Squash is known to be one of the most athletic sports out there. If you are wondering why you should play squash, you’ve come to the right place.

Squash is the healthiest sport in the world. It is enjoyable, fun, and super exciting. This racquet sport is played indoors with two or four players on a court with four balls. It uses a rubber ball and is a fast-moving sport.

Squash is known for challenging an individual’s agility, power, and balance. The action of hitting the ball back and forth challenges the muscles in your upper body, keeping you fit and healthy. The coordination keeps your mind sharp and encourages you to develop strategies quickly.

Squash is played by hitting the ball back and forth against the court till one player misses multiple shots and loses. When you bounce the ball, a point is earned. However, the ball needs to bounce back from the wall in front of you to earn a point. There are five sets played, and each set is 11 points. Each match lasts from 40 to 65 minutes.

We will help you understand the various ways squash benefits the mind and body. We have read accounts by squash players to bring you all the best information and encourage you to play this cardio-intensive sport.

Why You Should Play Squash

Squash is a strenuous sport which means that you need to come prepared to be active. If you have a low fitness level or pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, we would recommend that you have a quick snack before playing a match.

Here is why you should play squash:

1. Sharpens Mental Skills

Since squash is a sport that demands your full attention, you have to bring your best game each and every time. This means concentrating and focusing. If you are a beginner, you will have to use 5 percent of your mental strength and 95 percent of your physical strength as, after all, this is a cardio-intensive sport that calls for a lot of running around. As you play matches and tournaments, you will become better soon; you will only need to focus on the strategies you use to win.

When playing squash, it is important to intercept what move your opponent will make, especially since they will lead you to believe that they will hit the ball in the opposite direction. You need to learn to trick your opponent so that you can gain a point. This makes squash physically as well as mentally stimulating.

2. Allows You to be Fitter

Did you know that you can burn up to 1,000 calories by playing squash for one hour? It’s true! Since the game is dynamic and fast-paced, you move your body a lot and burn extra calories.

Keep in mind that when you look at a squash court, you might think that there is no way the sport is as enduring as people say it is. After all, it is not that big and has a comfortable appearance. However, you could not be more wrong. As a squash player, you will have to move across the court in short bursts every few seconds. This will keep your heart healthy and help you lose weight.

All you have to do is play squash every single wee. You can take lessons, go to practices, or set up matches with your friends. If you think you will commit to the sport, it might be cheaper to opt for a monthly membership.

3. Makes a Great Family Activity

One of the main reasons you should play squash is because it is great for every age group. You can play it with your family or even get your kid to practice. Children who learn to play squash at a young age can perfect their hand-eye coordination and improve their confidence and focus. These are skills that will help them in every area of life.

Kids can learn to play squash at any age. However, experts say that formal training should begin at six years. Hand-eye coordination takes time to build, and kids need to perfect their basic skills before they can play tournaments. However, if you really want your kid to succeed, you can always go to the squash court every other day and practice as a family.

Once your kid has become accustomed to the sport, you can enroll them in any squash camp or lesson. Many schools take young children because they understand the benefits of squash and are ready to help kids achieve their dreams.

4. Can be Played Any Time of the Year

It doesn’t matter whether it is dark outside, snowing, raining, or even if your part of the world is experiencing a heatwave, squash is a game that can be played indoors, which means you can play it all year round, at any time of the day or night. This makes integrating this sport into your life much easier.

Moreover, it is a great way to help your family become more active. With desk jobs, most people are gaining weight and destroying their posture. A fun sport should be able to get them to exercise whenever they want.

Since you are playing indoors, there is no limit to the number of times a day you can play squash. If you are a parent, you can play a game with your spouse when the kids go to bed. Children can play squash on the cold winter days even after sunset. This is why squash is known to be a flexible sport.

Playing squash whenever during the year also ensures that players get enough practice and are good at their game. There are many ways to fit this sport into your busy schedule- all you have to do is be willing to make a lifestyle change. If you want to experience lasting health benefits, it is important to create a routine that will allow you to fit in some physical workout or sport.

5. Helps Strengthen Joints and Muscles

When you play squash regularly, you work all the muscles in your body, especially the core and lower body muscles. The more you play, the stronger your muscles will become. Squash is also a great way to strengthen the joints, such as the knees. If you play squash when you are young and continue to stay active throughout your life, you will be less likely to develop osteoporosis and other joint disorders.

In fact, many people report feeling a reduction in their lower back pain after playing squash on the recommendation of their doctors. The twisting motion in the sport is a great way to massage and strengthen the back as it helps keep the disc supple and strong.

6. Fewer Injuries

Some sports, such as football, have a high injury rate since it is easy to collide with other players or get hit in the face. Luckily, squash is completely safe. It comes with smaller risks, such as muscle tears but only if you are not careful and end up slipping in court. Usually, if you are playing squash for the first time or after several years, you might feel body ache later, but this will heal. This ache only shows that your body has been inactive for a while, but it was able to perform its best.

Some other smaller injuries could be caused if you are not watching the ball properly and end up being struck by it in the face. You also need to ensure that your opponent’s racket does not catch you by surprise.

When you are playing squash, here are a few things you can do to protect yourself:

• Put on your goggles to ensure that you do not get hurt in the eye.
• Wear appropriate and safe shoes.
• Warm up before starting the game.
• Cool down after finishing the game.
• Look out for any wetness on the court. This could be caused by sweat. All you have to do is wipe yourself down with a towel after every few points to remain dry and not dirty the court.
• If you think you might collide with your opponent or get hurt with the ball, we would recommend that you stand aside and allow yourself to lose a point. You can always make up for it later in the game.

7. Helps Individuals Think Strategically

Squash, like chess, really helps you think. It works the strategic part of your brain that helps you evaluate, assess, and solve problems. This is extremely important as the more you use your brain, the stronger your thought process will be and the more likely you will think under stress.

When you play squash, you need to notice the strengths and weaknesses of the person you are playing against. If you have enough practice in the sport, you should be able to do this when you are warming up with them. This will allow you to come up with a game plan to counter them and win the match.

Of course, keep in mind that plans and tactics also change as the game progresses. Some players have better stamina and are more mobile than others, which means that you will have to find ways to work with their weaknesses.

Each and every game you play will be different from the last. The more you practice, the easier it will be for you to sport patterns of behavior. With your experience, you can learn to counter these problems and develop counter-strategies to emerge successful.

Thinking strategically in squash can help you think strategically in your day-to-day life as well.

8. Socialize

You cannot have enough friends. Friends are important to get you through every phase of life. You need best friends, close friends, work friends, gym friends, cooking friends, and squash friends. This will help create a sense of community, allowing you to feel like you really fit in.

If you look hard enough, you will find loads of associations and clubs that allow squash players to join and mingle with each other. You can find internal ladders and leagues if you are serious about the game.

The more people you meet, the more you will be able to focus on the game as well. You can share strategies, learn from their mistakes, and build a bond with them that would encourage you to show up to practice every single day.

Here are some ways to become part of a squash community:

• Join a squash club.
• Find a gathering in which players play a single game with different opponents, one after the other.
• Join a squash league.
• Join a squash society at your workplace, university, or college.
• Start playing with your closest friends.
• Play squash with individuals of all ages and genders for some exposure.