Golf for Longevity: Insights From a 77-Year-Old CEO

You don’t need a fancy gym or elaborate routine to boost longevity — just hit the links.

77-year-old Joe Bronson doesn’t believe in retirement. As CEO and founder of his namesake business consulting group, Bronson likes to keep busy.

“People continue to hire me thinking I’m a lot younger,” he told Business Insider. When he’s not on the job, he works on a blog and writes books, including his latest titled, “PARdon Me: 50 Years of Golf, One Hole at a Time.”

Making time to golf is a priority — not just as a hobby, but a key part of a longevity routine approved by his doctor to help give him an edge in both health and business.

Golfing offers an accessible way to exercise. Bronson said it has also given him a sense of purpose and community that’s kept him spry in the boardroom.

“It’s a lot more than chasing a white ball around a grassy knoll for a few hours,” he said.

Golf has given him a longevity-boosting sense of purpose

When Bronson took up golfing as a 25-year-old rising star in business, he was terrible at the sport. That only makes him more determined to learn it.

“I’m competitive by nature,” he said. “I told myself, ‘This game isn’t going to beat me.'”

The challenge makes golf ideal for longevity. A sport that requires years and decades to master gives you a reason to keep trying.

“Hit a couple of good ones, and it’s so exciting. That’s what keeps you coming back,” Bronson said.

It’s also a major asset for execs, not just for the opportunity to network. Golfing skills like risk management, good etiquette, and quick decision-making translate well to the business world, Bronson said.

Playing golf around the world, from California to Japan to Malaysia and beyond, has been a great way to stay sharp, according to Bronson.

“You really have to pay attention to what you’re doing and every time you go out there, you have to strategize. You have to adapt,” he said.

Golf is a low-intensity, heart-healthy exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to extend your lifespan, and most of us don’t get close to the recommended exercise minimum of 150 minutes a week.

Those minutes don’t need to be strenuous. Bronson said golfing has been more than enough to help him stay in shape over the years.

“I keep moving,” he said.”I’m not a wild man about it; I’m not a hiker or a cyclist. I focus on my golf game.”

A round of golf can involve 6 or 7 miles of walking, well over the recommended 7,000-10,000 steps per day to boost health.

Adding just 500 steps a day to your routine can help stave off heart disease, stroke, and other common risks of early death.

Bronson said golfing is easy enough that he’s been able to continue it despite a recent hip replacement surgery: after three months of rehab exercises, he was right back to tee time.

“You’re able to play until you kick the bucket,” Bronson said. “Go out, play at whatever level you can and have fun.”

Golf has provided a lifelong community

Despite technically being a solo sport, golf is all about social connections.

“It’s completely integrated into the lifestyle,” Bronson said.

That makes it an antidote to one of the biggest modern threats to longevity: isolation. Loneliness can increase your risks of life-threatening diseases, according to former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

In contrast, staying social can help you live longer, research suggests.

Golf provides a built-in community and a simple means of meeting new people, making friends, and spending time socializing.

It’s particularly helpful for bridging the gap between generations in a way that’s increasingly rare in fast-paced modern society. For instance, golf was one of the first group activities to revive after the coronavirus pandemic. Since it’s outdoors and easy to practice social distancing, it was back by June 10, 2020, when a PGA Tour tournament was the first major sporting event to return from the COVID hiatus.

Now, golf is a major obsession for Gen Z as soaring numbers of young people, particularly women, get in on the sport.

Bronson said he frequently golfs with high school or college athletes and loves to learn from them. He also shares his wisdom and sets the bar high for healthy aging.

“These kids are fantastic players, but I can keep up with them,” he said. “Golf is something I can do athletically and competitively for the rest of my life.”