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| Healthy Lifestyle - Golf |
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As you travel around our beautiful region, try a new activity to lift your spirits and boost your stamina.
What is it good for? Walking an average course for a round of golf can be as much as four km, and if you walk 18 holes three to five times a week, you’ll get an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart. Weight-bearing exercises are also great for your bones and can create long, lean muscle mass, which helps support a strong skeleton and can prevent bone degeneration, including osteoporosis. To include weight-bearing in your golf game, carry your clubs instead of using a cart, but to ease the stress on your shoulders use a double strapped golf bag. Another great health benefit of golf is the amount of time you spend outside breathing in lots of fresh air and soaking up lots of Vitamin D from the sun. Any other benefits? Aside from the physical benefits, golf is also a great way to keep in touch with friends while providing the opportunity to meet new people. It will also assist in reducing stress levels, and help you get a better night’s sleep. Are there any risks involved? Common golfing injuries include those to the lower back, wrist and elbow, head and eye. Causes of injury include overuse, incorrect technique, hitting the ground instead of the ball, aggravation of a previous injury, and falling. How do I avoid injuries? Always warm up and stretch before playing, paying particular attention to your back, shoulders and arms. Include gentle movement and mobility exercises followed by gentle air swings or ball hits using short irons. Good technique is your best defence against injuries, so it’s wise to invest in some lessons from a professional instructor. It’s also important to wear sun protection and to drink plenty of water before, during and after the game. Where can I play? The Caribbean boasts some of the best golf courses in the world. To find out more, take a look at the Caribbean Golf Associations website: http://www.cgagolfnet.com/ |
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