Advice from a Spa Professional: How To Prepare for Golf Season – Simple Exercises To Avoid Injuries On The Golf Course

Guest author, Michelle Pino, works at Skana, a spa in upstate NY. At the beginning of each golf season she sees a lot of golfers come through the door. She consults with wellness experts to provide her clients with the best advice they need as they hit the links again after a long winter. The following three simple exercises help her clients avoid those early season injuries.

. . . . .

Golf Season is finally here.  Courses are beginning to open as the weather improves.  If you’re like most people, you’re slowly letting yourself rust while the April showers do their thing.  The end is near, though, and prime golfing weather will soon be upon us.

But let’s face it; you’ve been busy.  If you haven’t had time to keep yourself limber, and if it’s been a long time since you last set foot on a course, your chances of sustaining injury are higher than you might like.  Early-season injuries are common in many sports, but athletes can take steps to mitigate the risk of getting hurt.  With this in mind, here are a few exercises from the experts of NY golf club, Atunyote, that you might want to incorporate into your routine.

Core Strength: Strengthening your core is one of the most important things you can do to improve your form and avoid injury.  Your core is the center of your body’s power, and keeping it healthy is crucial to an effective golf swing.  A plank is similar to the position you form when performing a pushup.  Instead of placing your palms on the ground, extend your elbows straight out from your shoulders and use them to support the weight of your body.  Your forearms should be parallel and facing forward.  Keep on your toes, and push your hips away from the floor until your body is aligned at an angle.  You should feel a stretch in your abdomen.  If this is easy for you, extend your right arm straight out and lift your left foot an inch or two off of the ground.  Hold for ten seconds and then switch.

Back: Chair Stretch: The plank exercise will certainly benefit the muscles in your back, but because back injuries are especially common, it’s helpful to give it plenty of attention.  Grab a chair that comes up to somewhere around your stomach.  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing the back of the chair, a bit more than an arm’s length away.  Lean forward and grab the top of the chair, keep your back straight, and crouch down and away from the chair.  You should fee1 a stretch near your shoulders.

Hips: Sitting Stretch: Your golf swing will also improve if you keep your hips healthy.  Sit on a chair or bench and place your left ankle on your right knee.  Press down on your left knee and lean forward at your hips.  You should feel a light stretch.  Repeat with your right leg.

In any sport it’s always important to stretch your muscles to prevent injury.  And after the long harsh winter, it’s important to prepare your muscles for the golf season, and get the muscle memory back!