Researchers at the University of South Australia have concluded that playing golf can help relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis, a chronic disease that affects the joints. Scientific work published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
A group of Australian scientists surveyed 459 golfers with osteoarthritis about their health. The researchers then compared their findings to the responses of more than 16,000 non-golfers in Australia with a chronic illness.
As it turned out, 91% of golfers with joint disease rated their health as “good,” “very good,” or “excellent,” while only 64% of respondents from the general group with osteoarthritis reported good health.
The researchers also compared the stress levels in the two groups. According to the study, people with chronic diseases who do not play golf (22%) are almost three times more stressed than those who do sports (8%).
According to scientists, the well-being of golfers with osteoarthritis is associated with regular physical activity: participants, on average, walk eight to ten kilometers per round of golf. Thus, people in this group are not only less at risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, but also become accustomed to physical activity.