hit your tee shot for ball A, then immediately hit ball B from the same tee box. Continue alternating shots until both balls are holed out.
This doubles the distance you walk and swing your clubs. It challenges your concentration, having to keep track of two positions at once. Two Ball Golf is an advanced cardio addition to any round that punishes your body while improving your skills.
Have Pushup Contests Near the Green
Friendly competition never hurt anyone. Make reaching the green more demanding with pushup challenges. The first player to reach the green does 10 pushups, while the next does 11, then 12, and so on.
You’ll get a full upper body pump from these bursts of strength training. The contests add brief high-intensity intervals to your workout as you race your friends to the hole. And you might find them motivating for sharper putting to avoid extra pushups.
Carry Extra Gear
Amp up your round by slinging additional golf accessories like water bottles, towels, or extra clothing in your bag. Every added pound challenges your cardiovascular endurance. Carrying weights strengthens your core and improves balance as you walk uneven terrain.
The extra resistance mimics interval training by periodically increasing the workload. Better yet, you’ll feel stronger and more fit for life off the course too. There’s no better way to stay in golf shape than by constantly challenging yourself with varied fitness additions to your rounds.
Conclusion
While golf originated as a leisurely pastime, modern players now widely recognize its multidimensional health advantages. What began long ago as a casual walk in the park seamlessly incorporates both cardio exercise and mental relaxation.
The full body movements develop balanced muscle tone and flexible joints when practiced frequently over many rounds. Like most enjoyable activities, maintaining good form and technique prevents potential injury from repetitive motions. With smart training focused on mobility, stabilization, and core engagement, golf serves as a low-impact full-body workout.
But most importantly, it’s an activity almost anyone can play while spending quality time in nature. Golf truly offers a fun, social approach for both physical and emotional well-being that will last players a lifetime.
