With the year just about to come to a close, many people are preparing for their new year’s resolutions, which quite frequently have to do with eating better and getting more exercise. As part of your resolution to get yourself more active, why not take up bowling? Bowling isn’t just a whole lot of fun (and, if you want, competitive), but it also has a variety of health benefits that come with it.

At our bowling alley in Hampton, VA, we’re always excited to see visitors enjoying themselves and getting some exercise in the process. Here are just a few examples of the health benefits associated with bowling:

  • Strengthen muscles: Bowling exercises a lot of the muscles in your lower body, since you’re doing a lot of walking with the extra weight of the ball in your hands. As you swing to release the ball, the flexing you do also helps strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your arms.
  • Exercise for all ages: People of all ages, from young children to seniors, are capable of getting out and bowling, meaning it’s a form of exercise you can enjoy at any stage of your life. It’s not always easy for elderly people to find ways to get active if their mobility is relatively limited, but bowling is a sport that anyone can enjoy, regardless of what stage of life they’re in.
  • Get the whole family active: Because bowling is fun for all ages, it’s also a great way you can get out and get your whole family active and moving around. The rules are also quite easy to understand, so you don’t have to worry about your children getting frustrated or bored.
  • Help spur weight loss: Bowling can help you speed up your metabolism, which in turn helps encourage weight loss. If you’re looking to slim down as part of your new year’s resolution, that means bowling is a great way to help out! If you keep constantly moving while playing, you can help your body burn some excess fat. You’ll exercise your legs while walking around, and work your entire body in the motion to send the ball down the lane during the game. On average, a bowler will walk 3/5 of a mile during a three-game series, which means you can burn anywhere from 17 to 300 calories per game. A 200-pound adult will burn up to 275 calories per hour on average while bowling, according to some studies.
  • Reduce your disease risk: If bowling can help you lose weight and improve your metabolism, that means it also helps you reduce your risk of disease. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, as is a sedentary lifestyle. Bowling helps you get more active and gets you up and off the couch. The more exercise you get, the lower your risk of health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes and diabetes, and the better your circulation, bone density, blood pressure and cholesterol will become.

For more information about the health benefits of bowling, contact Sparetimes or pay a visit to our bowling alley in Hampton, VA today.

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