The fitness benefits and other useful facts about playing squash

SQUASH is an exhilarating racket sport and when you’re playing a good match you can get as much of a buzz from this sport as from any other.

Squash is fast paced; unlike some sports it seems like it never stops, mainly because of the enclosed court area. This means the ball is never far away and you never seem to have an excuse for a break.Therefore, you do need a reasonable level of fitness before starting out in the game.One of the great benefits of squash is that it’s easy to get started and it’s relatively cheap.There are clubs and courts in Windhoek and other areas of Namibia, and you don’t have to have lessons to get going.Due to the popularity of the sport most people will know someone that plays and this is a great way to pick up the basics.Then, once you have grasped the essentials, a few lessons could be invaluable.Furthermore as squash equipment requirements are fairly low it is not difficult to get the basic kit together to start playing.You only need a racket, balls and obviously your clothing but shorts, shirt and non-marking soled trainers are all you need to get started.Of course if you want to improve, it’s best to join a club and play against people of similar or a slightly higher standard as well as having the support of a coach to refine your skills and improve your game.It won’t be long before you’re hooked.How playing squash gets your body fit: Playing squash can have a number of positive health and fitness benefits on your body.Here are some of its key exercise advantages: * Improves aerobic fitness, with more oxygen circulated around the body to better muscular endurance.* Burns off calories with energy being supplied to the muscles and not forming fat.* Boosting flexibility and sprint speed, due to the fast-paced nature of squash.* Improves hand-eye co-ordination with concentration required for serving.* Develops the strength and power of muscles, notably leg and arm muscles.* Furthers concentration and mental strength, with matches often lasting for some time.* Boosts a player’s cardiovascular fitness (the heart and lungs organs), allowing more oxygen to be pumped around the body and help energise muscles.Where is it played? Squash is played all around the world, in 153 countries, using the international squash rules.Who can excel at it? Squash is a great sport for all body types.The best players can be short, medium or tall; they can have thin or muscular physiques.The best players are very fit.How fast does the ball move? Since the racquet is 27 inches long and the ball is light, the ball can come off the racquet at over 150 miles per hour.Luckily, it slows down when rebounding from the walls.How big is the court? A standard international squash court is 32 feet long and 21 feet wide.Is it an Olympic sport? Squash is not an Olympic sport.Squash was the top sport in consideration for being added to the Olympic program for 2012, and may be added for the 2016 Olympics.Squash is among the Olympic Movement’s list of officially recognized sports.Who are some all-time great players? Some all-time greats include the Khans (Hashim, Azam, Sharif, Jahangir, Jansher), all from Pakistan; Jonah Barrington of the UK; Geoff Hunt, Australia; Mark Talbott, from the US; Peter Nicol, Scotland; Jonathan Power, Canada; Heather McKay and Sara Fitz-Gerald, Australia.How long does it take to learn? Learning squash can take a lifetime.You can learn the basics of squash in a year of play.How easy is it to start? You need court shoes, a court, racquet, and ball to start hitting and get a feel for hitting.To actually play, you also need to find a partner and get some protective eyewear.How many players and courts are there? There are roughly 13 million squash players worldwide.In the US there are over 1,100 locations where squash courts are found, and over 2,700 individual courts.Worldwide, there are more than 50,000 courts.- about.com and realbuzz.com To find out more about playing squash in Namibia: Contact Gerdus Louwrens on 081 128 2301 at the Namibia Squash Association (NSA).This means the ball is never far away and you never seem to have an excuse for a break.Therefore, you do need a reasonable level of fitness before starting out in the game.One of the great benefits of squash is that it’s easy to get started and it’s relatively cheap.There are clubs and courts in Windhoek and other areas of Namibia, and you don’t have to have lessons to get going.Due to the popularity of the sport most people will know someone that plays and this is a great way to pick up the basics.Then, once you have grasped the essentials, a few lessons could be invaluable.Furthermore as squash equipment requirements are fairly low it is not difficult to get the basic kit together to start playing.You only need a racket, balls and obviously your clothing but shorts, shirt and non-marking soled trainers are all you need to get started.Of course if you want to improve, it’s best to join a club and play against people of similar or a slightly higher standard as well as having the support of a coach to refine your skills and improve your game.It won’t be long before you’re hooked.How playing squash gets your body fit: Playing squash can have a number of positive health and fitness benefits on your body. Here are some of its key exercise advantages: * Improves aerobic fitness, with more oxygen circulated around the body to better muscular endurance.* Burns off calories with energy being supplied to the muscles and not forming fat.* Boosting flexibility and sprint speed, due to the fast-paced nature of squash.* Improves hand-eye co-ordination with concentration required for serving.* Develops the strength and power of muscles, notably leg and arm muscles.* Furthers concentration and mental strength, with matches often lasting for some time.* Boosts a player’s cardiovascular fitness (the heart and lungs organs), allowing more oxygen to be pumped around the body and help energise muscles.Where is it played? Squash is played all around the world, in 153 countries, using the international squash rules.Who can excel at it? Squash is a great sport for all body types.The best players can be short, medium or tall; they can have thin or muscular physiques.The best players are very fit.How fast does the ball move? Since the racquet is 27 inches long and the ball is light, the ball can come off the racquet at over 150 miles per hour.Luckily, it slows down when rebounding from the walls.How big is the court? A standard international squash court is 32 feet long and 21 feet wide.Is it an Olympic sport? Squash is not an Olympic sport.Squash was the top sport in consideration for being added to the Olympic program for 2012, and may be added for the 2016 Olympics.Squash is among the Olympic Movement’s list of officially recognized sports.Who are some all-time great players? Some all-time greats include the Khans (Hashim, Azam, Sharif, Jahangir, Jansher), all from Pakistan; Jonah Barrington of the UK; Geoff Hunt, Australia; Mark Talbott, from the US; Peter Nicol, Scotland; Jonathan Power, Canada; Heather McKay and Sara Fitz-Gerald, Australia.How long does it take to learn? Learning squash can take a lifetime.You can learn the basics of squash in a year of play.How easy is it to start? You need court shoes, a court, racquet, and ball to start hitting and get a feel for hitting.To actually play, you also need to find a partner and get some protective eyewear.How many players and courts are there? There are roughly 13 million squash players worldwide.In the US there are over 1,100 locations where squash courts are found, and over 2,700 individual courts.Worldwide, there are more than 50,000 courts.- about.com and realbuzz.com To find out more about playing squash in Namibia: Contact Gerdus Louwrens on 081 128 2301 at the Namibia Squash Association (NSA).

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