Badminton - A Snapshot

 Interested in learning about Badminton, or not sure if it is for you?  We’ve been doing some  research into the benefits and found some interesting information.  Maybe this will  convince you to give it a try!

Health Benefits

Badminton is great for general health and fitness  - if played regularly it:

•  Can reduce body fat – faster than tennis, badminton players can burn upward of 500 calories an hour
•  Improves flexibility and agility
• Increases reflexes and hand-eye coordination and agility
• Builds strength  
• Raises stamina 
• Helps tone your muscles, including legs and buttocks, arms, shoulders, back and stomach due to the constant moving around and direction changes on court. 

Not only is it good for you physically but it’s also good for you mentally as it is incredibly social (both males and females can play together) and it can help relieve stress.  So why wouldn’t you want to give it a go?

Who can play?

Almost anyone – that’s the great thing about badminton!  Regardless of whether you are 8 or 80 it is an easy sport to pick up at a basic level.   You will get the hang of it within no time!

Interesting Trivia Facts about Badminton

• Badminton is the second most popular sport in the world (after soccer).
• The top badminton nations are China, Indonesia, Korea, Denmark and England.
• The Chinese played a version of badminton called Ti Zian Ji.  Only difference was, they didn’t play with racquets, they played with their feet!
• The best shuttlecocks are made from the left wing feathers of a goose!
• Badminton is one of the world’s fastest racquet sports.  Fastest smashes in badminton have been recorded at over 300 km per hour (the fastest smash in tennis is only about 240 km per hour).
• Celebrities who enjoy badminton include Sting, golfer Nick Faldo, Paul Newman and Diego Maradonna.

Badminton Rules

Click here for an overview of the rules.

For Further Information about Badminton….

Badminton Australia http://www.badminton.org.au

Active Spirit’s next Badminton Event

The next Active Spirit Come ‘n Try: Badminton event is Saturday 21^st June 2008.