Squash fat and inactivity

Apart from the envy of thousands of tourists who visit our beautiful islands each year, we Maltese rarely get the chance to celebrate episodes of intense national pride, especially in the sporting arena.

However, just as the Spanish welcomed home their World Cup-winning squad last summer, or the Serbians welcomed their Wim­b­ledon-winning hero Novak Djokovic, this time we get to welcome some home winners too, from our very own cherished sporting arena where we take on nations of the same stature as our own: the Games of the Small States of Europe.

The 14th edition of the games came to a close last week, and it seems we’ve finally excelled at a sport that isn’t played standing still or on a table. This time we can take pride in dominating one of the fastest-pace, pulse-racing and competitive games known to man: squash.

Just as our triumphant women’s basketball team has done before them, squash players Brad Hindle Deguara and Diane Desira have inspired us with a multiple gold medal haul beyond our shores.

They return from Liechtenstein as champions, and what better way to squash obesity and inactivity than by tapping into the experience and following in the footsteps of our local sporting heroes?

Squash has a way of awakening the competitive beast that lies deep within us all. Its excitement lies in its blistering speed, and the close proximity shared between dueling opponents. Huff, puff, sweat and tears all help contribute to the magical fabric of social contest.

It is played inside four walls, so being the fittest person in the room during a game of squash is certainly a useful distinction indeed. Using racquets and a rubber ‘squashable’ ball, players take turns hitting the ball directly against the legal zone marked ahead on the front wall.

The ball may bounce once before being played back by the receiving player. Due to sharing the same limited space, players must not obstruct each others’ paths, and often return to the centre of the court between shots.

This positioning also increases the chances of catching a return shot, wherever it might be played. Players win points when their opponent hits the ball out, fails to hit the ball after just one bounce, or causes an obstruction.

The rules are simple enough, so if it’s an all-round workout you’re after, or when bragging rights are at stake, squash remains the perfect solution. A competitive match puts a tremendous strain on the cardiovascular system, as the heart beats ever faster to keep up with the demands of the muscles requiring oxygen and fuel from the blood.

It has been found that squash boosts the heart rate up to an average of about 85 per cent of maximum within just a few minutes of starting play, and stays that high for the duration of the match.

The average gym user is advised to maintain a steady heart rate of about 75 per cent when using equipment in the controlled environment of the gym, so it is clear that squash presents a highly intense solution for increasing fitness or burning copious amounts of body fat.

Caution must be exercised, however, for participants with high blood pressure or any form of heart disease. Ease into it slowly, and don’t challenge for the coveted title of office champ just yet. Build your fitness with some coaching first, or ask a fitness instructor for help.

Due to the confined spaces involved, it is easy to lose track of exactly how much distance you are covering throughout the course of a game, and how much energy you are actually expending. You can realistically expect to burn up to a thousand calories during a single game.

Mobility and flexibility in the shoulders and hips, and timing and reflexes are also honed on court. The lunging movements and quick changes of direction that occur virtually all the time throughout a game are also a great workout for the muscles of the legs, helping to strengthen and tone the hips, butt, thighs and calves.

The upper body muscles are also recruited to control the racquet, maintain balance and assist in the action of running, twisting and turning. Twisting and turning primarily engages the core muscles including the abdominals and obliques that populate the ‘love handle’ area of the torso.

As in most sports, core strength is indeed the key to a powerful shot. But perhaps the best aspect of all is the mental side of squash; it is great for building character and mental focus. Just a small lapse in concentration will cost you precious points, and when mistakes occur, it’s up to you to resist frustration and immediately get back on the ball: applicable lessons in life well and truly worth learning.

Of course, there can certainly be much more to squash than simply playing the game every so often against friends, family and colleagues. If you already play recreationally, and you’d like to take your game up a notch, then why not join our talented local ranks and play competitively. Enter a local competition for the experience and you might just discover a brand new passion.

You can train endurance, balance, speed, strength and flexibility in the gym, and attend specialist squash coaching to enhance your game. A quick Google search will reveal several clubs peppered around the island with coaching services and courts for hire.

In the meantime, a big congratulations goes out to the Malta national squash contingent for doing us proud in Liechtenstein.

info@noble-gym.com