Rain or shine, racquetball is a great indoor sport that offers tremendous benefits for the whole body, inside and out. The best part of it is that it can be played by yourself, against an opponent or with a partner against another team of two players. Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Racquetball:
- Burns calories and fat: During a 20-minute game, the player runs approximately 3,650 feet, according to U.S. Olympic training center. In one hour of play, the player runs more than two miles and burns between 600 to 800 calories. Playing racquetball regularly will decrease body fat levels and maintain healthy weight.
- Strengthen bones and muscles: A weight-bearing exercise, racquetball makes your bones and muscles stronger, while slowing bone loss. You can develop and maintain muscle tone throughout your body as you use all your major muscle groups in a racquetball game.
- Good for heart health: Because you’re in constant motion, racquetball benefits your most important muscle — your heart. One hour of play is equivalent to running 2 miles.
- Improve balance, coordination and flexibility: In order to run across the court and dip low to hit that returning ball, you need balance, coordination and flexibility. You may stumble and miss that shot in your first game, but through practice, your hand-eye coordination and balance improves. You use a wide range of motion in racquetball, forcing your body to stretch, in turn increasing your flexibility.
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Improves hand-eye coordination and mental agility: Besides the musculoskeletal benefits, racquetball improves mental clarity and quickness by making quick and strategic decisions. It helps with neural adaptation by stimulating a faster connection between brain and muscle movements, which improves a player’s reflexes even off the racquetball court. Hand-eye coordination and eyesight are enhanced as well.
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Offers both aerobic and anaerobic benefits: The endurance aspect of racquetball improves the body’s aerobic capacity, while the short bursts of quick sprints improve the anaerobic capacity.
- Works the whole body: Racquetball taxes nearly every muscle group, including the lower body for running, the core for balance, and the upper body for hitting and controlling the ball.
- It’s fun: Racquetball is fun and competitive, and it will make people return to the court as often as they can. A sport you enjoy is a strong lure to get moving on days when you’re tempted to skip your fitness regimen.
- It’s social: Friendships are formed through racquetball. When you play against an opponent or with a partner on a doubles team, you start finding other racquetball players in your area, and your social circle grows. This will guarantee you’ll always have a workout partner to make your exercise fun!
- Reduces stress and lowers other health risks: Any physical activity can reduce stress by increasing your endorphins, but racquetball can especially erase your worries. When you’re caught up in the intense back-and-forth of racquetball, you’re not thinking about the day’s problems or tomorrow’s to-do list. Regular physical activity through racquetball can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Racquetball can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your “good” cholesterol.
