Badminton is a very popular sport that has been present in all editions of the Olympic Games since 1992. But what are the benefits of playing badminton?
Badminton has multiple benefits to playing regularly, including physically, socially, emotionally, and psychologically. Not only does it improve speed and reaction time, but it also provides a social environment that’s enjoyable and safe while allowing as much competition as desired.
It is very similar to tennis, in that it’s played with rackets and a shuttlecock (also called a birdie), and it is one of the fastest racket sports in the world! It’s an activity that can bring many benefits to your health and well-being, which we have listed below.
Ready to dive into the reasons that badminton is a total benefit? Let’s do this!
List of Benefits to Playing an Accessible Sport like Badminton
To start, we think it’s important to list that badminton, despite demanding physical effort in terms of speed and flexibility, is a very accessible physical activity.
1. Badminton is Accessible
That’s because the rackets and the shuttlecock/birdie are very light, which makes it possible to practice the sport with children and the elderly, and even with people of different levels.
2. Good for socializing
Because it’s a team sport (you can play individually or in pairs), you’ll always be socializing while playing it, whether it’s with someone you already know or someone new who’s in your class or country club.
That is great to take care of your physical and mental health at the same time, after all, who doesn’t love to have a good laugh and meet new people while playing?
3. It’s a complete exercise for your body
As it is a sport where you run and move a lot with great agility during the matches, Badminton is a complete cardio exercise, where in a 1-hour game it is possible to burn up to 400 kcal (usually just called “calories”) depending on the intensity at which you are playing, it is said that if it’s a double game this account can reach up to 500 kcal.
4. It increases concentration and reflex action
Badminton is a very fast sport; you always have to keep an eye on your opponent and be ready to counterattack. That makes you develop faster reflexes, which automatically obligates you to concentrate much more during the matches.
These are benefits that you enjoy not only in sports, but that you can also take to other areas of your life.
5. Decreases the levels of stress and anxiety
While playing a match of badminton, your endorphin production is increased which significantly lowers your stress and anxiety levels. That, consequently makes you much lighter and happier after each match.
6. Badminton makes you stronger
One of the most spoken benefits of this sport is that it increases your muscle mass.
That’s because, as in a match, you run and move so much (including while turning the racket), that you end up building and toning the muscles of the whole body.
7. Being active makes your bone’s density increase
The low, but effective, impact of badminton helps in the growth of cells that form our bones, making it a great exercise for elderlies or people who need to strengthen their bones.
8. Badminton is fun!
Badminton is a game that combines agility, and teamwork (if played in pairs), and encourages healthy competition, which gives the players moments of relaxation and a lot of fun, especially when playing with children, as it awakens a certain ludic side in them.
Does Badminton Reduce Belly Fat?
A question that many people ask themselves is whether playing badminton decreases body fat, and the answer is yes!
As it is an activity that burns a lot of calories, as we said before, you sweat a lot and that increases your metabolic rate, which makes your level of muscle mass higher, and thus decreases your body fat level (especially the abdomen and arms, due to the movement of turning to hit with the racket).
What Happens if We Play Badminton Daily?
Playing badminton daily can add all the physical, emotional, social, and psychological benefits to a person’s life, provided they don’t regularly overexert themselves and develop a stress injury. Play smart and have fun, but don’t injure yourself.
If you start playing badminton and decide to play it often, of course, the benefits will only increase.
Over time, you will realize that you have probably lost weight or at least developed new muscles, that your physical conditioning has improved, your strategic thinking has also improved, you will have more elasticity, and more toned muscles, and you will probably wait all week for the days you will play.
That’s because the feeling is not only very good, but you will also meet friends and/or family and have a very pleasant leisure time.
However, as in all sports, it is always necessary to be careful when maintaining a regular practice of exercise. Although badminton is not a high-impact sport or one that requires a lot of strength when playing, it is still possible to get injured in games.
The most common issue with repeated daily sports is stress injuries.
Stress injuries are caused by a repetitive number of movements made by the same part of the body, thus generating a type of “fatigue” in the bones or muscles. To prevent this from happening, it is important to maintain the following habits:
- Follow up with a sports doctor or orthopedist annually or as needed.
- Improve your badminton skill with the help of a specialized professional or coach. That way, they can correct any wrong movement and evolve your workouts little by little without overloading you.
- Remember, post-exercise recovery, stretching, and recovery time are all very important.
- Do weight training to better absorb the impact in the most affected areas of the body during matches.
- Seek appropriate medical attention any time you’re concerned or if there is a new issue.
Of course, for each person and case the recommendations may be different, but in general, these are the most common ways to prevent these types of injuries.
Another care that always helps to prevent injuries and discomforts is to always warm up and stretch before starting to play and invest in clothes and shoes suitable for the sport.
Want to know what equipment you actually need for badminton? I’ve got you covered: go read this article: Badminton Equipment: What You Need (and what you don’t).
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Badminton is generally a very safe activity, and it can be adapted for all people, ages, and needs. Some play styles are less demanding than others and are suitable for players of any skill level.
Whether you want to improve your technique, and well-being, or just enjoy new experiences, this sport offers all these options and there’s always something for everyone! You should definitely give it a try.
Now that you know more about the benefits of playing badminton, make sure you read this article I wrote next: Badminton Alternatives: 13 Other Games You’ll Love. That way, you’ll have a ton of alternatives for days when the kids need something new to spice up the game.
It’s a great read, and it’ll help you continue to improve your skills and love of playing badminton.