Golf for Healthy Aging

Change in Gait speed

Aging is associated with physiological declines that could impair the ability to perform
 activities of daily living and thus impair the quality of life of older adults. Golf is an
 activity that challenges the balance, flexibility, and muscular systems of the golfer and
 could have important implications in addressing the physiological declines associated with
 aging. Golf also challenges the cognition of golfer and is typically performed in groups of
 2-4 people; therefore, it could also have important implications for the cognitive and social
 health of older adults. This research will investigate the effects of an introductory,
 therapeutic golf program on the physiological, cognitive, and social well-being of older
 adults. 25 older adults (60-80 years) will participate in a 10-week introductory golf program
 specifically designed with older adults in mind. The intervention will be led by Professional
 Golf Association (PGA) professionals with experience in teaching older adults to golf. In
 order to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, the functional, physiological, and
 cognitive abilities of the participants will be evaluated as well as the overall well-being
 before and after the completion of the golf program. We will also examine the inflammatory
 response changes associated with the golf program. These adaptations will be evaluated
 through the use of biomechanical analysis, standardized older adult functional tests,
 validated surveys and questionnaires, validated cognitive assessments, and analyses of
 markers of inflammation.