Golfing is often associated with the rich and famous. Presidents, politicians, and celebrities are known to play this sport. And if you have never tried golfing before, you’d probably think it has little benefit to your health. However, the fact may surprise you. Here are five health benefits that you can reap for regular golfing in the field.

1. Strengthening Your Bones

Golf fields span up to 200 acres, and that is a lot of open area for walking. Although you may see that golfers ride a golf cart to get around, the game still requires them to walk from one hitting point to another. And such activity will promote bone growth in your body. The walking will improve your leg bones, and the swinging motion will strengthen your arms and your hips.

2. Improving Your Cardiovascular Health

Golfing can improve your heart’s health in two ways. First, the sport increases your heart rates gradually so that you’ll be free from the risk of a cardiac arrest. Soccer, tennis and even ping-pong require rapid muscle responses, which in turn can make your heart works intensely. If you do not have any history of cardiovascular diseases or cardiac arrhythmia, then you are safe, but if you do, then those intense sports can put you in danger. Second, golfing improves your cardiovascular health indirectly. This sport allows you to get involved in social interaction and to feel a sense of achievement, which will contribute positively to your psychological health. And according to hearth.org, 33% of people with depression are at high risk of heart attack.

3. Nurturing Your Brain

Golfing is more of a strategy game than a muscle exercise. You need to tally things before you can make a winning score. Your motor skills must also match your prediction so that your calculation can be accurate. And all of these will keep your brain working and functioning in a healthy way. Therefore, golfing is mostly suggested for seniors so that they can protect themselves from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Giving You Opportunities to Make Friends

If you go to a gym, you will exercise there by yourself. Even if you hire a trainer, the gym machines do not require others to operate, and there is no sense of competition there. On the other hand, golfing allows you to connect with other people because getting engaged in a casual conversation during the game is very likely to happen. But what does it have to do with your health? According to the National Institute of Aging (NIA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services, social relationships are consistently associated with biomarkers of health.

5. Improving Your Sleep Quality

The direct result of a happy mind and a healthy body is quality sleep, which will then improve your body’s health as well. Therefore, if you have sleeping difficulties, and you do not want to do a heavy workout, you should try to sign yourself up for a golf club membership.