5 Health Benefits of Playing Squash

What makes the sport of squash so special? There are plenty of reasons why squash is great, but one of those reasons has to be the health benefits you’ll receive from playing the game. As if having fun doing something you enjoy wasn’t already good enough, it also helps you stay in top shape – both mentally and physically!

Check out these five health benefits from hitting the squash courts on a consistent basis.

Boosts Cardiovascular Health

Between the running, jumping, leaping and diving for the ball during an intense game of squash, your heart rate is sure to stay up for an extended period of time. Doing this on a regular basis increases the strength of your heart muscle, allowing more blood to pump to the brain and the rest of your body.

This will also give your endurance and stamina a boost since more oxygen will be supplied to your muscles.

Improves Hand-Eye Coordination

This one has to be a no-brainer, right? You repeatedly have to see and follow the ball while also adjusting your body and hand to make contact with it. You’re doing all this under competitive stress that forces the body to focus on a target and eventual destination. There needs to be a controlled eye movement, hand movement, and processing of what you see happening in front of you.

It’s these kinds of activities that foster this kind of coordination, which can go away when we stop participating in them. So, if you’re an avid squash player, there’s a good chance your hand-eye coordination and body control abilities are top notch.

Develops Agility

Squash requires and helps players be nimble so they’re able to put their body in a number of different positions at any given time. Actions such as leaping, spinning, stopping, bending, jumping, sprinting, and running means squash players must be agile enough to start, stop, and change direction at the drop of a hat.

Being explosive in your movements is important toward finding some success, but it’s challenging because while that is necessary, you also need to remain balanced.

Ensures Mental Well-Being

As you continue practicing the game of squash, you’ll see a shift in the type of conditioning you must do. When you’re first getting used to the non-stop cardio nature of the sport, it will be more physical than mental. But once you build up the endurance and stamina necessary to be a successful player, the training shifts to more mental than physical.

This kind of shift will allow you to focus on not just the ball and your opponent, but also your surroundings, which will increase how alert you are mentally, along with your spatial awareness.

Helps Cultivate Social Skills

Like most sports, squash provides an avenue for people to meet one another and build a friendship upon a common bond. It’s hard to play the game by yourself, which is why you’ll see gyms and other kinds of clubs have the opportunity for friendly tournaments where people can find someone else to play with that day, and hopefully, into the future, too.

Interested in joining the International Squash Academy this summer? Click here to find a camp near you and receive more information.