walkinggolf.com

Why every golfer should have the choice to play a healthy game.

By Wade Aubry, M.D., Golf Digest. May 1990.
Walking has always been an enjoyable part of golf, and now an increasing number of medical studies clearly shows that walking provides significant health benefits as well. Yet the trend toward the use of motorized golf carts continues at clubs and resorts in this country, not only by players with medical disabilities but, alarmingly, by young, healthy golfers.

This is occurring despite an unprecedented interest in physical fitness by the American public, which is obviously not totally aware of the health benefits of walking. The primary benefit, a critically important one, appears to be the the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and thus an increase in life expectancy.

A landmark study concerning the benefits of physical activity has been conducted since 1962 by Dr. Ralph Paffenbarger, a professor at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Ca. The ongoing study is finding a consistently lower death rate as physical activity increases. With respect to walking, the risk of death drops 21 percent as walking distance increases from fewer than three miles to nine or more miles per week.

Furthermore, those tested who have been varsity athletes during college, but became sedentary in later years, have higher death rates than their classmates who continue regular excercise after college.

Increased physical activity leads to improved physical fitness, which can be measured with an excercise treadmill test. In a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Steven Blair and colleagues from the Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas published the most revealing comprehensive study on physical fitness to date. Using a maximal treadmill excercise test, approximately 10,000 healthy men and 3,000 healthy women were studied over a period of 15 years. The results proved striking. Moderate excercise such as regular walking, greatly reduced the risk of early death in both men and women. Mortality dropped from 64 per 10,000 person-years in the least-fit men (39.5 in women) to 25.5 in those individuals with a fitness level that can be achieved by moderate regular excercise (20.5 in women).

These findings were primarily related to lowered rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer and remained significant after adjusting for other factors such as high blood pressure and smoking. The amount of additional benefit achieved by more vigorous exercise was not nearly as much as that achieved by moving from a sedentary to a moderate fitness level. Therefore, even a moderate improvement in fitness among the sedentary results in a significant health benefit.

How do we compare the excercise and caloric benefits of ambulatory golf versus automotive golf? Playing golf with a power cart burns between 2.5 and 3.7 calories per minute while playing golf walking burns between 5 and 8.5 calories per minute. This compares to 5 to11 calories per minute burned while playing tennis. Therefore, walking with a light bag, pullcart, caddie (or motorcaddie) provides twice the benefit of caloric expenditure as riding a cart.

The arguments in favor of walking as a valid form of excercise are substantial. It is also an activity that can be enjoyed throughout life by both men and women. According to Walking Magazine, almost two out of three serious walkers are women, 25 percent of whom are over the age of 65.

In my view, there are other tangible benefits of walking that extend beyond these important health factors. Among them:

• Forward movement toward the ball is promoted rather than lateral movement from the cart path or rough, thereby speeding the pace of play.
• Tempo, rythm,target orientation and club selection are all enhanced. Walking toward the ball with the target in sight prepares the player for the shot at hand.
• Competition, companionship and conversation among players are also facilitated, free from the distraction of motor vehicles. Walking is a very enjoyable activity.

On the other hand, golf carts promote sedentary habits, air and noise pollution and damage to the golf course, especially when the ground is wet. I believe golf carts contribute to slower, not faster play by being driven in roundabout routes, by not preparing the player for the upcoming stroke and by the loss of the line of sight when searching for a lost ball. In Scotland, golfers of all ages walk and play, without a golf cart in sight, much faster than their American counterparts.

As a physician, I am very aware of players with medical disabilities that prevent them from walking. The use of a golf cart for these individuals is worthwhile and should be preserved. For the vast majority of other players, the use of carts is contrary to the spirit of the game and contrary to the benefits of the game. Walking is the basic, integral part of golf. It also promotes good health.