Britain's comeback sport promises to help you drop a dress size in January - burning up to 1000 calories a session!
have you tried it yet?
Move over yoga and the February-redundant gym membership, if you want to get fit in 2016 why not try Britain's comeback trend - SQUASH.
This cardiovascular, full body work out, promises to super-burn off those Christmas mince pies this January, while allowing you to socialise with friends.
England Squash have reported a rapid rise in the court sport, with more than 27000 more people now taking in part in Squash every week. This affordable and easily accessible sport is set to be the next go-to fitness activity for those whipping themselves into shape.
Moving aside the traditional stereotypes of 1980's two person court sweat-band battles, England Squash invite you to enrol in their new participation programme, Squash 101, which is designed to cater for up to five people per court.
So get fit with your mates, using various drills which can accommodate multiple players on court.
HOW TO PLAY:
You'll need a racquet, an opponent, a ball, and an enclosed court-most colleges and large gyms have them. Alternate hitting the ball off the front wall until someone loses the point. this happens when you allow the ball to bounce twice, or when you whack it out of bounds-below the 19-inch strip of metal (the "tin") along the bottom of the front wall, or above the red line around the top of the court. First one to 11 points wins the game; best of three or five wins the match.
Ideally you need to find an opponent of a similar skill level to you and use an appropriate ball. The different balls are designed to compensate for different levels of skill. The right ball can enable two players of differing skill levels to have a competitive match.
WHERE CAN I PLAY:
There are almost 4,300 courts in England of which over 1,200 are local authority owned.
THE BENEFIT:
You bend, lunge, jump, and twist, working your upper body, explosiveness, endurance, and core. You'll burn more than 1,000 calories an hour. Squash is a strenuous activity. It is fast-paced, cheap and an effective method for controlling your weight. If you want to lose weight, squash will help you burn off more calories on a daily basis than you consume.
The number of calories you burn playing squash depends on the amount of time you play and your weight. If you weigh 155 lbs. and play squash for 30 minutes, you will burn 422 calories or if you are a little heavier and weigh 180 lbs, you'll burn 491 calories every 30 minutes. This more than doubles when you play for an hour.
HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER SPORTS:
Calories burned per hour in squash versus other sports
Squash = 1,034
Stationary Bike = 905
Soccer = 862
Cross-Country Running = 776
Tennis = 689
Basketball = 689