Health Benefits of Playing Badminton

It is a well-known fact that indulging in aerobic sports activity like badminton gives multiple
health benefits and promotes longevity.

In fact it has been found that playing badminton till you get an increase in heart rate or mild
breathlessness regularly in middle age lowers the risk of death by about 23% in the
subsequent 20 years and improves longevity by at least 2 years. The optimal health benefits
are achieved by playing badminton for at least 30 minutes a day after adequate warm up.

The main health benefit is reduction of bad cholesterol and increase in good cholesterol with
regular badminton play. In our body, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins
(LDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) are bad cholesterols and high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) is the only good cholesterol.

Playing badminton regularly increases the levels of HDL good cholesterol while decreasing
the levels of bad cholesterols. As bad cholesterols decrease the size of blood vessels
promoting heart attacks and strokes, reduction in their levels translates into multiple health
benefits for the individual.

Playing regular badminton conditions the body so that the basal heart rate drops a few beats
per minute and blood pressure is reduced. Both these effects are helpful in hypertensive
individuals. It may help them to ward off their hypertension without medicines and even if
they are needed, only fewer amounts are required.

Another particular health benefit of playing regular badminton is protection from heart
disease, especially heart attacks. Playing badminton conditions and strengthens the heart
muscle besides reducing hypertension and keeping blood vessels from clogging as we have
seen earlier. Even people with pre-existing heart disease can benefit by playing badminton
within their endurance levels under medical supervision and advise.

Regular indulgence in badminton helps overweight people to reduce their weight and attain
optimal weight for their height and age. This effect is due to the excess calories burnt
during playing badminton which prevents them from accumulating as fat and increasing the
individual's weight.

Moreover, the existing fat deposits are also mobilized to produce energy while playing
badminton. But for achieving optimal weight loss, it has to be combined with diet
modification as well.

Osteoporosis is a troublesome problem especially in the elderly and women after menopause.
It occurs because the bones loose their density due to complex interactions between the body
hormones, bone forming and bone dissolving cells. Individuals with osteoporosis can easily
sustain fractures because of reduced bone strength to withstand stress and injury.

Osteoporosis can be prevented or delayed by regularly playing badminton, as physical activity

is one major factor that prevents osteoporosis, irrespective of the age and sex of the
individual. Playing badminton promotes the activity of the bone forming cells and help in
the assimilation of calcium in the bone matrix, thereby strengthening it.

Additional health benefit of playing regular badminton is reduced incidence of cancers like
cancer of the large bowel and cancer of breast.

Finally, playing badminton keeps you feeling well, strong, motivated, enthusiastic and
young. It helps to ward off depression, anxiety, stress and increase self-esteem. It also helps in
enjoying a better sleep in the night, thereby minimizing the incidence of pre-existing illnesses
getting aggravated due to lack of sleep.

http://www.badminton-information.com/health_benefits_of_playing_badminton.html

Badminton still popular with youths all over the nation

Tifa Asrianti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 06/03/2008 9:47 AM | Jakarta
A|A|A|

Despite the lack of badminton courts in residential areas, the spirit of young children in
playing the fastest racquet sport is still alive.

That spirit is sure to bloom at the 2008 Tetra Pak Open National Youth Badminton
Competition at the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

The competition will be contested by 1,276 children under 15 years from 24 provinces -- a
slight increase from last year's 1,150 participants from 12 provinces. The young players are
divided into two classes: children under 12 and beginners under 15. There will be singles and
doubles games for boys and girls.

They will compete for trophies, Rp 45 million (US$4,840) in total cash prizes and Rp 19
million in sports equipment.

LUCKY CHARM: A young shuttler

holds a shuttlecock from State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault at the
Bung Karno Badminton Hall in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Sunday. (JP/P.J. Leo)

Ari and Rizky, siblings from Cipinang, East Jakarta, are two young shuttlers taking part in the
competition. They have been playing badminton for two years.

