I do like to throw my opinion into these blog posts when I get the chance (while keeping things informative, educational, and accurate of course).
However, I've come to realize that squash is simply the best sport.
If you read my recent article a couple of weeks back, you'll know that I'm currently suffering from an ankle injury. I've already been off court for almost a month, and it will be at least another month until I can get back on the court.
This has given me time to think and realize how many different benefits squash brought to my life.
I'm finding that now I have to do so many different things in my day-to-day life to get the same benefits that I was getting from just playing one squash match or training session.
So, at the risk of exhausting a topic that is quite widely talked about among squash players, I wanted to use this blog post as an opportunity to show my appreciation for the many benefits of squash.
Also, I hope this article brings some value to you (our reader) in perhaps finding a new appreciation for the sport, altering your training practices, or, if you don't play already, picking up a racquet and giving it a go...
Cardiovascular Fitness
Squash is excellent when it comes to cardio.
The game involves continuous, high-intensity movements that keep your heart rate elevated. It provides a fantastic workout for your cardiovascular system.
Depending on who you are playing, rallies can be slow and steady or short and fast/explosive. For that reason, you often hit both aerobic and anaerobic states of exercise during a squash match or training session.
You'll hit aerobic during those medium-paced length rallies, then, you're likely to hit anaerobic when someone starts volleying and rapid changes in direction come into play.
A typical squash match can last 30 minutes to over an hour, requiring a consistent, sustained effort that challenges your heart and lungs. This endurance works wonders for the efficiency of your cardiovascular system over time.
If you're a regular player, squash can also do a great job of lowering your resting heart rate and strengthening your overall heart function, enhancing its ability to pump blood more efficiently throughout your body.
From a personal health perspective off the court, the cardio element of squash can reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and other related conditions.
You should notice increased stamina on and off the court as you play more regularly. This means you'll be able to perform everyday activities with less fatigue and more energy.
This can be very hard to keep on top of while injured.
I've been hitting the gym regularly, however, I've discovered that it's much harder to do cardio workouts that aren't squash (or running, since I love running).
I'm stuck on the bike, doing incline walking on the treadmill, or going on the rowing machine. Each to their own, but I find these quite tedious, so, staying on top of my cardio fitness is proving to be very tough while injured!
Muscular Strength
Squash is also awesome for building strength and hitting a wide range of muscle groups through its dynamic and varied movements.
The sport requires rapid sprints, powerful lunges, and explosive changes in direction, all of which work to build and tone the lower body muscles, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
In addition to your lower body, our beloved sport is also excellent for developing upper body and core muscles. The repetitive swinging motion works magic for the muscles in your shoulders, arms, and chest, enhancing their strength and endurance.
The core is constantly engaged to maintain balance and stability during play (whether you're on the T or lunging and swinging), leading to stronger abdominal and back muscles too.
This repeated and consistent engagement of both the upper and lower body muscles makes squash a super effective sport for improving overall muscular strength, which is also incredibly helpful in everyday life.
Squash's demand for quick, powerful movements ensures that muscles are worked to their maximum potential, so players are often pushing their bodies and muscles to the absolute limit, which is the best way to promote growth, endurance, and progression.
Over time, regular squash play can lead to major improvements in muscular strength, which leads to better performance on the court and you can carry even more bags at once when bringing the shopping in from the car too (which is just one off-court example)...
Bone Strength
Now, this is one I didn't think about until recently, however, I spent a few years working for a software company that (without going into too much detail to spare you from boredom) created software for medical imaging devices that could measure patient's bone health and catch diseases like osteoporosis early.
For those who don't know, osteoporosis is a condition that lessens the density of bones making them more likely to break or fracture.
Studies show that one in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The disease disproportionately affects women due to hormone changes that happen during menopause that directly affect bone density.
However, the fact that so many of us lead more sedentary lifestyles now due to many job roles involving sitting at a desk for long periods, puts us all at risk.
The biggest worry when it comes to osteoporosis is that nobody really finds out that they have low bone density until it's too late i.e. after they break a bone.
The high-impact nature of squash involves rapid movements, quick changes in direction, and powerful strikes, which apply repeated beneficial stress to the bones. This stress stimulates bone-forming cells known as osteoblasts, promoting the development of denser, stronger bones.
Weight-bearing activities, such as repeated sprints and lunges in squash, are known to be effective in improving bone density.
