When you are looking for a good workout, bowling may not be at the top of your list. While it may not measure up completely to full physical exertion in a gym, it burns more calories than you may think! Bowling is a great way to get some exercise, as it can burn more than 200 calories an hour, which can vary based on how heavy your ball is, and how many times you bowl. Bowling also uses and builds 134 muscles, improving your balance, and increasing your hand-to-eye coordination.

Weight Loss

While bowling is reserved to a small area, you are constantly moving around, whether that’s walking back and forth to your lane or lifting and swinging your bowling ball. Again, while you may not necessarily be sweating or breathing heavy, you will still be burning calories. Any time you burn calories you will also be kicking your metabolism into high gear. Just another weight loss benefit of bowling.

Muscle Growth

Bowling will also help you exercise your muscles. You will already be doing a lot of walking, but with the added weight of your bowling ball. This will help give the muscles in your lower extremities a workout. You will also feel the benefits in your bowling arm. Swinging a 10-15 pound ball 10-20 times a game will definitely give your arm a workout.

Stretching

Bowling is a great way to stretch your tendons, joints and ligaments. Every time you swing your arm to throw a bowling ball, all these parts of your body are engaged. It can actually engage muscles and tendons that do not get used on the daily. Bowling is a fun way to stretch your body while enjoying a great sport. With better stretching abilities, comes less of a chance to hurt yourself!

Hand-eye Coordination

Throwing a ball down a lane with the goal of hitting ten pins requires a healthy amount of hand-eye coordination. Increasing your hand-eye coordination stimulates mental alertness, increases concentration and can even help develop your bowling strategy. Not to mention if you play other sports, the hand-eye coordination experience you gained bowling will transfer over as well.

Balance

Every time you throw a bowling ball you are bettering your balance. As long as you keep proper form, your body will have to adjust to counter the weight of the bowling ball. Along with your foot work as your throw, balance is in integral part of your bowling technique. This is another transferable skill that can help you excel in other sports as well.

Bowling and Fitness

Bowling is a great way to socialize AND get a workout. While on the surface you may not see bowling as a workout, but in the end you will be working on muscles and tendons that wouldn’t get a proper workout without bowling. So get out there, have fun, and burn some calories!