As you enter retirement, you may have heard the same advice to constantly stay both physically and mentally fit and active. This is sound advice, especially for those entering their 70s and beyond. With the increased physical limitations brought about by aging, you should try to avoid physically strenuous sports to avoid injury or strain on your body. Although golf is no easy sport, given that it involves turning and twisting the hips and lifting hands above the head, which are all movements that become much harder to do when you are older, many older adults still religiously play golf to keep fit. Here are the benefits of playing golf in your golden years.
A Great Way to Socialize and Meet New People
Other than exercising your body, you should not neglect your brain. Staying social is important for mental health as it keeps your brain sharp. Golf provides the optimal premise for you to make new friends. Most golf courses have lounges where you can rest while chatting with fellow golfers and establishing new relationships. Even if you are not particularly extroverted, golf is known to make many older adults more sociable.
Gives You a Sense of Purpose
Isolation and loneliness are common problems that occur amongst older adults. Many people feel that since they are no longer as physically fit as they were in the past, there is not much point in taking up a hobby, especially if it is a sport. For older adults, there is a higher tendency to want to stay home and do nothing. However, this can result in isolation which often leads to other mental issues like anxiety and depression. Of course, you should try your best to prevent such situations from happening to you. Having this new hobby of golf which aids in your mental and physical fitness will keep you occupied and happy!
Strengthens Your Muscles
Golf is a sport that requires you to be on your feet. As such, it should be no surprise that it builds up the muscles throughout your body, especially your legs. It allows you to exercise your eyesight, and the greenery that you see with each game on the course is certainly good for your eyes. Not only that, it helps increase your core strength. A stronger core will mean better flexibility and mobility. Golfers usually spend hours getting in position and swinging their clubs, which is quite a good workout.
Gets Your Blood Flowing
What makes this sport an optimal one for older adults is that it is not as physically taxing as other ones but it still gets your entire body moving. Add the walking you do around the course with all the swinging and your heart will get pumping, which gets the blood flowing around your body better. Better blood flow and circulation will also mean better sleep at night. It is important to get proper REM sleep as it contributes to the repair of muscles as well as cognitive function.
