​Sports that Support Social Distancing

Although professional sports and much-anticipated sporting events are being canceled or completely reimagined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there are still some sports that you can enjoy while staying true to social distancing. Certainly contact sports are off the table, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break a sweat playing another equally competitive game.

Perhaps it will come as no surprise that two of our all-time favorites top the list of socially-distant sports: tennis and golf. Check out why you should take a swing at either one, while keeping yourself safe in the process.

Tennis is Tops

When it comes to social distancing, tennis is one sport that gets it right. Granted, the etiquette has changed thanks to the coronavirus; however, the game itself remains true to the good old days. For those who have never played before, now just might be the ideal time to give tennis a try.

And it seems more and more people are game to do just that with sales of supplies like prestrung racquets and tennis balls increasing since March, “That suggests the purchasers are new players, not people who already have equipment.”

According to the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) CEO and executive director Michael Dowse: “Our sport is conducive to social distancing. Health and safety is paramount and tennis comes second, but once that first box is checked and it’s deemed safe, it’s the perfect sport for all of us to participate in coming out of this pandemic.”

Some of the new recommendations to ensure safe play likely come as no surprise. In addition to handwashing and the use of hand sanitizer, the USTA cautions against post-match interactions like high fives or handshakes, and encourages players to use new racquet grips every time you take to the court, and, of course, clean the equipment at the end of a match.

If you have trouble finding an open court in your area, you might have more luck with a golf course.

Golf is Good, Too

If you ask our friends at Golf.com, “Playing golf is safer than playing basketball during the coronavirus pandemic, four public health experts say. Golf is safer than going bowling, too. Golf is not safer than tennis.”

Since it’s a non-contact sport played outdoors that involves small groups of people, golf was given a low score of three, on the public health experts’ scale of 1-10. Stay even safer by avoiding additional encounters with other golfers and keeping conversation to a minimum.

The article featured advice from Dr. Nasir Husain, the Henry Ford Macomb medical director for infection prevention, “Just play golf, say hi and bye, and go on your merry way.”

Whether tennis or golf, it’s important to keep active while staying safe during this pandemic. We know that exercise is critical for your physical health, but also works wonders for your mental well-being, which has been a struggle for so many during this time of isolation and uncertainty.