Exercises to Keep you Bowling Fit | ZONE BOWLING

While bowling isn't exactly Crossfit, it's still a lot harder if your usual exercise regime consists of nothing more than trips between the couch and the fridge. Through the colder months, it's even harder to maintain your fitness, but you'll wish you had once you step up to the lanes at ZONE BOWLING (and especially if you plan to run through our laser skirmish arenas).

If you ask a professional, they will tell you that the way to judge if you're truly 'bowling-fit' is that you can bowl throughout the day without getting tired or losing your strength.

So to get in shape, and stay in shape for your next bowling outing, try these awesome exercises outside of the alley.

Weights

Strength training is an important part of any exercise regime, and this is especially true when preparing for a sport that relies on muscle strength (which, to be fair, is most of them). You can either purchase dumbbells or use those available at your local gym to get started, or you might consider kettlebells.

No matter which weights you use to train with, opt for lighter loads (a few kilos in each hand) and high reps. Overhead thrusts and bicep curls are the perfect place to start, but ask a trainer at the gym or watch YouTube tutorials for more ideas.

This form of training serves to improve your muscle strength so that when it comes to controlling the heavy bowling ball, you'll be able to focus on your technique and movement rather than the ache in your arm.

Yoga

Yoga might seem like an odd exercise to prepare for bowling, but it's actually a fitness technique used by athletes across a huge variety of sports. That's because it's an ideal base for building strength, balance and flexibility - as well as a slew of other health benefits such as lowered cholesterol.

In bowling, you need a lot of flexibility through the shoulders, hips, ankles, hamstrings and in the lower back. All of these areas will become engaged during your bowl, so a greater range of motion here can help your game.

Running

Any cardio exercise will do here, but running is one of the easiest to get into as you need nothing but a good pair of sneakers. Whether you're hitting the treadmill or the pavement, running is a surefire way to introduce aerobic exercise to your life and boost your endurance. If running just isn't your thing, you could also try cycling, walking, or rowing.

You'll need both fitness and endurance for bowling matches, but at least you can sit down for a few moments in between turns!