(© Reader’s Digest/Best Health. Originally published in Best Health, November/December 2009).

Run, stretch, leap, lunge: Good old badminton serves up a calorie-burning cardio workout

I 'm in a gymnasium. Laughter echoes off the cinderblock walls and shoes squeak on the hardwood. My heart's racing and I'm squinting against the lights. No, it's not a gruesome flashback to my grade 9 gym class. Rather, it's Tuesday night and I'm playing badminton, of all things. A friend invited me to join her at a free drop-in night at the local school—and I impulsively said yes. Much to my surprise, I'm having a lot of fun—and getting a great workout too: running, stretching, leaping and lunging just as fast as my 36-year-old reflexes will go. The 90 minutes fly past. When was the last time you could say that about an aerobics class?

"I love the complexity of badminton," says Vancouverite Anna Rice, the current national champion who represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics. "There's always another dimension you can focus on, whether it's physical, tactical, technical or psychological. Plus, you're playing against a direct opponent so you've got someone who brings a different style to the game. It makes every game different."

Playing badminton carries loads of health benefits. "It's a wonderful way to get in shape," notes Susan Agrios, a fitness trainer in Edmonton who coaches and plays competitive badminton. "You have a short burst of activity, and then a bit of a rest, and then a short burst again to blast that heart rate up. That kind of interval training is a great way to strengthen the heart."

Be-bopping around the court also helps tone your muscles. "It's fantastic for the legs: the quads, butt, calves and hamstrings. Your core muscles get worked, too. And of course the arm and back muscles for your racquet hand are getting a workout," she says. Badminton also boosts your agility, balance and coordination, as well as strengthening your bones because it's a weight-bearing activity. For a recreational player, this all adds up to about 450 calories burned an hour (based on a 150-lb woman). An hour of walking burns just half that amount.

GET IN THE GAME

You can find a game in just about any Canadian community. Many recreation centres and racquet clubs offer singles or doubles games for a small fee, or, like my tiny town in northwestern Ontario, a free, weekly pick-up session in the school gym. Larger centres also have badminton clubs that offer lessons and tournaments. You can learn the basic skills quite quickly, even if you're a not-very-muscular beginner like me, and you don't necessarily need to show up with a partner. Just check with the club beforehand to see if drop-in games are an option.

You will likely need your own racquet (about $40 and up for a new one). Clubs often supply the inexpensive, durable nylon shuttles, also known as birdies or shuttlecocks. (Advanced players tend to prefer more expensive and fragile feather shuttles, made with real duck or goose feathers, because they offer greater control.) You can play year-round, although if like me, you're playing in a school, the program often shuts down in the summer (when it's still fun to whack the shuttle around on the beach or in the backyard). Like most sports, it's best to play against someone who's slightly better than you, so you can improve your game without getting frustrated.

DO IT RIGHT

Injury rates for badminton are pretty low—after all, it's not a contact sport. "You will sometime see knee, ankle or shoulder injuries, but if you learn how to swing properly you're less likely to get injured," explains Agrios.

"You'll be fine with a cross-trainer shoe but if you do start playing more badminton you should get court shoes," she says. A running shoe has a higher, cushier sole, and it's not designed for multidirectional movement, so you run the risk of rolling your ankle. "Court shoes are a bit narrower and have thinner, more flexible soles that grip the floor so you can easily move in different directions." Expect to pay about $50 and up for court shoes. Add a T-shirt and some shorts or track pants and you're good to go. Warm up and cool down with a brisk walk, and to be safe, check with your doctor if you have a heart condition.

I've definitely caught the badminton bug, so I'm off to shop for some real feather shuttles. Just imagine the intimidation factor when I step into the school gym next Tuesday!