Golf for Longer Life?

Go ahead; take the afternoon off to play a round of golf—it’s good for your health and can lead to a longer life, provided that you walk the course instead of ride in the golf cart.

A study conducted by the Swedish medical university Karolinaska Institutet, and recently published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, tracked the health of 300,000 Swedish golfers. Results from this study indicate that avid golfers of any sex, age, and socioeconomic background can increase their life expectancy by five years. Golfers with a low handicap have the longest life expectancy.

The average round of golf can last 4 to 5 hours, which includes walking at a fast pace for several miles. This is where the real health benefits are found. Of course, this study does not rule out that other lifestyle factors—such as healthy eating—can play a part in prolonging life.

Other interesting data collected from this study suggests that golfers from blue-collar professions will experience greater health benefits from golf, compared to golfers that come from white-collar professions. Either way, it’s clear that exercise is a vital key to longer living.

[Source: Karolinska Institutet, www.ki.se ]