The #1 Reason Golfers Live Longer (Most Miss This)

The #1 Reason Golfers Live Longer (Most Miss This)

You’ve probably heard the quote that golf is a good walk spoiled. I actually hate it. But what if that walk and everything else about golf actually helps you live longer? A massive study in Sweden followed over 300,000 golfers and found something really shocking. On average, they had a 40% lower death rate and lived about 5 years longer than non-golfers. Now, a lot of golfers in the United States are missing out on some of the key benefits of this life extension, which I’m going to discuss in this video. But it begs the question, why would chasing a little white ball around a field, actually add years to your life, even more so than people who jog or swim? Let’s dig into it. The Swedish golfers looked at golfers of all ages, handicaps, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Now, most people would just assume that it was the rich golfers who were getting the extra life expectancy. But they were surprised to find out that that wasn’t the case. The benefit was seen in men, women, young, old, across all socioeconomic groups. Now, you might be thinking, well, maybe these golfers eat better and just live healthier. But here’s the interesting part. the lowest handicaps, the ones who are playing the most golf had the biggest advantage, which strongly suggests that there’s something about the game itself that’s driving these benefits. So, what is it about golf that makes it such a healthy activity? Well, I think the best part about this game is that it’s a really good workout without feeling like one. Sometimes when I look at my golf course, which is a massive open field with all these hills, and I say to myself, there’s no chance I would walk across this thing up and down those hills for 4 hours. I would just get really bored and quit. But since I’m so obsessed with golf, I don’t even think about the fact that I’m walking 18 holes and blowing past the 10,000 step mark. We are easily covering between 4 to 7 miles. And some studies show that we’re burning upwards of 1,500 calories when we walk the golf course. And in other studies where they measured golfers heart rates, they found that walking a hilly course put them in the same moderate intensity zone that doctors recommend for our heart health. So you are getting cardio benefits, but it doesn’t feel like this massive slog when sometimes we force ourselves to exercise. That’s why for years I’ve been pleading with golfers to walk the course if they can. Now unfortunately in the US a lot of golfers aren’t even allowed to walk courses and it’s really not part of our culture. But I’ve been playing in Scotland for years and you literally need a medical exemption to get a golf cart. So it makes a lot of sense why these Swedish golfers lived longer because they are also pretty much walking the golf course as well. But if you are physically able to walk the course and it allows it, here’s some more data on the health benefits of walking. A massive metaanalysis of 15 studies all around the world found the same thing as this golf study, which is that people with higher step counts have lower death rates. A walking habit has been shown to improve your mood, control your weight, improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of stroke, even diabetes, and certain cancers. For the past 5 years, I’ve been walking about 35 to 40 minutes a day, five times a week, in addition to when I golf, and it’s one of the best habits that I’ve adopted. I can think clearly. It always seems to improve my mood. I can talk to my wife without distractions. And it’s even loosened up my back, amongst many other things. So, consider getting yourself a push cart or even a motorized cart and get walking. you are going to see some great upgrades in your body and the evidence is really clear that you’re adding years to your life. Now, in addition to that, I’m a big believer that walking the course enhances your experience by kind of soaking in your surroundings. But it’s also one of the secrets to playing better. One of the reasons I hate zooming around the course on a cart is because I don’t have as much time to think between shots. I’ll use my walk sometimes to clear my mind and ask myself some good questions if I just hit a poor shot or even if I feel my round starting to get out of control. As I approach my ball, I’m already starting to size up my shot. How’s the wind blowing? Is there an elevation change? What does the green complex look like? Or I’m able to have a better conversation with a playing partner and just enjoy the experience more. All right, I’ll stop my sales pitch for walking now. I think you’re getting the point. But even if you do ride in a cart, you’re getting some really good benefits of a light to moderate workout. Every swing you make is engaging your core, your legs, and your back. And we all have to walk to and from the golf cart. And even if you’re riding, you can still burn 5 to 800 calories, which does help with weight management. But here’s one of the most important factors for why golf is a perfect activity for longevity compared with all the other sports out there. Because it’s low impact, golfers can keep playing and reaping all of these benefits into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s. That’s where golf crushes a lot of other sports. You can’t exactly play tackle football at 75 or basketball at 83, but you can still tee it up. Now, for context, a large Danish study found that joggers gained 3 years of lifespan and swimmers were roughly 3 and 1/2 years, which didn’t touch the 5 years that they found in golf. So, the ability to continue playing and keep moving your body gives it an advantage on plenty of other sports that phase out as we get older. We now know that living a sedentary lifestyle is just as dangerous or even more dangerous than smoking cigarettes for longevity. And golf really is a perfect way to avoid this. Now, all these physical benefits of golf are part of the large reason for this life extension that they saw. But according to researchers, there was another element of golf that contributes to this longevity, and it has to do with the social connections we make and the mental health benefits that we see from playing this game. So, what happens when we play golf? You’re outside in nature, which has been shown to reduce stress, even though golf can sometimes induce stress. You’re soaking in vitamin D from the sun, which boosts your mood and energy, and also has major preventative effects to various diseases and even cancers. You’re problem solving on every hole, which keeps your brain sharp. But most importantly, golf is social. The same Swedish study suggested that the community side of golf, playing with your friends, is a big reason that we live longer. We all need human connection, and golf gives you plenty of it. Just like living a sedentary lifestyle, we’re starting to understand how loneliness, particularly later in life, is comparable to other risk factors like smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. In 2010, a meta analysis of 148 studies found that people with stronger social relationships had a 50% higher risk of survival than those with weaker social ties. In a huge analysis of 90 cohort studies, they found that social isolation was linked to increased cancer and cardiovascular mortality. And additionally, men seem to be at a much greater risk than women, showing a 41% increase in mortality due to loneliness. And a famous Harvard study that followed a group of men for nearly 80 years found that good social connections were the number one thing that the happiest, longest living people have in common. Now, I don’t mean to get too preachy, but it’s getting harder and harder to have real social interactions due to technology. Personally, I’m valuing golf more than ever because I’m getting hours of time outside away from my phone and spending time with friends and even making new ones. I really do think that this game is the perfect antidote to a lot of the health and social issues that the world is facing these days. And I’m sure many of you watching this feel a strong sense of community in the golf leagues that you play in or the clubs that you belong to or even striking up a conversation with the stranger for a few hours that you got paired with that day. I always find it amazing how well you can really get to know someone after just one round of golf. and I’ve made some really good friendships from random playing partners in tournaments or other functions that I’ve been to over the years. So, the next time that someone teases you that golf is just a game, tell them that you’re actually building a longer, healthier life. And if you want to maximize those benefits, consider walking the course and leave the cart behind. Every step, every swing, every laugh with your friends is gaining you real health benefits. So, golf isn’t a good walk spoil. I think it’s the best walk you’ll ever take. Now, if you want to enjoy the game more and shoot lower scores, I’ve got plenty of other videos on this channel to help. And you can always check out my bestselling book, The Four Foundations of Golf, on Amazon for my entire philosophy on how to get better. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you on the next

