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How Playing Golf Can Help You Lose Weight

You can burn alot of calories and lose weight by playing golf, announced Dr Neil Wolkodoff PhD, a sports scientist and director of the Rose Center for Health and Sports Sciences in Denver, Colorado who conducted the study. So what is new, you may ask, since all golfers already knew that getting out there on the golf courses, swinging the clubs and walking through undulating terrain throughout the game is more than just a leisurely stroll in the neighborhood.

Of course we already knew that playing golf requires muscle and mind coordination, focus and concentration, and the physical effort to play the game and that, naturally burn tons of calories. So who needs a sports scientist to tell us something that we already knew?

Then again, it sure feels good to have an expert to verify what we had already knew, right? This is especially so when the research revealed several interesting and very specific conclusions about the value of golf as an exercise and the effects of different kinds of efforts on the golfer's score.

According to the Associated Press article about the study's findings, Dr Neil Wolkodoff recruited eight male amateur golfers with ages ranging from 26 to 61 and handicaps ranging from 2 to 17 for the experiment. The study subjects were fitted with various sensors and measuring equipment and then each played the front nine of a hilly Denver golf course several times over the duration of the study period.

During these 9-hole games, the study subjects varied their means of transportation such as walking and riding in a cart and also their means of carrying the golf bag whether on a golf cart or on their shoulders or on a push cart or on the caddie's shoulders. The results of calories burnt(for nine holes) are as follows:

* Walking = 721

* Using push cart = 718

* Using caddie = 613

* Riding in a cart = 411

Distance walked while not riding in cart is 2.5 miles and riding in cart is half a mile.

This study came to the conclusion that golfers who walk 36 holes a week will burn around a whopping 2,900 calories per week. This is above the normal threshold of about 2,500 calories since many studies have shown that people who burn 2,500 calories a week can improve their overall health by lowering their risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancers. For those who want lose weight, you now know for sure that playing golf can help you to lose weight. This is indeed wonderful news for golf enthusiasts all over the world!

The study also looked at the effects on golf scores of different methods of transporting the player's golf bag and the findings were just as interesting. They found out that the average scores of using a push cart is 40, using a caddie is 42, riding is 43 and carrying own bag is 45. Many avid golfers knew that walking the golf course is not only better for health but also better for your score. This is "thinking" when walking the golf course as the golfers see more as he/she visually takes in what lie ahead of them on the hole, has time to consider various options and to think about club and shot selection. This study certainly scientifically verified it.

Walking the golf course with a push cart or with a caddie both produced lower average scores than riding in a cart. Walking while carrying one's own bag gave the highest average scores. This probably has something to do with the extra physical exertion when carrying one's own bag of clubs. So it causes the golfer to tire more quickly and also increase instances of lactic acid build up in the muscles. When lactic acid increases, fine motor skills decrease and fine motor skills are what is required for the precise motions of the golf swing.

So to critics who argue that golf as a form of exercise for losing weight is inferior to many other sports can now be debunked scientifically. Yes, playing golf can make you burn a lot of calories and in the long run, lose weight successfully. That is, you don't go for a food binge and alcohol party after winning your game of golf.

About the Author

Chris Chew is a fitness, health and relationship consultant. Read his free articles at Golf Fitness Training Avoid Injuries and Why Muscular Men Have More Sex Appeal

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