Bowling

Bowling is an anaerobic type of physical exercise, similar to walking with free weights. Bowling helps in burning calories and works muscle groups not usually exercised. The flexing and stretching in bowling works tendons, joints, ligaments, and muscles in the arms and promotes weight loss. Apart from the physical benefits it also has psychosocial benefits, strengthening friendships or creating new ones in groups.

Like any other physical activity, warming up helps to prevent injuries. Checking the soles of shoes for sticky objects helps to avoid falls. Since bowling balls are heavy with varying weight ranges, to avoid back and wrist injury they should be picked up with both hands. It’s recommended to bend one’s knees while picking up bowling balls to avoid back injuries. The bowling ball return mechanism has a driven wheel, and bowlers should keep their hands clear of it.

Four main variations are found in North America, varying especially in New England and parts of Canada.

The second category of bowling is usually played outdoors on a lawn. At outdoor bowling, the players throw a ball, which is sometimes eccentrically weighted, in an attempt to put it closest to a designated point or slot in the bowling arena. Included in the outdoor category:

Bowling alley construction was considered “an important facet” of property development in the western United States in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, described by the LA Times as “small cities in themselves”, some of which cost tens of millions of dollars (in 1960’s dollars). Developer Louis Lesser was described by the Los Angeles Times as “the most active in this field” of bowling alley development. By 1962, he had developed nine bowling alleys. The biggest in size as of 1962 was Parkway Lanes in El Cajon, developed at a cost of ($1 million 1962) with 60 alleys, five acres of parking. The facility had “varied entertainment rivaling the best in night clubs”, according to the LA Times, with “headliners”, such as Louis Prima, Lili St. Cyr, Johnny Ray, Frankie Lane, and Roberta Linn appeared at Parkway, developed by Lesser with Irvin Kahn and George Hirsch. Legion Lanes was developed by Lesser with Ted Bentley into a 44-lane bowling alley from the Hollywood American Legion Stadium boxing arena, at El Centro and Hollywood Blvd., at a $14,088,300 (adjusted for inflation). The facility included a playroom for children, cocktail bar, billiard room, and snack bar. NBC provided its lot for temporary parking during construction, and Milt Enright became manager of the facility. By 1962, Lesser also had planned development of bowling alleys in Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, as bowling competed with cricket, soccer, and rugby as national pastimes in these countries. In 1960, Lesser developed a bowling alley in Indio, CA, at a cost of $5,283,113 (adjusted for inflation), in 1959, the $14,620,848 (adjusted for inflation) “Beach City” Santa Monica Civic Lanes in Santa Monica, California, also to house the Santa Monica Civic Club, and Samoa Lanes at 5th and Broadway in Santa Monica, both with 24 lanes, “equipped with automated pinsetters, a billiard room, children’s playroom, coffee shop, and cocktail lounge”.

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