Sport for life!

June 28, 2022| News + Events, Past Issues

There are not many activities that continue throughout one’s life, walking is the most obvious but there is a sport and that is lawn bowls.

Get Healthy, start bowling!
It doesn’t matter what age you are you will benefit from bowls. It will improve your fitness, coordination and skills. It will enhance wellbeing and will connect you with the community.

Bowls builds lean muscle and stronger bones
It is well documented that lifting weights helps you build lean muscle, stronger bones and burn more calories. For women it’s especially important as they lose 5% of muscle mass every decade and that starts in their 30s. Bowls weigh up to 1.5 kilograms and in a game, you bowl up to 84 times, that’s bowling 126 kilograms!

Bowls improves vascular health
Physical activity, whether intense and vigorous or as leisurely as a walk in the park, helps improve vascular health. Playing bowls will reduce cardiovascular disease and the onset of strokes and heart attacks. An average game will result in completing about 2,000 steps but because you are involved both socially and competitively you won’t notice. Bowls promotes functional ability A gym workout involves sit ups, lunges etc. A game of bowls involves bending down up to 84 times to pick up your bowl and 84 times leaning forward to bowl it. How many people do 168 exercises in a gym session? Don’t forget you are socialising and concentrating and you won’t notice.

Bowls improves cognitive health
Bowls requires coordination, agility and strategy. Refining your tactics, concentrating for long periods and maintaining mental alertness will not only help you maintain a good level of motor skills, it will also improve your brain health.

Bowling is good for your mood, social relationships and enjoyment
It’s a community sport. It is a pastime with like-minded people coming together to enjoy competition, camaraderie and physical activity.

By John Kershaw

John Kershaw is Captain of Burpham Bowling Club in Sutherland Memorial Park.

To find out more please contact him on 07811 142435 or email burphambowlingclub2@gmail.com