Golf Swing for a Healthy Heart

Regular rounds of golf provide excellent cardio exercise for elderly folks.

Highlights:

Golf can improve both physical and mental health in the elderly.
According to experts, a person who walks 18 holes of golf can wind up walking more than 6 miles
They say that golf allows people to mingle while still getting vitamin D from the sun

Ever heard of the phrase, "Golf is a good walk spoiled?" Well, now there is concrete evidence to prove that this phrase holds no meaning anymore. In recent studies, golf has lined up to be the healthiest retirement sport for the elderly, according to a study published online in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. Not just that, the study also summarizes how golfing could be much better than the age-old Norwegian walks ().

Aerobic exercise’s health benefits in preventing cardiovascular disease are well proven as part of attempts to avoid high blood pressure, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (an abnormal amount of lipids in the blood causing problems such as high cholesterol).

‘Strike that golf stroke to a healthy heart𨧼olf may be as good as, if not better than, Nordic walking for elderly cardiovascular health.’

However, most relevant research has tended to focus on younger people partaking in acute bouts of moderate- to high-intensity exercise lasting 30 to 60 minutes, with less evidence available on the influence of exercise on older people.

Golf, walking, and Nordic walking (an enhanced walking style in which people use poles to engage their upper body as well as their legs) are all popular age-appropriate types of outdoor aerobic exercise that are both safe and easily accessible to many older people.

How the Golf Study was Carried out

A group of Finnish researchers set out to assess the acute effects of these three different forms of aerobic activities on cardiometabolic health markers in terms of intensity, duration, and energy expenditure.

They conducted a study with 25 healthy senior golfers (aged 65 and up) to compare the effects of three acute aerobic activities on their blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipid profile in a real-life setting: an 18-hole round of golf, 6 km of Nordic walking, and a 6 km stroll.

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The researchers collected blood samples, performed finger-prick blood glucose tests, and measured the participants’ blood pressure for the study, while the participants also wore fitness measuring devices to measure exercise-specific distance, duration, pace, energy expenditure, and steps, as well as an ECG sensor with a chest strap to measure their heart rate.

Despite differences in length and intensity, all three modalities of aerobic exercise improved the cardiovascular profile of older persons when conducted in acute bouts, lowering their systolic blood pressure while walking, and Nordic walking also contributed to a decrease in diastolic blood pressure.

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Despite the lower exercise intensity of golf when compared to Nordic walking and walking, the longer time and higher total energy expenditure involved in playing golf tended to significantly alter the lipid profile and glucose metabolism.

The study has some drawbacks, such as the small sample size and the questionable accuracy of the fitness devices, and doing a study in a real-life context does not allow for all elements to be controlled as they would in a laboratory setting.

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Furthermore, the researchers only recruited golfers for the study because it was assumed that non-golfers could not be expected to play a round of golf properly, whereas Nordic walking was perceived as a new type of exercise for the majority of participants, which may have resulted in poor technique, reducing the effectiveness of the Nordic walking activity.

"Despite the lower exercise intensity of golf, the longer duration and higher energy expenditure appeared to have a more favorable effect on lipid profile and glucose metabolism compared to Nordic walking and walking," the authors stated.

"These age-appropriate aerobic activities can be suggested to healthy older persons as a type of health-enhancing physical activity to prevent cardiovascular illnesses, as well as employed as a therapy method to improve cardiometabolic health in those who currently have a cardiovascular disease."

Reference:

Comparative effectiveness of playing golf to Nordic walking and walking on acute physiological effects on cardiometabolic markers in healthy older adults: a randomised cross-over study - (https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/9/1/e001474)

Source-Medindia