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SINGAPORE - On Wednesday, golfers gathered at the Singapore Island Country Club to encourage Singaporeans towards a more active lifestyle and raise money for heart health promotion efforts.
In total, $170,000 was raised through the sale of golfing slots - which will go towards funding the Singapore Heart Foundation's (SHF) programmes on increasing heart health awareness in Singapore and providing support to heart patients.
Some key projects include the SHF-Isetan Foundation Heart Wellness Centre, which helps recovering cardiac patients, and the Heart Support Fund, which provides needy heart patients with financial subsidies.
The annual Heart Charity Golf event is more than just a day of fundraising while enjoying a day out. SHF said that another aim of the event is to show that an activity as simple as playing golf, often dismissed as just a leisurely sport, can also be very beneficial for the heart.
It has been found that even low to moderate levels exercise, when done regularly over a long period of time, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
SHF cited a study, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, that showed that walking and carrying clubs during golfing activities elicits a heart rate response and caloric expenditure above the minimum threshold of recommended physical activity guidelines.
This has been reported to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 50 per cent, SHF said.