Guerneville Amateur Badminton Rally

Badminton is a court game played with lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock (also known as a “bird” or “birdie…The game is named for Badminton, the country estate of the dukes of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England, where it was first played about 1873. The roots of the sport can be traced to ancient Greece, China, and India. The first unofficial all-England badminton championships for men were held in 1899, and the first badminton tournament for women was arranged the next year.  Encyclopedia Britannica.

To date there are no other Badminton clubs & venues in West Sonoma, Ca. We hope that changes. To play Badminton in the SF Bay Area check out:    http://www.badmintonconnect.com/map/san-francisco-bay-area 

Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Badminton from Health Fitness Revolution, April 28, 2015:

• Physical fitness: Between the running, lunging, diving and ball hitting, playing badminton burns fat at approximately 450 calories per hour. This kind of cardiovascular workout can help keep you in tip top shape, especially if you’re looking for a good alternative cross-training exercise.
• Develops athleticism: The fast-paced nature of the game increases your speed and improves your reflexes. Intelligence is also a factor since players must know how to deceive their opponents in every shot.
• Increased muscle tone: Playing badminton builds and tones the quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings. In addition, your core muscles, arm and back muscles get a workout as well.
• Psychological benefits: Because badminton promotes physical fitness, it helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Exercise increases endorphins, which are the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, and has also been found to improve mood and sleep.
• Social health: You’ll need at least one opponent, but you can also play with a teammate and two other opponents. The social interactions of a game will result in positive feelings after a session on the court. Joining a league can also help you become part of a community.
• Good for overall health: As with all forms of physical exercise, badminton can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. It can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your “good” cholesterol.
• Flexibility and muscle strength: The more you move, the more flexible you become, especially in a sport like badminton where swinging and reaching are required. In addition to improving flexibility, players also gain muscle strength and endurance.
• Mobility: As we age, mobility becomes limited, but staying active can help prevent these problems. Keeping mobile lubricates your joints, preventing arthritis and similar conditions from developing.
• Weight loss: Badminton can also help with weight control because of its fat-burning and metabolism boosting qualities. Combined with proper diet, optimal weight loss may be achieved.
  • Decrease diabetes: It can decrease the production of sugar by the liver and therefore can decrease fasting blood sugar. In fact, one study from the Diabetes Prevention Program found that exercise decreased the incidence of developing diabetes by 58% even better than medication.

LINKS

Basic Rules of Badminton:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyLIi-TbcFc.

Badminton for Seniors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rfbwk48qFE  

Other Badminton clubs:

USA Badminton http://www.teamusa.org/usa-badminton/locator

Melbourne Smashers http://www.aroundyou.com.au/whats-on/activities/smashers-gay-badminton-melbourne