As we get older, many of us tend to scale down our Exercise time, partly because we simply don’t have the hours in the day that we used to, and partly because we simply don’t have the same energy levels that we had in our twenties and thirties. It’s a shame this happens, because we need to keep ourselves active – and therefore healthy – at every stage of our lives.

By the time we reach our fifties and sixties, the chances are most of us will be living relatively sedentary lives. Many will be working in offices, spending most of our days sitting down at desks, and the desire to head to a gym for a workout will have long since dissipated. This shouldn’t mean, however, that we have to remain completely inactive when the weekends come along.

The game of Golf is becoming increasingly popular with men and women from all walks of life, and for the middle-aged community, it can provide a wonderful opportunity to enjoy some mild exercise in the fresh air, accompanied by friends and surrounded by the wonders of nature. There was a time when golf was an elitist activity that few could afford, but green fees and membership schemes are very affordable at many clubs these days.

Plenty of walking, plenty of fun

An average round of golf on an 18-hole course takes between three and four hours to complete and will involve a walk of somewhere in the region of five miles. The pace of walking isn’t fast, so most people are able to take part, and the benefits to the muscles and joints are all too obvious. The fresh air will also be extremely good for the lungs, especially for players who rarely get away from the town and city centers.

At the end of a round of golf, new players will undoubtedly feel a little discomfort in their backs and legs, because the shock to the system is bound to be noticed. The effects of all that walking will also lead to sore feet, although this will soon disappear. As they play more regularly, these symptoms will soon start to ease, so it’s important not to be discouraged in the early days.

One of the nicest aspects of playing golf is that thanks to a handicap system, players of all abilities can join in and compete against each other. Having said that, for many regular golfers the actual competitive side of things is immaterial; it’s the exercise and the socializing that matters most. The chance to have a little fun and a friendly chat in between playing shots are why so many golfers return to the course week after week.

This is a guest post by Golf Lounge, who is a regular golfer. He works for https://www.golflounge.de/de/blog/golf