When you think of golf you think it is played by people riding around in motorized carts, so how much exercise could you possibly get? The World Golf Foundation surprisingly estimates that golfers who walk an 18-hole course clock about 5 miles and burn up to 2,000 calories. That can be a very grueling workout, especially this time of the year! If you’ve ever spent a day out on the course you know this to be true and know the stiff, sore feeling you have the next day. There are ways to strengthen and loosen your muscles that will better your swing and increase flexibility. Here are a few recommended exercises:
• Seated Rotations: Sit straddling a bench. Hold a club behind your back with your arms, so it sits in the crook of your elbows. Set your palms flat on your stomach and maintain your posture. Without moving your hips, rotate your torso to the right and hold for two seconds.
• Glute Bridge: Lie face-up on the floor with knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Squeeze a rolled up towel between your knees. Fire your glutes and bridge your hips toward the ceiling, so that only your shoulders and heels remain on the ground. Lower your hips to the ground.
• Hip Crossover: Lie face up on the ground with your arms to your sides, your knees bent, feet wider than shoulder-width apart, heels on the ground. Now twist your bent legs to the left until they reach the ground, then twist them to the right. Continue alternating sides while keeping your shoulders on the ground and your abs tight.
• Inverted Hamstring Stretch: Stand on your left leg only with your arms extended from your sides. Now bend over at the waist, and raise your right leg so it's behind you and parallel to the ground. When you feel the hamstring stretch in your left leg, return to the starting position. Switch legs and repeat.
• Dumbbell Bench Press with One Arm- Lie down on a bench, with your left glute and left shoulder blade on the bench and right glute and right shoulder blade off the bench. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and hold on to the bench above your head with your left hand. Slowly lower the weight until your elbow is horizontally level with your shoulder. Return to the starting position.
Golf can be a great pastime activity but can cause a sore back, shoulders and legs if you don’t do some stretching prior to the game. Doing the listed stretches and exercises can make the game much more enjoyable plus make you the next PGA winner!