Time to look at badminton in a new way (From Burnham & Highbridge Weekly News)

Time to look at badminton in a new way

2:37pm Friday 19th October 2007

• Print
• Email
• Share

WHAT springs to mind when you think about badminton? Most people would associate the traditional sport with men and women aged 50 and over wearing plimsolls whilst hitting a shuttlecock back and forth at a leisurely pace.

Many people have played the sport at some time or another but may not have taken it up as seriously as other racket sports such as tennis or squash.

However the image of a slow-paced gentle knockabout at the local church hall is a myth which badminton enthusiasts are working hard to dispel.

You may be surprised to learn that a 20-minute game could provide a cardiovascular workout that will push you to your limits. The more a player progresses, the more fast and furious the "knockarounds" can become.

Not only can the game help you on your way to attaining the perfect six-pack, or toned buttocks, but it is a fantastic way of meeting like-minded people and socialising - whether young or old.

With National Badminton Week well underway, The Weekly News sent reporter, David Hemming, to Mark College's sports centre for a "gentle" game, and to find out exactly why people in Somerset are going batty for badminton.

You can read his full report - and find out how to get involved in this rapidly-growing hobby - in Wednesday's edition of the Weekly News.

• Print
• Email
• Share