Golf is a sport that has gathered a large audience around the world and has over 66 million players worldwide with differing levels of ability. This sport has definitely made its mark in beautiful, sunny Southern California which now has over 600 golf courses that vary in price, difficulty, and amenities. Golf is loved by many and is a favorable pastime for aging adults. In fact, seniors make up 26% of the golfing community. Unfortunately, golf has been mistaken for a sport that doesn’t offer many mental or physical benefits to its players, but it turns out that a day on the course has countless benefits, especially for the senior community. Read on to learn about the various benefits that golf can provide for aging adults that can help promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Socialization & Making New Friends
This is a very interactive and relaxing sport that should be enjoyed in groups and traditionally is. While seniors hop tees (this is the point where every round starts), they can catch up on each other's lives while also making new friendships along the way. An average game of 18 holes of golf can surpass 4 hours of play time. New research suggests that for ultimate health and well-being in anyone’s life, it is recommended that an individual experience six hours of social interaction a day.
Develop a New Hobby
Some aging adults tend to fall into a mindset in which they believe they are too old to pick up a new hobby or learn something new, which is far from the truth and can only be a recipe for disaster. It’s all too easy to sit on the couch, kick up your feet and turn on the television but doing that every day can lead to boredom, failing health and ultimately cause anxiety and depression. Developing a new hobby can help curb those age-related emotional developments with new and exciting things to do while also stimulating new neural pathways in the brain.
Get Physical Exercise
Golf can help older adults stay in shape without breaking a sweat. As mentioned prior, a single game of golf can last up to 4 hours or more and includes a lot of walking, even though you may have a golf cart to transfer you to each new round. Playing golf works all the muscles in the body, builds stamina and promotes healthy eyesight and hearing. On top of that, with every swing, it helps build core strength.
Form a Sense of Purpose
Keeping your mind and body active in the golden years is essential to living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a high-quality of life. For aging adults, staying physically and mentally active is important for overall mental health and has been studied and shown to promote higher levels of happiness. Having a golfing routine with friends can help a senior’s mind stay active, provide them with something to look forward to and give them a sense of purpose.
As you have learned in this article, golf isn’t just a day out with the boys (or girls!), but rather provides a variety of benefits from socialization and physical activity that can help promote the health and well-being of an older adult's life. So, next time your partner says “Stay home. You’re always down at the golf course!” pull up this article and show them that it’s not all fun and games. Instead, you are getting your daily exercise requirements met and invite them to play a round with you, too!
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