According to some of my deeper research (as I became pretty interested in bone health while working at this company), the forces exerted on the skeletal system during weight-bearing sports like squash encourage the deposition of calcium and other minerals into the bone matrix, strengthening the bones and making them less susceptible to fractures and osteoporosis.
So, regular play can be especially advantageous for maintaining bone health as players age, helping to prevent the natural decline in bone density that can occur over time.
A quick mention of joint health is also relevant here!
Squash's dynamic movements also improve joint health and strength, supporting the overall skeletal structure.
Since the sport requires a wide range of motion, it helps to maintain joint mobility and reduce the risk of stiffness and related issues.
So, even though it's one of the lesser-discussed benefits of the sport, squash is an excellent exercise for maintaining a strong and healthy musculoskeletal system.
Weight Management
Squash is an incredible sport when it comes to burning calories.
This is another one of the big struggles I've faced during my injury period, as, I've had to start watching what I eat a lot more since I'm burning a lot fewer calories while being off-court.
I'm not saying you can eat what you want when you play squash, however, since I'd played the sport for so long, I'd gotten used to having larger food portions.
I started gaining weight quite shortly after the injury so I've had to make some adjustments to my diet to compensate.
I'm still burning calories in the gym, however, it's nowhere near as many as I burned when playing squash.
Something I find crazy is that, at the gym, I struggle to do 30-40 minutes in total of cardio (I generally try to do 20 minutes on the bike, 10 minutes incline walking on the treadmill, and 10 minutes on the rowing machine). I can't wait for it to end the whole way through.
In comparison when I play squash, I don't want to get off the court, even if it's been an hour or more!
Burning calories is just a bonus due to how much I enjoy playing the sport, so, I'd say that this is one of the biggest benefits of the sport.
Generally, the consensus is that an hour of squash can burn anything from 800 calories or more (it's often a lot more than that) depending on the style of the match or training session in question.
Of course, this depends on your level of play, your weight, your height, your gender, and more, however, the point still stands that you can burn so many calories playing squash.
If weight loss is your goal, this sport could be the perfect answer!
Generally speaking, a consistent calorie deficit will lead to weight loss So, if you play squash every day or two, it'll increase that calorie deficit to a pretty large margin!
Also, drawing on my limited knowledge since squash involves both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems, the sport can enhance metabolic efficiency and improve the body's ability to utilize stored fat as an energy source.
This dual energy system activation helps maintain a healthy weight and improves fitness.
Plus, since the sport can lead to increased muscle mass, it can even further enhance that metabolic rate, as muscles require more energy (calories) to maintain than fat tissue.
Lastly, squash is a sport that can be enjoyed at various intensities, skill levels, and durations, making it accessible to individuals of different fitness levels and goals.
Whether you're playing competitively or recreationally, squash provides a comprehensive workout that supports weight management efforts and contributes to overall health and fitness.
Flexibility
Now, despite the fact that I (and many other players) often feel pretty stiff after tough matches and training sessions, squash is great for flexibility!
Again, going back to those dynamic movements that squash incorporates, the sport's fast-paced nature demands quick changes in direction, lunges, stretches, and reaching for shots, all of which engage and stretch various muscle groups.
These movements help increase the flexibility of the hips, legs, arms, and shoulders, contributing to better overall mobility.
The repetitive and varied actions we make repetively in squash ensure that muscles and joints are consistently working through their full range of motion (as I mentioned above).
This continuous engagement helps to prevent stiffness and maintain elasticity in the muscles and connective tissues, especially if you play regularly and do dynamic stretches during your warm-up and cool-down.
Over time, this can lead to improved flexibility, which is crucial for maintaining good posture, reducing the risk of injuries, and enhancing athletic performance.
Again, squash demonstrates an awesome benefit to our everyday lives off the court!
Coordination
Successful performance in squash relies heavily on precise footwork, hand-eye coordination, and timing.
I've found that this coordination is one of the skills I'm most thankful to squash for.
Since I played so much when I was younger, the coordination involved in squash can be translated to so many other sports.
The footwork necessary in squash involves quick and precise movements to reach tough balls and maintain an optimal position. If you're a player, you'll know how tough squash movements are to master, but, how important they are to the game.
Players must constantly adjust their positioning in response to the ball's trajectory and their opponent's movements. This agility and footwork coordination is crucial for maintaining balance, stability, and readiness to react swiftly to incoming shots.
Hand-eye coordination is another hugely important skill in squash.
