One of the things that’s easy to let slide as we age, is exercise. It also happens to be one of the most important things we should be keeping up with as we get older, though! Depending on you, your optimal choice of exercise may need to change as you get older.
While most seniors will be looking at aqua aerobics or bowling, we highly recommend golf. It’s everything a senior needs—low-impact, good cardiovascular exercise, and an opportunity to socialize and spend time in nature.
But an even more important factor is how golf can improve cognitive function in seniors. Physical exercise is excellent, but golf is a double whammy—it builds and maintains both the body and the mind.
Here are a few of the brain-related reasons we’d choose golf over any other sport for seniors to play. It’s a no-brainer!
It Creates New Neural Pathways
Any time you do something that requires learning a new movement or skill, you’re building new neural pathways. That means your brain is building new, smart ways of doing things… And strengthening and improving itself along the way.
Science says that the more active, strong neural pathways you have, the more likely you’ll be to hold onto that mental sharpness as you age.
Learning the correct way to swing the golf club, how to grip it properly, and figuring out the nuances of how hard to hit the ball on each shot all get your brain working in different ways… Sparking neural activity and building those neural pathways.
It Improves Concentration
You can’t play a round of golf—or even hit the driving range—without paying proper attention to what you’re doing. Swinging a golf club is as much about muscle memory as it is about actual muscles, so you need to develop a great mind-muscle connection.
Not only should you focus on every element of your swing, but you also need to concentrate on each and every shot. A lapse in concentration can cost you a shot… And in golf, a missed shot can set you back quite a bit.
The more often you play, the more chances you’ll have to improve your concentration. After some time, you’ll find that it becomes a natural thing to hone in your focus when you’re on the course… And that should start branching out to everyday life as well.
It Boosts Memory
When you start building new neural pathways, your cognition is bound to improve. Learning new movements, how to use new equipment, and which club to use when gets your brain working… And improves your memory.
Regular exercise gets the blood pumping to the brain, which brings oxygen and nutrients your brain desperately needs. One of the great things about golf is that it gets the heart pumping and the blood flowing while still being fairly relaxed.
There’s also plenty of evidence to suggest that being out in nature improves cognitive performance. The more you play, the more your memory is likely to improve as your new neural pathways develop and oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain becomes a regular thing.
It Helps Us Sleep Better
The more physical activity you get during the day, the more likely you are to have a deep, restful sleep at night.
This is particularly helpful for seniors who have trouble sleeping—the more physically tired your body is at the end of the day, the easier it is to fall asleep… And stay asleep.
Exercise sends endorphins through your bloodstream, which perform a lot of helpful processes in the body. It also causes your core temperature to increase.
As your temperature starts coming down and the endorphins begin wearing off, your body and mind start to wind down. This biological process within the body helps to facilitate increased relaxation as you go to bed and helps you to get more deep sleep.
Deep sleep is where the body and brain heal. Simply having more and better quality deep sleep every night improves cognitive function!
It Gives Us Purpose
Having something to work on and improve every day is necessary. When we’re young, it’s our job, our relationship, our hobbies, and our family. But as we age, those things become less purposeful. Once we’ve retired, purpose sometimes becomes hard to come by.
Introducing a new sport to learn and work on can add a sense of purpose again. Golf isn’t the easiest of sports out there—it requires work, thought, and practice. Every round is different. Challenging. And there’s always something new to work on.
Playing golf can add a sense of purpose to life that’s essential for seniors in order to maintain their best cognitive health.
It Builds Confidence
Confidence is another essential element that seniors need in order to age healthily. Being confident means that you’re able to stay mobile and independent for longer. Physical and mental health are closely linked in seniors, so staying active with the golf can make a huge difference.
When you can get out on the golf course, get active, spend time in nature, and see improvements in your game, not only will your confidence go up, but it’ll keep you mentally sharp for longer.
It Keeps Us Social
Staying in touch with others is also extremely important as we age. Loneliness can contribute to cognitive decline faster than most other things can, so the social aspect of golf is much more important than you might realize.
Whether you meet a few others at the closest indoor golf arena, play mini-golf with friends, or spend a full round on the course, the social side of golf can improve cognitive performance.
Conclusion
If you’re a senior looking for a sport to enjoy or you know and love a senior that you’re interested in keeping happy and healthy, golf is a fantastic choice. While you do need some equipment and a few accessories to get started, it’s worth it for the many physical and cognitive benefits.
Golf courses are plenty, but you don’t need to join a club in order to be able to play. Some places may offer indoor golf like TopGolf, or you can install a golf net or a simulator if you’re able. There are plenty of options for seniors to get their golf fix in and reap the rewards!
