After playing my first game of Squash this weekend and really enjoying it, I decided to do some research online to find out more about the sport. Since it is something that I would like to do frequently, I wanted to know if it could be a healthy addition to my weekly routine. So, I put together a list of the benefits of practicing this sport.
Playing Squash comes with numerous health benefits. Squash provides players with a great cardio exercise (thus helping with weight loss), as well as strength training. Besides, it helps players improve their focus and hand-eye coordination skills. These are just some of the few health benefits of playing Squash.
When most people hear the word Squash, they usually think of the yellow summer vegetable. However, it is actually the name of a very popular sport too, one that comes with a lot of health benefits.
Although Squash is usually deemed a dangerous sport with a lot of risk for injury, many would be surprised to learn all of the great things that you can get out of it. In this article, we will be exploring all of the incredible health benefits that come with playing Squash.
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Squash is considered to be one of the healthiest sports in the world. This is due to all of the movements that you are required to carry out as you are playing, which will obviously benefit you from an exercise standpoint.
Below, we’ll go through more than 20 health benefits of playing Squash.
Physical Health Benefits of Playing Squash
When it comes to playing the game of Squash, there are actually a lot of health benefits that you can gain from the sport. Squash is a game that requires a lot of physical activity, from running to swinging a racquet and using your muscles to hit a ball. Just like any other kind of sport, Squash is an excellent source of exercise, and with that comes a lot of great things for your body and mind.
1. Helps you to stay active.
The game helps you get active, not only while you are playing, but also in your daily life. On the weekends, you might be more inclined to get out and do something constructive instead of being lazy.
2. Great exercise to burn calories.
There is no doubt that playing Squash is a great exercise for your entire body, and will help you burn a lot of calories if you are seeking to lose some weight.
3. Increases strength.
If you are not looking to burn off fat, but you would like to gain some muscle strength, then playing Squash can do that for you. It will target all of your major muscle groups, and help you to become stronger while also toning your muscles.
So, instead of spending hours in the gym lifting weights to get a certain look, you can head to the squash court with some friends and get it done in a more entertaining way instead.
4. Effective cardio exercise.
Squash is a great source of cardio exercise due to all of the running and repetitive movements and promotes healthy sweating. These movements will also help you to improve your stamina, and you might be surprised at how long you can hold up on a jog after a few weeks of playing.
5. Improve your heart health.
Although Squash is labeled as a dangerous sport, especially for those who have issues with their heart, and has been known to cause heart attacks in various situations, it can actually work to improve heart health.
If you consult your doctor and pace yourself on the court, you can actually strengthen the muscles in your heart and even lower your cholesterol, if that is something that you struggle with as well.
6. Improves flexibility and agility.
Playing Squash on a regular basis will help you to become more flexible and agile, and will also improve your hand-eye coordination. The game requires focusing on the ball and hitting it, which will consequently help you become more coordinated.
7. Promotes better posture.
The muscles in your back can also become strengthened through playing Squash frequently. This can help you to improve your posture and form while you are performing other activities throughout your daily life.
8. Improves metabolism.
Lastly, your metabolism can also be improved through frequent squash-playing. This will help you if you are trying to lose weight, and with your digestive process as a whole.
Mental Health Benefits of Playing Squash
Along with all of the great health benefits that come with Squash in relation to cardio exercise and toning the muscles, there are also some additional benefits that are related to the mind and mental health in particular.
9. Improves concentration.
First of all, Squash can help you concentrate a lot better. Since playing the game involves following a moving ball with your eyes and hitting it with your racquet, you will need to have increased focus the entire time.
The ball will be flying across the room and bouncing on the walls at extremely fast speeds, meaning that any small mistake can be detrimental. If you are not paying attention to the squash ball, it is very likely that you will suffer from some kind of injury.
10. Keeps you mentally sharp.
As a result, it will force you to keep an intense focus during the entire duration of the game, and more practice with this concept will train your mind to apply this kind of concentration even when you leave the court.
Aside from concentration, playing Squash can sharpen your mind as a whole. You might notice that you are quicker on your feet when you begin playing regularly.
11. Increases level of motivation.
With the improvement of brain activity overall due to playing Squash very frequently, you will also start to notice that you have higher levels of motivation. Physical activity has a way of making you feel productive, and you will act accordingly as well.
12. Increases happiness and self-confidence.
The other benefits that come with Squash include a boost in psychological well-being and self-confidence. The chemicals that are released in your brain while you are playing will work to make you feel happy and content.
When you start to get good at the sport, you will feel unstoppable on the court and more confident when you step outside.
13. Keeps you social.
In addition to all of these other health benefits, you will have the opportunity to socialize with a lot of new people. While this might not seem like it will help your health very much, it actually will.
14. Releases stress.
Being around friends and laughing will really assist you in boosting your mental well-being and create lasting happiness. In doing this on a daily or weekly basis, you will be able to release a significant amount of stress.
Just like almost any other kind of physical activity, being frequent can help you blow off all of the steam that you need to get rid of from your stressful week and get back to your normal routine without having anything hanging over your head.
Last word
As you can see, there are so many health benefits that come from playing the game of Squash, that it can become hard to count them all! Regardless of whether you would like to pick up Squash professionally or as a weekend hobby, there is no doubt that you will be able to improve yourself in a variety of ways: from body to mind.