Health Benefits of Playing Badminton
It
is a well-known fact that indulging in aerobic sports activity like badminton
gives multiple health benefits and
promotes longevity.
In
fact it has been found that playing badminton till you get an increase in heart
rate or mild breathlessness regularly in middle age lowers the risk of death by
about 23% in the subsequent 20 years and improves longevity by at least 2
years. The optimal health benefits are achieved by playing badminton for at least 30 minutes a day after adequate
warm up.
The
main health benefit is reduction of bad cholesterol and increase in good
cholesterol with regular badminton play. In our body, total cholesterol,
triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low density lipoproteins
(VLDL) are bad cholesterols and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the only good
cholesterol.
Playing
badminton regularly increases the levels
of HDL good cholesterol while decreasing the levels of bad cholesterols. As
bad cholesterols decrease the size of blood vessels promoting heart attacks and
strokes, reduction in their levels translates into multiple health benefits for
the individual.
Playing
regular badminton conditions the body so that the basal heart rate drops a few
beats per minute and blood pressure is reduced. Both these effects are helpful in hypertensive individuals. It may
help them to ward off their hypertension without medicines and even if they are
needed, only fewer amounts are required.
Another
particular health benefit of playing regular badminton is protection from heart
disease, especially heart attacks.
Playing badminton conditions and strengthens the heart muscle besides reducing
hypertension and keeping blood vessels from clogging as we have seen earlier.
Even people with pre-existing heart disease can benefit by playing badminton
within their endurance levels under medical supervision and advise.
Regular
indulgence in badminton helps overweight people to reduce their weight and attain optimal weight for their height and age.
This effect is due to the excess calories burnt during playing badminton which
prevents them from accumulating as fat and increasing the individual's weight.
Moreover,
the existing fat deposits are also mobilized to produce energy while playing
badminton. But for achieving optimal weight loss, it has to be combined with
diet modification as well.
Osteoporosis
is a troublesome problem especially in the elderly and women after menopause.
It occurs because the bones loose their density due to complex interactions
between the body hormones, bone forming and bone dissolving cells. Individuals
with osteoporosis can easily sustain fractures because of reduced bone strength
to withstand stress and injury.
Osteoporosis
can be prevented or delayed by regularly playing badminton, as physical
activity is one major factor that prevents osteoporosis, irrespective of the
age and sex of the individual. Playing badminton promotes the activity of the bone forming cells and help in the
assimilation of calcium in the bone matrix, thereby strengthening it.
Additional
health benefit of playing regular badminton is reduced incidence of cancers
like cancer of the large bowel and cancer of breast.
Finally,
playing badminton keeps you feeling
well, strong, motivated, enthusiastic and young. It helps to ward off
depression, anxiety, stress and increase self-esteem. It also helps in enjoying
a better sleep in the night, thereby minimizing the incidence of pre-existing
illnesses getting aggravated due to lack of sleep.