As the modern world battles a severe crisis in mental health, recent research suggests playing golf is a highly effective way to boost psychological wellbeing.
Professor Jenny Roe, environmental psychologist at the University of Virginia in the US, says golf’s powerful amalgamation of low-intensity exercise out in nature makes it one of the best activities to decrease stress and improve mental health.
“I think to get out and play golf you are really helping manage your mental health in a very holistic way,” Roe explained in an article called Golf Saved My Life, which was published by the Syngenta Growing Golf Campaign.
“When you step into a green space, there are a number of things that happen with both your physiology and your psychology.
“Your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in – the system that’s associated with relaxation – and your stress physiology actually changes.
“You literally manage stress more efficiently when you are around green space.
“And when it comes to exercise, which is great for mental health in itself, there’s a huge wealth of evidence, using robust, scientific methods, to show the benefits of ‘green exercise’ – exercise in the natural outdoors – as compared to, say, exercise in the gym or indoors.”
GOLF IS GOOD FOR YOUR MOOD
Roe’s insights revealed playing golf can relieve depression and anxiety and — contrary to popular opinion — reduce anger levels, while increasing brain function in other areas.
“Contact with nature allows us to recover from brain fatigue, reduces our stress levels and improves our mood,” Roe said.
“And when your mood improves that allows space for other things to improve, including your creativity, your cognitive flexibility and your ability to strategize.
“We know it (golf) helps relieve depression, anxiety and anger. We know it helps performance, relieving brain fog and mental fatigue.”
Roe believes the overwhelming 24/7 nature of social media and associated screen time has played a part in the parlous state of mental health in today’s society.
“I’m not completely anti-social media by any means,” Roe said.
“I think it can definitely help to connect people. But at the same time we have developed a loneliness epidemic in the UK and in the USA, along with increasing chronic mental health problems in terms of anxiety and depression.
“If you look at the increase of mental health problems among our teenagers and young people in particular, who tend to use social media the most, it’s truly shocking.
“Another really important facet to this crisis, though, is that we are all living more sedentary lifestyles.
“We are simply all sitting in front of screens for too long, for too many hours of the day. It’s at a point that people now say sedentary living is the new smoking.
“Technology can help us in extraordinary ways, of course, but the flip side is that we are not moving.
“And the association between physical activity and mental wellbeing is very well known.”
GOLF GETS YOU MOVING OUT IN NATURE
Roe also says golf’s key attributes of ‘green space’ exercise and its ability to connect participants socially makes it a triple threat to combat psychological illnesses and sedentary lifestyles.
“First of all, it’s a social sport,” Roe said.
“People can play alone, obviously, but most golfers tend to play with other people.
“Secondly, it’s improving your physical activity. It keeps you mobile, which is key.
“Thirdly, you are challenging yourself in terms of technique and practice.
“And finally you’re getting this big beneficial effect to your psychological wellbeing through exposure to the natural environment.
“Golf combines all of these factors in one activity.”