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Is golf an exercise?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 19, 2026

Golf can be good for your health and your heart. Walking an average course for a round of golf can be between five to seven kilometres. If you walk 18 holes three to five times a week, you'll get an optimal amount of endurance exercise for your heart.

Is golf considered a workout?

Golf offers both cardiovascular and strength exercise. A full round normally equates to around 3.6 to 3.8 miles, depending on where and how you play. Granted, again, a cart user will walk a bit less but they will still get plenty of exercise and certainly more than you would sitting on the couch.

Is golf considered moderate exercise?

Golf provides moderate-intensity physical activity that is recommended for people of all ages and genders for the longevity, physical and mental health benefits it offers, according to a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

What type of fitness is golf?

In reality, golf incorporates cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and even balance and coordination. With all of these benefits, it's hard to say no to a game of golf. One of the best parts of golf, from a fitness standpoint, is the high amount of cardiovascular activity that is involved in the sport.

Is golf a good exercise to lose weight?

Golf can absolutely help you lose weight. Walking an 18-hole golf course in four hours can burn up to 800 calories, or even more if the terrain is hilly and if you are carrying your golf clubs in a carry bag.

45 related questions found

Is 18 holes of golf a good workout?

The World Golf Foundation estimates that golfers who walk an 18-hole course clock about 5 miles and burn up to 2,000 calories.

Does golf work your abs?

Every time you swing your club, you're engaging your core muscles and improving their strength and mobility. It's no wonder pro golfers have some of the best abs around.

Is golf a vigorous exercise?

Studies of golfers have found that playing 18 holes is about equal to brisk walking in terms of intensity—even though golf walking is stop-and-go.

What muscles does golf work?

The most important muscles for golf are located in your core—which includes your chest and back—your forearms, and your butt. These muscles allow you to control the force and rotation of your swing, giving you more power over the ball itself.

What does golf do for your body?

Golf, specifically, provides moderately intense physical activity, such as walking, carrying your bag, and swinging. This increases your heart rate and blood flow, which results in a healthy heart, enhanced brain stimulation, and improved balance. Spectators and caddies can benefit from golf too!

Does golf tone your arms?

If you think that Golf is a low-impact, leisurely sport then you are mistaken. This game is great for your upper body, including your arms and back. The act of hitting the ball with a golf club has a strong impact on your core and arms muscles.

Does hitting golf balls burn calories?

If you figure you hit about 100 or so golf balls at the driving range in an hour, it works out to about two calories per swing. A fair estimate is that you burn anywhere from two to four calories each time you swing a golf club.

How long a walk is 18 holes of golf?

Play a round of regulation 18-hole golf on most courses and you'll walk anywhere between 3 and 6 miles, depending on the length of the course, how much walking you do before and after your game, and how often you have to wander off course in search of lost balls.

Are push-ups good for golf?

For golfers, the true benefits of push-ups are that they strengthen the pectoral (chest) muscles and improve stability of soft tissue in the shoulders. The rotator cuff muscles and deltoids play a key role in controlling the positions of the club as you swing, but also in safely stopping the club.

Does golf tone your body?

Playing golf regularly can help you: stay fit. improve muscle tone and endurance. lose weight and body fat.

How many calories does a game of golf burn?

Well, the good news is that researchers at Golf Monthly claim that a round of golf burns as many calories as an average 30-minute gym session – somewhere in the order of 1,400 or 1,500 calories.

Is hitting golf balls good exercise?

Conclusion – Hitting balls is most likely light exercise, but certainly not intense “golf exercise”. It probably falls into the 150 minutes of moderate activity that the American Heart Association recommends per week.

What muscles should be sore after golf?

While the most common area you're likely to feel some tightness is in your hamstrings, soreness can occur anywhere (calves, quads, groin).

Do you have to be in shape to play golf?

To play golf well, you need a certain level of physical fitness (despite what some critics might say). To get fit so that you can effectively play golf, you need to work (and stretch) those muscles!

Is walking a round of golf good exercise?

Walking golf is a great exercise for children and adults who love playing this invigorating sport. People who forgo the golf carts and hoof it on foot can find themselves burning off between 1,000 to 1,500 calories when playing all 18-holes. You can burn off more calories by carrying your clubs.

How many calories burned golfing 18 holes?

For an 18-hole round of golf, which can run from 4-5.5 hours, a walking golfer can burn anywhere from 1,200-3,000 calories. A golfer won't burn quite as many calories if they're walking the course but using a push cart, but the energy expended to push or pull a walking cart will come close to making up the difference.

How many miles is 10 000 steps?

How many steps in a mile? An average person has a stride length of approximately 2.1 to 2.5 feet. That means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile and 10,000 steps would be almost 5 miles.

Is golf hard to play?

Ultimately, golf is such a difficult sport to play—arguably, the most difficult—because it is, in essence, multiple sports rolled into one. You need power and gentleness, flexibility and control, and many people underestimate the physical requirements of the game of golf, so they struggle to make progress.

How long does it take to walk 5 miles?

But in general, briskly walking a mile can take anywhere from 13 to 20 minutes, according to UC Berkeley. As a result, the time it takes to walk 5 miles can range between an hour and five minutes to an hour and 40 minutes.

Do golfers live longer?

As golf can provide moderate-intensity physical activity – you can reap the rewards and outpace the grim reaper. A Swedish study found a 40% lower mortality rate amongst golfers, relative to non-golfers. That means a potential extra 5-years of life – regardless of age, or gender! Golfers live longer than non-golfers.