Badminton significantly improves your physical, mental, and social health. An hour of Badminton helps you to burn 480 calories the highest among all sports. This game has been my favorite since my childhood, which I still frequently practice today. In my school and college years, I played Badminton as a competitive sport.

Nowadays, I play this game during my leisure to stay fit and healthy. We have a Badminton court in our apartment complex where all the moms would have a good time playing this game. Some even engage in friendly competitive matches and also teach their little ones. Badminton is easy to learn and can be modified according to your skill set.

What is Badminton

It’s a sports game played using a shuttlecock, and lightweight racquets across a net. You can either play singles or doubles. Badminton is usually played outdoors, but now it’s also played indoors. The primary difference between Badminton and tennis is that players use a shuttlecock instead of a tennis ball.

How to get started

Badminton needs both stamina and agility, so it’s wise to concentrate on both these areas. Start the game doing some warmup exercises. Give importance to the grip while choosing a racket. Hold your racquet lightly and never too tight.

Before you begin, check the flight of your shuttlecock. A wobbly shuttle should be disposed of. Maintain a central base position while playing. In this way, you’re more likely to reach opposing shots. This is an unpredictable, fast-paced game, so you should be prepared to move in any direction at a given time.

Try to understand the psychology of your opponent and use their weakness to your advantage. To gain stamina and agility cross-train around your Badminton. Brisk walking and jogging would provide required knee strength. Also, practice yoga to increase your flexibility and range of motion. Having a positive attitude significantly improves your performance. After a tiring match, cool down with a gentle walk and light stretches.

How to find a place or group

Find out where your local sports clubs and multi-sports venues are. Also, search where you can hire badminton courts to play casual games. Moreover, there are non-competitive clubs which have more social and accommodative games for newcomers. Enquire about these kinds of facilities in your locality. Most clubs hold competitions which are often based on experience, skill level, or age groups. You could attend these games to get a more precise idea about competitive sports. If you’re a student or a member of community college, make sure that you participate in Badminton competitions for students.

Start playing Badminton with your colleagues or friends. Also, you can find people with a similar skill set through apps or websites. Playo, Rovo App, Find a Player, RacketPal, and sites such as Sporty and OpenPlay are some excellent examples. Furthermore, you can obtain information about training centers, playgrounds, tournaments, and even coaches through these apps and websites.

Benefits of Badminton

Badminton improves your metabolic rate and helps you to stay fit. It tones your muscles and increases concentration and reflex action. This game strengthens heart muscles, unclogs arteries, and improves blood flow. If you have any pre-existing medical condition, you can significantly improve your health by playing this sport under proper medical supervision.

Being a fast-paced game, it requires you to be regularly on the move. This action increases your flexibility and helps to gain endurance and muscle strength. It increases bone density and reduces the risk of fractures. Also, Badminton develops calcium matrix, which enhances your overall appearance.

Being a social sport, it expands your friends’ circle and boosts your mental health. As a result, you can experience reduced stress levels, anxiety, and better sleep. It increases your lung function and reduces your dependence on nasal spray if you have difficulty in breathing.

Try this sport and reap all the health benefits Badminton has to offer.