Seniors may gain from playing golf More health benefits than playing golf in regular or Nordic walking, suggested online in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine on a study. The health benefits of aerobic exercise in helping prevent cardiovascular disease are well documented to prevent hyperglycemia Part of the effort is blood pressure, diabetes and dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of lipids in the blood leading to problems such as high cholesterol). However, most relevant research tends to focus on Little information is available on the effects of moderate to high-intensity exercise on older adults. Golf, walking and Nordic walking – an enhanced walking technique that people also use Canes—exercising the upper body as their legs—are a popular age-appropriate form of outdoor cardio that is safe and easy for many seniors to do. A group of researchers from Finland set out to compare the effects of these three different types of aerobic exercise on markers Acute effects on cardiometabolic fitness in terms of intensity, duration, and energy expenditure. They conducted a study involving 25 healthy elderly golfers (age 65 and over), Three types of acute aerobic exercise — 18 holes of golf, 6 km of Nordic walking and 6 km of walking — were compared in real-life settings for their blood pressure, blood sugar and lipids. For the study, researchers took blood samples, finger prick tests for blood sugar, and measured Participants’ blood pressure, while study subjects also wore fitness measuring devices to measure distance, duration, pace, energy expenditure and steps taken for specific exercises, and an EKG sensor with a chest strap to measure their heart rate. Findings show that all three types of aerobic exercise improve older adults despite exacerbations Differences in the duration and intensity of the cardiovascular condition – lowering systolic blood pressure also resulted in lower diastolic blood pressure during walking and Nordic walking. However, while golf is less intense than Nordic walking and walking, it lasts longer, The total energy expenditure involved in playing golf at a higher intensity appears to have a positive effect on blood lipids and glucose metabolism. This study has some limitations such as small sample size and accuracy of exercise equipment is questionable , and conducting research in a real-world setting does not allow all factors to be controlled as in a laboratory setting.
Additionally, the researchers only recruited golfers for the study because it was believed that non-golfers could not be expected to correctly Playing a game of golf while Nordic walking is considered a new sport by most participants may result in poor technique, reducing the effectiveness of Nordic walking activities. However, the authors concluded that “despite golf’s lower exercise intensity and longer duration, Higher energy expenditure had more positive effects on blood lipids and glucose metabolism than Nordic walking and walking.
“These age-appropriate aerobic exercise can be recommended to healthy older adults as a form of health-enhancing physical activity for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and as a therapeutic strategy to improve cardiometabolic health in those who already have cardiovascular disease . “
More information:
Comparing the Acute Physiological Effects of Effectiveness Playing Golf with Nordic Walking and Walking on Cardiometabolic Markers in Healthy Elderly Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study, BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001474
Citation: Golfing may be just as healthy or better than Nordic walking for older people (2023, February 6) Retrieved February 23, 2023 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-playing-golf-healthy-nordic-older.html This document is protected by copyright. Except for any fair dealing for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. The content is for informational purposes only.