"It was our father who encouraged us to play badminton. Then we fell in love with the
game," Ari said Sunday, on the sidelines of the competition.

She said her father supported their hobby by enrolling them in a nearby badminton club.
Their father bought them equipment and DVDs of international badminton matches. She said
both of them competed at least twice a year.

Another young shuttler, Rio, said he started playing badminton with his friends when he was
in the seventh grade. The Tangerang resident is now in the 10th grade and still plays,
although his friends have dropped the sport.

"No one is influencing me now. I play badminton because I want to," Rio said, adding he
practiced at a club once a week and played at home the rest of the week.
Eleven-year-old Alfian began playing badminton after watching national heroes Ricky
Subagja and Rexy Mainaky win gold in the men's doubles at the 1996 Olympics. Rio still
remembers how excited he was watching the game.

"I hope this competition is a new experience. I've won before, but only a small-scale
competition in my kampung," said Alfian, who traveled from his home in Banjarmasin, South
Kalimantan, for the competition.

He practices badminton at his club for three hours, five times a week, and only has Sundays
and Tuesdays off.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault said he supported the
competition as it gave young athletes a chance to emerge.

"We must remember champions don't emerge all of a sudden. They need meticulous
training," he said.

Besides the physical advantages, playing badminton gives the young players other bonuses.

"The sport helps us stay healthy, practice self-discipline and meet new friends. We have a
friend living in Kramat Lontar, Central Jakarta, who likes to come to our house with her
father. When she visits, she plays badminton with us and her father plays with our father,"
Ari said.

Rizky said he often took his racket to school and played with his friends. He said his friends
often looked up to him and asked him to teach them new tricks.

"Playing badminton helps me gain self-confidence," he said.

by Barbara Kasey Smith

 * Writing Level Star

Health benefits of playing badminton...

*Prolong your lifespan:

Do you want to prolong your lifespan, have healthy bones, and improve your cholesterol levels? The
way to do it is to have a healthy game of badminton on a regular basis. When a person plays
badminton until it increases their heart rate or mild breathlessness, it will lower their risk of death
and it will improve their longevity. The badminton game must be at least 30 minutes of continuous
play to receive the optimal health benefits from playing the game.

*The benefits of playing badminton:

It is known to reduce bad cholesterol and to increase good cholesterol. When a person plays
badminton on a regular basis it increases their levels of HDL cholesterol as it is decreasing the level
of bad cholesterols. By doing this, a person reduces their chances of having heart attacks and strokes
and also other health benefits for the person. When people play badminton on a regular basis, it
protects the heart from heart disease, especially heart attacks. By playing badminton, a person can
condition and strengthen their heart muscle, reduce blood pressure, and keep blood vessels from
getting clogged up.

When playing regular badminton it conditions the body, thus, reduces the basal heart rate a few
beats per minute and it also reduces blood pressure. The health benefits are beneficial in
hypertensive individuals and it could prevent hypertension without any medicines or at least reduce
the amount a person might otherwise require.

Regular badminton play also will help overweight people to lose weight and to attain a proper
weight for their height and age. This comes into play by the person burning excess calories and this
prevents the accumulation of fat. You'll not just lose weight by playing badminton but you'll also
have to follow a diet modification plan as well.
The elderly and especially women suffer from osteoporosis, this occurs in people because the bones
loose their density due to complex interactions between the body hormones (especially in
menopause women), bone dissolving cells and bone forming. Ostoporsis can be delayed or
prevented if a person plays badminton on a regular basis.

When people play badminton regularly, it will keep you strong, motivated, feeling well, enthusiastic
and young. This type of exercise will ward off anxiety, depression, stress, and help a person to sleep
at night. It is also said, "Playing regular badminton it will reduce the incidence of cancers of the
breast and the large bowel.

*Summation:

The health benefits of playing badminton is well worth the reward a person will get.

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