Do you play billiards, perhaps you should?

As part of my role on the Mayor’s council in my community, I act as a conduit between people who have concerns and city council. The Mayor and city council may not change their minds on issues the Mayor’s council brings forward, but the voters at least know they are being heard. I was recently approached by a senior who is upset that the new senior’s facility will cut the number of Billiard tables from four to two. I am not a Billiard player so I thought I would do some research. This is what I found. After looking at just the health benefits of Billiards, it is, in my mind, counterproductive for the city council to cut the number of tables for the new senior facility.

Many senior’s love playing billiards, as it is a great way to improve skill, or simply pass the time with friends. However, there’s more to playing billiards than you might think, and I don’t just mean technique.

Playing billiards actually has some health benefits, you could be doing your body and mind a big favour the next time you pick up a cue. Each round of billiards, whatever game type one chooses to play, is uniquely presented and requires players to be mentally agile and physically adept.

Here are some health benefits of seniors for seniors.

Slows ageing in seniors–According to a recent study from the University of Copenhagen, playing a game of pool with friends can help keep older people active due to the exchange between active activity and passive activity during a round of pool. This can help combat the ageing process by providing the elderly with a casual activity that still utilizes the use of their muscles.

Helps build focus – Playing pool requires a great amount of focus and concentration. In billiards, players must focus on their targets (the cue ball and the target ball), the angle of their own cue, the angle the cue ball will move in once it is hit and if the cue ball will strike the target ball. The ability to pay attention to the small details and focus on the task at hand while blocking out external stimulus is important for all seniors. Playing billiards regularly can help build those sorts of skills, which can be extremely useful when you’re away from the table too. Pretty much everything you do around the pool table (expect chatting with your friends) requires a fair amount of serious attention.

Burns calories – There is a surprising amount of beneficial walking involved in a round of pool: a typical 2-hour 8-ball or 9-ball session often provides 100 trips around the table’s perimeter. In fact, the average player is going to easily walk about one mile in just one game of billiards. That may not seem like a lot, but in opposition to sitting on the couch watching TV, it’s a whole heck of a lot more.

Enables stretching and balance – Playing requires a lot more stretching than a person would not normally do. Having to bend across the tabletop to reach the cue ball at the desired angle requires a player to be moderately flexible, especially with complex shots. The game also enhances balance as the player may be required to stand on one foot at a time, promoting stability, which helps in fall prevention for seniors.

Helps build control – Studies have shown that seniors who play sports like billiards are less likely to panic amid a crisis. The game requires levelheadedness and concentration giving those who play a greater ability to think clearly and logically. This ability to think clearly helps seniors examine the most pertinent facts and details and encourages them to go into action without becoming hysterical.

Sharpens the mind –Billiards requires performing mental mathematical estimates and calculations, such as basic geometry and physics. These skills are necessary to calculate precise angles and trajectories and to determine how much force to apply during a strike so as not to under or overshoot a target. Having a sharp mind enables one to think on their feet faster and pick up on little details and may slow the onset of dementia in older adults. 

Hones good hand-eye coordination – If billiards can sharpen the mind, it is all that is for nothing if the player cannot apply those calculations to the table. The hand-eye coordination involved is a crucial factor in winning a game of billiards. 

Fun for all ages – Anyone can play this activity regardless of age and sex, so playing these games can be an intergenerational activity. 

Tones muscles – The physical benefits of playing pool include low-impact toning of the back, hip and leg muscles pertaining to continuous bending and reaching to facilitate arm hand setups and the exercises found in cue-stroking movements. As a billiard player, seniors benefit from a low-impact toning of their leg, back and hip muscles as they bend and reach out continuously while playing.

Improves cognitive skills – The layout of each game of billiards challenge the player’s imagination, visualization and creative problem-solving skills and require constant improvisation in order to pocket balls and achieve a good position on further shots as skills increase.  

For example, figuring a difficult bank shot or learning to slice your cue ball just right requires logical, step-by-step thinking. The stimulation that you get mentally while playing billiards is rich and variable since each broken rack presents infinite layouts.