Golf is often considered a boring hobby that’s only done by seniors and people who have too much time on their hands. That’s not quite the case. Golf can be a very exciting hobby and it’s an actual sport.
Not only is it fun to try, but the benefit of golf exercise might surprise you. If you’re thinking of staying in shape and are looking for the right sport, you’re in the right place. Golf is full of interesting things you might not know, so let’s break it down!
Benefits of Golf Exercise
No idea why many people don’t consider golf an exercise, but you can benefit from golf exercise too if you walk 18 holes at least 3 times a week. Of course, up to 5 times a week is the most optimal amount of exercise to experience needed endurance for the heart. Of course, it’s always tempting to get a golf cart and help yourself enjoy the golf to the fullest, but walking is also a nice way to spend your afternoon playing golf. You can think of it as a scenic route for golfers.
What’s even more interesting is that if you pull your clubs yourself, you’ll burn additional calories. Since there are 18 holes, you’ll be doing plenty of exercise bit by bit without even knowing it. A good amount of rest between the holes will still keep you focused on the golf. And if you decide to carry your golf clubs, you’ll benefit even more from your casual golf sessions.
Therefore, golf can be considered a regular exercise and the only thing is that you need to do it frequently. If you’re not a frequent golfer, there are no more excuses and you can use this information as fuel to stay fit, even while playing golf!
Is Hitting Golf Balls Good Exercise?
The truth is that hitting golf balls isn’t a very intense exercise. Of course, you need to have a good technique and know what you’re doing to make it make sense. However, hitting the golf balls is a light activity.
That’s still okay and that isn’t something that should discourage you from playing golf to gain the benefits of exercise. The only thing we recommend is to do it a lot more. For example, hitting about 100 golf balls will burn anywhere between 200 to 350 calories for an average person. Keep in mind that the number of burned calories also depends on the weight of the golfer.
You can use this information to shape your hitting skills and practice more shots. Afterward, you can walk the court, carry your clubs, and you’ll stay fit if you do it often enough. So even though many people don’t consider golf a serious exercise, it can be very good for the heart and beneficial for people of all ages, and not only the seniors.
Is Golf a Good Workout?
Many people live with the belief that golf isn’t an exercise or any type of sport where you can experience health benefits. However, they’re wrong. Golf is actually a very decent exercise and we are safe to say it’s a good workout.
But for it to be a good workout, there are a couple of things you need to do to maximize its benefits. The first thing is to practice your shooting a lot more. Hitting more balls will have you end up burning more calories, even with golf being a light to moderate exercise. After that, walking instead of using the golf cart will increase the exercise benefits for the golfers. On top of that, you can choose to either drag the golf clubs with you or even better yet, carry them for the best benefits.
Lastly, you need to do this at least 3 times a week and ideally, we’d recommend you aim for 5 times a week. With that being said, you can consider golf as a part of your daily exercise and it’s actually very good for the heart. Even though it’s not super intense, you can combine it with other exercise types to make it an even better fit for your lifestyle.
How Many Calories Are Burnt on a Golf Driving Range?
Golf driving range is also referred to as a golf court and the amount of burnt calories depends on a couple of things. Things the number of burnt calories depends on are the size of the golf driving range, the number of shots you make, whether you walk between the holes or not, and whether you carry or drag the golf clubs.
Also, if you’re trying to improve at golf, you need to practice for about 15+ hours a week. This means that you should take about 50 to 60 ball shots within an hour to experience great health benefits from golfing.
On average, a person can burn between 200 and 350 calories on a golf driving range. Of course, this will depend on the person, the way he is golfing and a couple of other factors. Also, you should keep in mind that heavier people lose more calories for the same amount of exercise as leaner people. The number of calories you burn on a golf course can also vary from the device you’re using to track burned calories. Oftentimes, these devices estimate unless they’re highly specialized for measuring several factors needed to accurately calculate burned calories.
So is Golfing Even a Workout?
Many don’t consider golf to be a proper exercise. Of course, there are plenty of more intense workouts, and even a walk at a faster pace is a much better exercise than a golf. But if you’re playing golf, the chances are you’re doing it because you love it and enjoy it, and not because it’s a way to exercise.
The good news is that you can still get a decent amount of exercise by being outdoors, and if you walk between holes and carry your clubs. Golfing is still an exercise, and while it might not be good enough for everyone, it’s decent for many people. There are benefits associated with the heart and you shouldn’t forget that golf is also full of benefits associated with mental health.
While golfing might not be something you’d pick up for the sole purpose of exercising, if it is something you’re already doing and you love it, you can maximize the amount of exercise you get out of it by using the advice from this article.
Conclusion
Golf is a good exercise, but it’s not something you’d want to pick up for the sole purpose of the exercise. But if you’re wondering if is golf a good exercise, the answer is yes, it can be, especially if you maximize the efforts to get the best results and benefits.
Getting a good smartwatch that can track steps and calories burned is a good way to start tracking your progress. But besides physical health benefits, golf also brings a lot of mental health benefits that make a huge difference when compared to other exercises. On top of that, you can also combine golf with some other exercises for the best benefits.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many golf balls should I hit a day to improve?
At least an hour or two of practice is needed per day to start seeing a great improvement in golf. In an hour, aim for about 50 to 60 shots.
Is hitting balls at range a workout?
Hitting golf balls at a range is a light exercise at best, so it’s best to do it continuously for a couple of hours at least or combine it with some other exercise type.
How many calories do you burn hitting golf balls?
For an hour of hitting golf balls (about 50 to 60 balls), you can burn up to 130 calories. This is best combined with carrying the golf clubs and walking between holes.
Is going to the driving range considered exercise?
Driving range is not a huge exercise and it’s much better to play golf at the court where you can walk between the holes and carry your clubs for maximized exercise benefits.
Is golf good exercise for seniors?
Yes, golf is a perfect exercise for seniors because it’s not hard on the body and bones, it’s light, and yet it’s still beneficial (especially for the heart) when done frequently.
Is it OK to work out before playing golf?
Yes, working out before playing golf is a great idea because it helps increase mobility, and stability, activate the core, and burn more calories.
How many calories are burned by hitting 100 golf balls?
Anywhere between 130 to 260 calories are burned when hitting 100 golf balls, but it surely depends on a couple more factors than just the number of balls.
