Striking Out Stress: The Comprehensive Benefits of Bowling

Bowling is a sport that has likely been around in some form for centuries now. Some evidence suggests it can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians around 5,000 B.C. But bowling didn’t start to take shape in the U.S. until the late 1800s and early 1900s when American bowling champion Joe Thum, better known as “The Father of American Bowling,” began opening up bowling alleys throughout the country.

Today, the U.S. is home to almost 3,000 bowling alleys. If you haven’t visited one in a while, you should look to change that soon since bowling can provide a long list of benefits. Check out some of the comprehensive benefits of bowling below.

Provides Cardio Exercise

Many recent studies have shown that most Americans don’t get enough exercise. One study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in particular, revealed that less than 30% of people get the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week. At first glance, bowling may not look like the most intense form of exercise, but it can provide more cardio than you might realize.

When you bowl, you’ll take an average of about 87 steps per minute. As a result, you can walk about half a mile for every ten frames you bowl, which can lead to you burning up to 300 calories per hour in some cases. Best of all, you won’t find yourself huffing and puffing when you bowl like you will when you do other types of exercises. You’ll enjoy getting your cardio in at the bowling alley.

Increases Muscle Strength

Bowling requires more than just taking your fair share of steps. You’ll also work out many of the muscles throughout your body, including those in your arms, shoulders, back, legs, and even your hands and feet, every time you pick up a bowling ball and throw it down the lane.

Ideally, you should invest in high-quality Elite bowling balls that are weighted appropriately for you. If you spend enough time inside a bowling alley, you might be surprised to see how much stronger you will become over time.

Improves Flexibility

In addition to providing you with cardio exercise and making many of your muscles stronger, going bowling can also work wonders for your flexibility. Bowling will call for you to twist and turn your body in so many different ways, and it’ll make your body as a whole more flexible than it has been in the past.

You will want to be careful about twisting and turning too much at first if you don’t bowl regularly. Try to stretch right before you walk into a bowling alley to get your body warmed up. As long as you do this, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about sustaining any bowling-related injuries. You’ll be more flexible than ever before in no time.

Alleviates Stress

Unfortunately, stress has become a big part of so many people’s lives in recent years. A recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association discovered that more than one-quarter of American adults are so stressed these days that they don’t feel they can function normally.

Is stress starting to take a serious toll on your life? If so, bowling can help reduce and eliminate the stress you feel every day. Bowling will get your blood flowing and increase the endorphins in your body. These feel-good hormones can help you get rid of pain, put you into a better mood, and stop stress from wreaking havoc on you.

Time to Socialize

As a bonus, bowling will also put you in a position to socialize with your family and friends. If you decide to join a league, you can even expand your existing social circle. This is a great way to combat any loneliness and isolation you may feel while also getting out of the house and having fun.

Head Down to Your Local Bowling Alley Today

Bowling is the perfect way to spend some time with your favorite people, get your blood pumping, and have some fun. And since all of these can be great mood boosters on their own, bowling has the potential to help you relieve some of that stress you’re carrying. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and have some fun!