Acting Up: Healthy living

One of my favourite arguments in favour of Golf, usually with my wife, is that it?s a great form of exercise. But how true a statement is this.

Alright, I?m sure that Paula Radcliffe doesn?t include a quick 18 at her local Muni in her marathon training programme, but as we all know walking is good for you, ergo so is golf.

Some further research uncovered some surprising facts. Now pay attention to this, it may save your (golfing) life.

Playing Golf for 1hr as a 168 pound man, Moi, and carrying your clubs, you burn around 400 calories. Wow, 400 calories. And the heavier you are the more calories you burn.

Just think about it. That?s more than the following:

Low impact aerobics

Cycling at 10mph

Horse riding

Skiing

Ice Skating

Mowing the lawn (Important to know that)

Three hours of golf and your burning 1200 calories. And it?s not surprising. Let?s say a course is 6500 yds long. That?s 3.7 miles. That however is in a straight line and unless you?re Fergus Bisset that?s not how you play golf, so let?s say we add on half that again. That?s 5.5 miles carrying a 25 pound bag.

This begs the question why aren?t all Golfers Chiselled Adonis?. The answer lies in Golf?s accoutrements. For instance:

Bacon and egg sandwich 300 cals

Pint of beer 200 cals

Packet of crisps 250 cals

Fish and chips 800 cals

Even the highly thought of banana has 90 of the damn things, so as you can see it?s easy to become ?Calorie neutral?. This may account for the fact that although I?ve played much golf on tour this year, my once proud six-pack now resembles a party keg

So go easy off the course and go hard on it. You?ll soon be enjoying the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through your favourite pastime. And as you?re walking out the door, golf bag in hand, your wife counters with the argument that making love is the best exercise of all, agree with her but then ask whether in all honesty she really expects it to last for three hours.