Bowling is one of the most well-loved and popular sports around the world. Not only does it help you develop incredible focus and multi-functioning ability, but it also keeps you healthy and burns calories. People of all ages can enjoy this sport and practice it whenever they want.
You might be wondering, how many calories does bowling burn? Well, that is precisely what I am here to tell you.
In this article, I am going to talk about bowling and the common misconception around it. I will explain how many calories you can burn while bowling and how bowling is beneficial to your physical and mental health. So, sit back, relax, and make sure you read this article till the end.
Common Misconception about Bowling
A widespread misconception about bowling that people belonging from other sports, or even bowlers themselves, have is that bowling is not a strenuous sport and does not require any exercising motion.
People believe that you can bowl easily without moving around, which is not something that you can do with other sports like baseball, basketball, tennis, and football.
For some reason, this weird misconception has been moving from generation upon generation, and now people believe bowling is a sport that does not require movement. Well, that is not even nearly the case with bowling.
Bowling is an extremely physically strenuous sport that requires a lot of muscle activity and movement to be played. From the arms to the fingers, the feet, the legs, and the entire body are in a continuous motion while throwing the ball, and a bowler has to throw the ball 20 times in a single game without any strikes or spares.
How Many Calories Do You Burn Bowling?
Now that you know that bowling is a great exercise sport that you can adopt not only for fun but also for losing weight, you might wonder how many calories can you burn bowling? Let us take a look at what you need to know about the number of calories you will burn while bowling.
It depends upon the number of minutes you have been playing, the Metabolic Equivalent Task value of the bowling activity, and your weight in kilograms. According to Healthline, the formula goes something like this:
Calories Burned/Minute = (MET x Body Weight in KG x 3.5) / 200MET of a person at rest is 1. The typical MET of bowling in an alley can be around 3.5-3.9. Use these values along with the kilogram number of your body weight, and you have got the exact number of calories you will burn per minute.
Typically, medical professionals suggest that you can burn over 150 calories to even 300 or more in an hour, depending upon your weight while you are bowling indoors and outdoors.
Health Benefits of Bowling
At this point, you might be wondering, what kind of mental and health benefits does bowling have? Lucky for you, I have compiled some of the benefits that bowling provides bowlers and created a list. Let us take a look at each of the benefits bowling brings, both physical and mental.
Muscle Strengthening
Due to the continuous strenuous motion of the muscles and the ball’s weight, you can increase the strength of your muscles and tone them physically as well. This can make you internally healthier as well as look fit and toned all over the body.
Increased Focus
When it comes to hand-eye coordination along with perfect aiming and sheer focus that bowling requires from players, there is a lot of it need to become proficient at bowling. That is why bowling helps in increasing the focus of a player.
Weight Loss and Calories Burned
We know bowling helps increase a player’s metabolic activity, thus resulting in calories being burned. And calories burning along with sweat can lead to drastic weight loss so you can stay fit and healthy.
Reduced Risk of Medical Conditions
If you are bowling regularly, the risk of medical conditions can reduce by a long margin, according to research. The reason for this is you are moving regularly and putting your body through movement; this can keep you safe from obesity and other problems.
Relieves Stress
If you are someone who loves to bowl, bowling can be incredibly mentally soothing for you as well. Every time you play the game, there is a release of dopamine in your brain, which takes away your stress and anxiety and brings you calmness and peace of mind.
Enjoyable Sport
Bowling is a very amazing sport when it comes to enjoyability. It might be difficult to master, but for starters, it can be quite easy to learn. Plus, it can be played at any age, so it is considered an enjoyable sport for all people of different age groups.
Multi-function Ability
Bowling requires you to combine sheer focus, arm movement, hand movement, and the ability to hook and aim perfectly. This means to get a strike; you are going to have to use a lot of different motor functions altogether. That is why bowling increases the brain’s multi-functioning ability in different fields of life.
Better Stamina
Since there are 2 shots in each frame of ten-pin bowling and there are ten total frames, you can expect to get a stamina boost from playing the game as well. You will be able to perform various strenuous activities for a longer period of time.
Socialization
Bowling is a sport with over 100 million lovers and followers around the world. If you are thinking of socializing with people and making new friends, you can use bowling as your primary socialization source and go to your nearest bowling alley to start some great friendships with incredible people who love bowling.
Conclusion
Bowling works incredibly well to increase your everyday metabolism. This can help you burn many calories and break a sweat over a long time. So, you can surely lose weight and keep yourself fit while bowling if you want to. I hope you have a great experience when you go to the bowling alley next time.