The ability to strike the ball cleanly and accurately demands precise timing and coordination between the eyes, hands, and body.
You must accurately judge the ball's speed, trajectory, and bounce to anticipate its movement and execute shots effectively.
Drawing from my experience as a coach, this is often one of the hardest areas for new players to develop when they're just starting out playing squash, however, one day, the bounce and trajectory of the ball just kind of clicks, and after that, they can track the ball and move accordingly!
A lesser-known coordination element that's crucial in squash is also mental coordination.
I'm referring to the strategy side of things, as, during fast-paced rallies and matches, players have to make split-second decisions under pressure, considering both offensive and defensive tactics based on their opponent's position and shot selection.
There's so much to think about, that it can be hard to coordinate these thoughts while filtering out the negative or unnecessary thoughts.
Again, all of these elements can help you so much in everyday life!
Stress Relief
Squash offers more than just those physical benefits I've talked about, it can also be a powerful tool for stress relief and mental well-being.
Playing squash regularly provides an opportunity to unwind, release tension, and clear the mind from the pressures of daily life.
I can't tell you how many times I've gone down to the club for some solo practice after a busy day at work and just cracked the ball back to myself and taken out my frustrations on it.
Maybe I'm not improving my squash while doing this, but mentally, I can confirm it's very satisfying!
Like many other exercises and sports, the physical exertion involved in playing squash triggers the release of endorphins, often called the "feel-good" hormones.
These chemicals promote a sense of well-being and help alleviate stress and anxiety. As players immerse themselves in the fast-paced rallies and strategic gameplay, they experience a natural boost in mood and energy levels.
Also, since squash requires a high level of concentration and focus, when players are fully engaged and immersed in the game, they can experience a temporary escape from worrisome thoughts or stressors outside the court.
The intense mental engagement required to anticipate and react to the ball's movements can serve as a form of mindfulness, boosting mental clarity and reducing mental fatigue.
With that said, it is also possible for things happening outside the court in your personal life to affect your on-court performance, and this 'escapism' isn't always achievable.
So, don't be too hard on yourself if you're struggling to push thoughts away and focus fully on your squash if it's too difficult!
From a social perspective (that I'll talk more about in the next section) squash also provides an outlet for many players when they come together and chat.
Whether it's a friendly match, a league match, a tournament match, a team match, or a training session, the camaraderie and social interaction that squash fosters contribute to a reduction in stress.
Building connections with fellow players, sharing experiences and stories, and enjoying the competitive yet supportive environment contribute to a sense of community and belonging.
Looking longer term, squash can deliver some super-positive effects on stress management.
Incorporating squash into a weekly routine can establish a regular, healthy outlet for stress relief, promoting overall resilience to daily pressures and enhancing your ability to cope with challenges off the court.
Social Interaction
The social side is by far, my favourite aspect of squash.
I try to encourage everyone to join clubs, leagues, or participate in tournaments, there is no chance you'll regret it.
One of the primary ways squash promotes social interaction is through shared gameplay.
Whether you're playing singles or doubles, squash encourages players to interact closely with opponents and teammates. You don't have a choice in the matter!
The dynamic nature of the sport requires constant communication, strategy planning, and mutual respect, all of which contribute to building strong interpersonal connections.
I've made so many friends (perhaps the majority of my friends in fact) from playing squash. There are so many players I've met for the first time and within the next few months, they're out for a meal or a hike with me and my current group.
And, just like that, they've been integrated into my friend group!
So yes, regardless of age or skill level, squash provides a superb platform for forming friendships and expanding social networks.
It's easy to bond with someone over your shared passion and interest for the sport, exchanging tips, challenging each other, and celebrating victories together if you're on a team.
This shared enthusiasm creates a supportive environment where players can motivate and inspire each other to improve their skills and reach the next level.
Many squash clubs host social events, gatherings, and activities that allow players to connect in a more relaxed setting without being in the competitive environment of a squash match.
These events may include mixers, dinners, trophy ceremonies, or even charity events, providing opportunities for players to build friendships and strengthen their ties within the squash community off the court.
Squash is more than a sport, it's a social experience that promotes teamwork, improvement, and friendship, however, you have to be willing to put the effort in on your part too.
I realize it might be somewhat intimidating at first, especially if you're newer to the sport but I implore you to try joining a team, entering a tournament, or making efforts to meet and play new players.
You won't regret it!
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