Playing a 2-hour game of lawn bowls can offer several health benefits for individuals of all age groups – from youngsters to the older generation.

Here are some potential benefits:

– Physical activity: Lawn bowls involves walking, bending, and delivering bowls, providing moderate physical activity for all ages. Regular physical activity helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and increase flexibility. Doctors have recommended our game to people for these reasons.

– Coordination and balance: The game requires precision and coordination between your hand-eye movements and footwork. This can enhance your coordination skills and balance, which are essential for daily activities and reducing the risk of falls, particularly in older adults.

– Mental stimulation: Lawn bowls involves strategy, concentration, and decision-making. Engaging in such mentally stimulating activities can help keep your mind sharp, improve cognitive function, and potentially reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. It can also help youngsters learn valuable life and social skills.

– Social interaction: Playing lawn bowls often involves being part of a team or playing against others, providing an opportunity for social interaction and fostering a sense of community. Social engagement has been linked to improved mental well-being and a reduced risk of depression. People of all ages, from shy youngsters to those with illnesses such as bipolar, autism or ADHD have commented on how playing bowls has helped them.

– Stress reduction: Participating in a game of lawn bowls can serve as a stress-relieving activity. Outdoor settings, physical exercise, and the social aspect of the game can help reduce stress levels and improve overall mood. Some might say that stress levels can be raised in a skip if they have to deliver the crucial bowl to save a match 🙂 But that is a different kind of stress.

– Low impact: Lawn bowls is a low-impact sport, meaning it places minimal stress on joints and muscles. This makes it suitable for individuals of different fitness levels, including those who may have limitations or joint conditions.

It’s worth noting that individual experiences and health benefits can vary, and it’s important to consult with a doctor before starting any new physical activity, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions.

Regarding the number of steps taken during a game of lawn bowls, it’s difficult to provide an accurate figure since lawn bowls is not a particularly step-intensive activity. The movement in lawn bowls primarily involves walking short distances between the bowling mat and the other side of the green. However, the number of steps can vary based on your playing style, the number of bowls delivered, and how far apart the mats and jack are placed.

If we consider a rough estimate, you might take around 2,000-3,000 steps during a 2-hour game of lawn bowls. Many league games are 3 hours (18 or 21 ends). Keep in mind that this is just an approximation and can vary significantly depending on the factors mentioned earlier. A social roll up of around the usual 1.5 hours would still get you doing 1500 steps.

Up and down the country there are many people driving to their slimming clubs at their local community centre, and peering through the gate of the adjoining bowls club whilst queuing to get weighed. If only they realised that along with the valuable information given to them at their weekly meeting, that if they walked through that gate and took up our game it would help them further with their health and wellbeing immensely.

I’m not an athlete, doctor or psychotherapist but these kinds of facts do simply show the health and wellbeing benefits of a game of bowls, and many examples I have given have helped me, particularly with my mental wellbeing, and in reverse to the example I gave about slimmers I should definitely also be attending the slimmers club meetings along with my bowls.

– Nick P (Club Member)