New York Times: "Juggling more strenuous than Golf"?!?

An article in the TImes today quoted a Stanford study that golfing with a cart is not really exercise. I always walk, which they said is 50% better, but still a very light workout. I want these researchers to walk 36 with me at Hudson Hills Golf Course, carrying. They'll beg for mercy after 18! How do you feel? Is golf exercise?

If you are not use to it, walking 18 holes is pretty tough. A set of golf clubs, bags, ect. can weight from 20-30+ lbs.

Compared to sitting on a couch watching TV, a golfer is burning substantially more calories. If you want to talk in terms of calories per minute it isn't as nearly as impressive as cardio work outs.

We had cart path only last week -- pedometer said I walked (fast) 4.5 miles.

I don't count it, personally - if I want to exercise I go exercise.  Golf doesn't count.  That's just me.

But I do think golf is one of many activities (I can't use the word 'sport', sorry) that you do much better if you are fit vs if you are not.  So it might motivate the more serious players into a real exercise regimen - also a plus

(In reality, 'exercise' is such a weird word.  There is a range of exercise from "nearly nothing/bare minimum" up to very seriously strenuous and cool stuff.  It also spans different types of exercise fast and slow twitch work, resistance vs cardio, resistance work done for cardio (lift faster), intense and light yoga, stretching and meditating, it's all over the place) - I'd put golf in the ' very light exercise' bucket for sure if someone corners me into it.

BUT, any kind of movement of any kind is always better than a total sedentary lifestyle.  I won't begrudge that golf is sometimes the only thing some people have, or can handle.  It might just be "exercise" for them, and in that case - more power to them - at least they are trying to do something good for themselves.

I'd take a good walk on a hilly terrain as something very positive - why not hit a frustrating little ball and carry 25 pounds while you are at it?

I believe you missed the point.  The article says walking while pulling a cart is not a strenuous exercise compared to mowing the lawn in terms of energy expenditure per minute.  Which is true.  Plus, they are talking about non-hilly course.

I walk and carry my clubs.  My local courses have lots of hills, but compared to mowing a lawn with a push mower, it is a lot easier.

I don't consider playing golf to be a strenuous exercise.  Sure it's better than being a couch potato, but I wouldn't call it an exercise in a sense that refers to achieving 80%+ Maximum HR.

I workout every day at the gym: both weights and running/swimming.  That is exercise.  Golf - no.

I agree with most of what you say. To anyone who works out as you do, walking at a leisurely pace isn't much in the way of exercise.

The trouble is, the vast majority of people don't lift, run and swim everyday as you do. I don't know what the statistics are, but I'd guess it's rare that someone would keep that routine going year after year throughout their lives. Golf on the other hand....

The other thing this article didn't address is how fast the participants walked. Don't know about others, but I try to walk at a fast pace, will sometimes run back to my push cart and will often walk up and down ravines. I'm not in great shape but it definitely gets the heart rate up. I would argue, for me at least, it is somewhat anaerobic (if that's the correct term).

As far as comparing the exertion of playing golf vs push mowing, of course the latter is more strenuous. But if I had to push mow for 3+ hours up and down hills a couple times a week, I'd opt for a wide-assed self-propelled or riding mower. That'd give me more time to play lazy golf.

Now I forgot where I read this, it's been a few years, but it stipulated that during the course of a golf swing, every muscle in the body is working in some way. The way I feel after a round, I venture to say that's true. The older I get, the more body parts I didn't even know I had are hurt and sore. Although I always liked to walk the course, a medical condition now forces me to ride and even at that, walking from the cart to the ball and back again, or just helping to look for a ball on foot, after the round, I'm pretty much done for at least 2 days. Now prior to this condition, I was in fairly good shape for someone my age, but I'll tell you this........Getting old sucks, avoid it if you can.

Now I'll offer this for those researchers, try just playing a 36 hole USGA qualifier, It will be an eye opener. It's the one big gripe I've always had with them. To me it was more of an endurance challenge, than an actually test of golfing skill. I've seen some really good players and myself included, back when I was younger and attempted such things, shoot a good / decent first round, have about a half hour to eat something and start the second 18. By the back 9, the tank is empty and the scores just inflate. To play at a high level in golf, just like any other athletic endeavor, physical conditioning is paramount. Kind of makes you wonder though, about those old time golfers from the 40's through the 80's, that didn't really put any priority on conditioning (Gary Player the exception).

I don't really see it as exercise, more of a relaxing outdoor activity.  My overweight, out of shape, 60 year old boss can beat me without breaking a sweat. I have a hard time seeing that as "exercise"

Then again, the average golfer is ~46 years old and I'm 24.  My definition of exercise will probably differ from that of someone twice my age!