All sports are a good form of exercise and are healthy in individual ways. Other than the enjoyment you get from them, sports benefit your mind and body.
So, is squash a good form of exercise as well?
YES. Squash is one of the healthiest sports based on its high strength requirements, cardio endurance, flexibility, muscle endurance, injury risk, and calories burned.
In this article, we will dig deeper and discuss squash as a form of exercise, how many calories it burns, and if it is a good workout. Also, I will provide detailed answers to some of the frequently asked questions about squash as a form of exercise.
Keep reading to find out more.
Is Squash a Good Form of Exercise?
There are many active, vigorous, and more violent games. However, squash is considered one of the best forms of exercise.
For instance, squash was not just picked by a squash player who dislikes other racket sports as the best form of exercise. Its top review as the best form of exercise is as a result of some heavy data collected.
According to Forbes Magazine top fitness sports, squash is on top. This is mainly based on the squash’s high score in strength, cardio endurance, flexibility, muscle endurance, injury risk, and calories burned.
Forbes had to consult top personal trainers, exercise physiologists, and coaches to arrive at these conclusions. They each gave their reviews and ratings out of five.
| Rating | Sport Name | Cardio Endurance | Strength | Muscle Endurance | Flexibility | Calories rating (cal) | Injury risk | Total |
| 1 | Squash | 4.5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 (517) | 2 | 22.5 |
| 2 | Rowing | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2(302) | 3 | 22 |
| 3 | Rock Climbing | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5(475) | 2 | 22 |
| 4 | Swimming | 4.75 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2(345) | 3 | 20.75 |
| 5 | Cross-country skiing | 3.5 | 5 | 3 | 2(345) | 2 | 20.5 |
Squash scored 22.5 with the best marks in calories burned and muscle endurance. Besides, it had near top marks in cardio endurance.
Another British Journal of Sports Medicine survey also found squash to be the best sport for prolonged life.
For instance, according to the study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine conducted for 80,000 people between the year 1994 and 2008, the risk of death due to any cause is 47% lower among individuals involved in sports that entails a racket such as a squash sport.
What are the Exercise Benefits of Squash?
There are many exercise benefits that you can get from playing squash. These benefits include:
- Faster calorie burn
- Increased cardiovascular health
- Flexibility and agility booster
- Increased strength
- Improved hand-eye coordination
- Mental and other health-related benefits
Faster Calorie Burn
Inquire with any weight-loss or health expert about squash, and you will notice their eyes light up. The main reason for this is because squash enables one to lose calories twice as fast compared to most sports. As a result, squash assists you in losing weight in a healthy manner.
For instance, according to LiveStrong.com, one can lose 400 calories to 500 calories within 30 minutes of playing squash. This will, however, depend on your weight.
The table below compares the calories lost playing different sports for 1 hour of an individual with an approximate weight of 70kg.
| Sport Name | Calories lost |
| Squash | 900 |
| Beach Volleyball | 600 |
| Tennis | 520 |
| Soccer | 520 |
| Stationary cycling | 520 |
| Pickleball | 500 |
| Swimming | 450 |
| Badminton | 330 |
| Curling | 300 |
| Walking (6km) | 300 |
| Volleyball | 300 |
| Stretching | 300 |
Increased Cardiovascular Health
Even if you play squash for leisure or recreation, the game will usually get tough and competitive.
Therefore, this answers the question ‘is squash a good form of exercise?’ as it helps increase or improve cardiovascular health. For instance, the cardiovascular workouts involved in squash include;
- Running
- Stopping
- Bending
- Changing directions
- Expending energy to get to the ball and attempting to return it
All this assists your heart to go faster, pump more blood to the entire body, and increase the supply of oxygen to the rest of your body.
Flexibility and Agility Booster
Four hours a week of squash training is enough exercise to help your body remain flexible and loose. For instance, squash requires one to run, stoop, bend, and change directions. This helps in improving agility compared to playing any other sport.
Besides, there are instances where one is required to dive to get to the squash ball. This can assist in getting your body agile.
Increased Strength
We all know that a squash ball is made of material that will allow it to be played quicker and get warmer with time. As such, it requires one to put more strength in an attempt to get the ball going. This is more paramount at the start of the game. Failure to do so, the ball will bounce less, which will make it difficult to play.
This constant swinging of the racket will greatly assist in the development of your arm and hand muscles.
Also, the frequent running and frequent changes in direction are the ultimate recipes for building stamina and strength for the lower parts of your body, such as thighs and calves.
Improved hand-eye coordination
During the game, a squash ball tends to bounce in different directions. This forces squash players to have more focus on the ball than most other sports.
This will, in turn, assist in improving your hand-eye coordination.
As one gets older, hand-eye coordination starts to decline. Therefore, playing squash will enable one to maintain peak hand-eye coordination for many years.
Mental and other health-related benefits
The benefits of exercise are not just limited to physical fitness.
Although squash is a physical sport, there are mental aspects to the squash game. For instance, once you master the physical aspects of squash, you will realize that squash is a lot more mental.
The playing strategy involved allows one to improve their mental health.
When you play squash, you get to interact with other squash players. This assists in improving your mental health by maintaining friendships.
Besides, being the best in squash is the ultimate way to improve your self-confidence. This is to say, squash helps in uplifting your confidence and esteem.
FAQs
Is squash a full-body workout?
So if you were wondering- is squash a good form of exercise? Actually, squash is a full-body workout. For instance, your arms get an exercise as they whip the squash ball around the court. This also strengthens back and wrist muscles. Besides, playing squash involves making short sprints that require fast-twitch muscles to be working all the time.
Can you lose weight by playing squash?
A competitive squash player can burn up to 900 calories per hour. On the other hand, recreational squash players can lose between 400 calories to 500 calories per hour.
The energy you burn while playing squash supports in losing weight or keeping your body weight in check.