The world is in a pandemic, and this has turned many of our lives completely upside down. Many people are too afraid to leave their homes because they don’t know if it’s safe to go anywhere. And even if they did want to go somewhere, many businesses are closed or function very differently. And for those who are 65 or older, the risks of very serious illness or worth are much higher if they do happen to contract the virus.Â
The truth of the matter, though, is that people need to get out of their homes. And this is especially true for senior citizens. They need to move their bodies, get in the outdoors, and interact with other people. Each one of these things contributes to better health and happiness. The good news is, we have the perfect activity for seniors (or people of any age) that will get them to move their bodies, get in the outdoors, and interact with other people. And it can be done, even amidst a worldwide pandemic, in a perfectly safe way. That activity is golf. For some great information on the best golf equipment for seniors, check out https://www.golftreasury.com/
Golf Gets You Outdoors
Being outdoors and breathing fresh air has been tied to greater happiness and reduced stress. It helps improve how you feel emotionally, mentally, and physically. It also exposes you to the sun, which is the best natural way for us to get the vitamin D our bodies need. Vitamin D has so many great benefits, and one particular benefit that is particularly germane today, is that it helps make our immune system stronger. This is critically important right now because as we quarantine ourselves, staying cooped up in our homes, our immune systems are weakening as a result of not being exposed to germs, bacteria, or the sun. In the event that you – heaven forbid – contract the coronavirus, a strong immune system is necessary to be able to overcome it.Â
Golfing Requires You to Move Your Body
There is a significant amount of walking when you go golfing. Even if you ride in a cart, you still do a good amount of walking throughout the round as you approach each shot, the tee box, and the greens. Better still is if you forego the cart and walk the whole course. You will be getting a whole lot of steps without realizing it. The swing also uses your entire body, from the legs, through the back, to the shoulders, and throughout the arms. A golf swing exercises every major muscle group with very low impact movements. This is beneficial to all who participate, but especially beneficial for older people who may not exercise very often.
A Great Social Activity
Golfing is an activity that people of any age can and do enjoy, which means you can golf with family members and friends and everybody will have a great time. Even just playing 9 holes takes a good couple of hours, which leaves a lot of time for friendly banter, light discussions, or even heart to hearts. This type of social interaction, a.k.a. meaningful relationships, are the very heartbeat of life and longevity. Golf is one of the best activities for building relationships because everybody can have a great time playing together.
You Can Be Perfectly Safe
As long as you take a couple of minor precautions, you can be perfectly safe on a golf outing. Of course, you should wear a mask in the clubhouse when paying for your round. After you pay, wash or sanitize your hands. Most businesses take the safety of their customers very seriously, so it’s likely they are taking extra measures to make sure the golf carts and push carts are sanitized in between each use. That said, bring a couple of sanitizer wipes and thoroughly wipe down the steering wheel on the golf cart and any other places you expect to touch. If you’re walking, thoroughly wipe down the handles of your push cart. Golf already lends itself to social distancing as proper etiquette requires you to stand a good 10 feet away from anybody who is taking a shot. As long as there is just one person per cart, social distancing is easy and for the most part occurs naturally. You can even bypass the mask during your round and you will be completely safe.
Conclusion
Taking care of our minds, emotions, and bodies is more important now than ever before as being in good health plays a large role in what happens if you were to contract the virus. Getting outdoors, walking and moving our bodies, and building and maintaining strong relationships through social interactions are very effective for improving and maintaining good mental, emotional, and physical health. And the fact that having a great time comes as an ancillary benefit is icing on the cake!