Check out my best-selling book, The Four Foundations of Golf: https://amzn.to/3BMTJDY

Golf might just be the most underrated longevity secret on the planet.

A massive Swedish study followed over 300,000 golfers and found they lived five years longer than non-golfers, with a 40% lower death rate across men and women of all ages. In this video, I’ll break down why golf is such a powerful health booster, what the science really says, and how you can get the same life-extending benefits just by playing the game you love.

You’ll learn:
⛳ The real reason golfers live longer (hint: it’s not just the exercise)
🚶‍♂️ Why walking the golf course is one of the best workouts you can do without feeling like one
🧠 How the social and mental side of golf protects your brain and your mood
❤️ How golf compares to jogging, swimming, and other sports for longevity
🌤 The research-backed health benefits of being outdoors and connecting with others

Golf isn’t just a “good walk spoiled” – it’s a proven way to improve your health, boost happiness, and maybe even add years to your life.

If you want to enjoy the game more, play better, and live longer – this video is for you.

Who am I?

My name is Jon Sherman 👋. I’m a best-selling author, PGA Tour coach, and a golfer just like you. I aim to help golfers of all levels lower their scores and enjoy the game more, but without talking about the golf swing. I focus on four topics – expectation management, strategy, practice, and the mental game. I’ll share some of my best advice on this channel in an easy-to-understand, actionable format.

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