How many calories do you burn playing squash?

How many calories do you burn playing squash?

A fast, breathless game which challenges its players physically and mentally, squash often tops lists of sports which burn the most calories. But exactly how many calories does playing squash burn? In this article, we find out.

By Max Cutner

How to choose your squash racket Reading How many calories do you burn playing squash? 3 minutes
Why is squash so demanding?

As squash demands players get down low, sprint to the front of the court, and hit the ball powerfully, it is a well-rounded, full-body workout. For an average match, the ball can be in play anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour. This is far more than tennis, where in professional matches the ball is in play for an average of 18 minutes and 60% of rallies are finished within the first four shots. Consequently, during a squash match your heart works at about 80% of its maximum rate.

With your heart working hard during a long game or training session, playing squash demands anaerobic endurance. This means that parts of your body which require the most energy must tap into stored energy sources for fuel to keep going. Squash players’ muscles are forced to adapt and continue without sufficient oxygen, in turn significantly building muscle endurance. As such, it is important to refuel with protein, water and electrolytes, and stretch afterwards to relieve your muscles of lactic acid build up after anaerobic exercise.

 


How does squash build your fitness?
Quick sprints to the front and back of the court help to strengthen the muscles in your legs, while regular lunging for the ball toughens your core and hips. Swinging the racket helps to build and tone muscles in the upper half of your body, especially the arms.

Squash training drills help players adapt to the high-octane feel of the game. The ghosting drill, where you practice your swing and movement without the ball using the entire squash court, is intense and an excellent way to improve your squash technique and movement. Also, good stamina is built from practicing rhythm and rotation, two vital elements of squash as you try to avoid your opponent and reach the ball when it travels from corner to corner.

Playing squash is also tremendous exercise for the mind and can help your mental health as well as physical health. The competitiveness of matches helps keep you engaged and focused mentally as you battle to stay in rallies and outfox your opponents.

 


How many calories do you burn playing squash?
The squash court is a place of sweat, grunts, and squeaking shoes as players stretch every sinew to return a well-executed drop shot, leading to a game that burns calories like few others. But how many calories do you burn playing the game, and why does it burn so many more calories than other sports?

There is no uniform answer to the first question, as the number of calories burnt is dependent on the weight and body type of the exercising individual. However, it is estimated the average person playing one hour of squash will burn 1,034 calories. In comparison, an average person will burn 689 calories playing one hour of tennis and 776 when running for an hour.

 

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