The badminton practice It has a positive impact on the physical and psychological health of those who practice it, which makes this sport an ideal resource to achieve and maintain a state of well-being that implies an improvement in the quality of life of both young people and adults and the elderly.
Carlos Longo Esteban, technical director and head of the Andalusian Training Center belonging to the Andalusian Federation of Badminton, states that “it works many physical capacities”, so its benefits are many, either as a single activity or as a complement to a broader training program.
In more detail the main health benefits of badminton that are obtained when practicing this sport are:
Tone muscles and increase muscle strength. As it is an exercise in which the explosiveness of the legs in all directions is mixed with the hitting of the steering wheel, the muscles are toned globally without prioritizing some parts over others, so muscular strength is also developed. The only part of the body that is left a little more neglected is the arm that is not used for playing, but it is easy to train it separately to make up the difference.
Maintain an adequate body weight. When the objective sought when exercising is to lose weight, burn fat and, therefore, achieve a leaner body, badminton is a recurring option because it is an aerobic exercise that demands a constant effort of maximum intensity.
Increase endurance and lung capacity. The duration of the matches and their intensity make the body constantly improve both aerobic and anaerobic endurance, gaining lung and heart capacity. This not only makes exercise easier and the workload can be increased, but it also improves performance in daily activities.
Improve reflexes, coordination and agility. The reaction time experiences an improvement due to the speed of the game, which directly improves the reflexes, the overall muscular coordination and the agility of the practitioner.
Enhance balance. The movement of the badminton occurs in all directions, but looking towards the net so as not to lose sight of the shuttlecock. These lateral and backward movements enhance balance and center of gravity control.
Increase visual abilities. One of the benefits this sport provides that often goes unnoticed is the improvement of various aspects related to vision. With its practice, a greater ability to focus far-near is achieved, and the ease of contrasting between figure and background and the depth calculation is enhanced. Also, better eye-hand coordination is obtained. Visual reaction time and wide peripheral field are two other sight characteristics that are trained in badminton.
Achieve emotional well-being. The practice of badminton not only constitutes a diversion that allows you to escape from daily reality, but, as with other sports, it also helps to release endorphins and serotonin, which reduce stress and anxiety levels, providing a state of well-being.
Socialize. Although many people consider it an individual sport, despite the fact that it can be played in pairs, badminton favors social relationships due to its contribution of fun, and is one more incentive to leave the house and, especially in the case of the more young people, avoid the abuse of social networks and other sedentary activities.
Possible contraindications to badminton practice
Badminton is a sport that can be practiced at all ages, from children to retirees, and according to Carlos Longo, “there should be no contraindication to practicing it, unless it is expressly indicated by the doctor.” And this is the key element: inform yourself first if you intend to do it with a certain intensity, because there is a risk of suffering specific injuries to the lower body, such as sprains or tendonitis, in addition to back problems by arching it to hit the shuttlecock. Wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries are also possible.
In addition, in the case of suffering from a cardiac pathology, medical advice becomes essential, because it is necessary to know the level of demand to which the body can be subjected. In these cases, the specialist may indicate the need to undergo a stress test to avoid health complications.
