Add Five Years to Your Life : Play Golf : Swedish Medical Study Shows Golfers Live Longer : The Lower Your Handicap the Better : It's the Game !

Want to live up to five years longer?

Get out to your local golf course more often and play the game!

According to a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, data from 300,000 Swedish golfers shows that the death rate for golfers is 40% lower than for non-golfers, regardless of their socioeconomic status, which equates to an increased life expectancy of five years. In fact, the better your handicap, the longer you live. The reason for this is probably that better golfers walk more, i.e. play more rounds of golf, and are out in the fresh air longer.


Image linked from redOrbit.com
One of the authors of the study, Professor Anders Ahlbom is quoted at redOrbit.com:

"A round of golf means being outside for four or five hours, walking at a fast pace for six to seven kilometres, something which is known to be good for the health," he says. "People play golf into old age, and there are also positive social and psychological aspects to the game that can be of help.... Maintaining a low handicap involves playing a lot, so this supports the idea that it is largely the game itself that is good for the health."

Of course, the GolfPundit plays golf:

The GolfPundit at age 62 was the Men's Champion
at his golf club. Here, as an exception, I put in a
plug for the clubs I use, which anyone can afford.
GigaGolf.com is where my clubs were made. Try it.


Hat tip to Martha and also to redOrbit.com for drawing my attention to the medical study.