Originally published June 23 2005
Exercising, warming up helps prevent golf injuries
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
According to News-Leader.com, trainers are recommending golf players spend as much time off the course exercising as they do practicing their swing and putting, because doing so will help improve game techniques while reducing the risk of golfing injuries.
Sinking that crucial putt or sending the golf ball down the fairway may depend more on what a golfer does off the course than on it.
Today, trainers are recommending golfers spend as much time on their fitness as they do on their putting and driving.
Good fitness habits, they say, will prevent injuries and improve a golfer's game as much as spending hours hitting balls on the practice range.
The world's best player, Tiger Woods, is known for his off-course weight training regime that includes hours of strength training.
Other Professional Golf Association players use cardiovascular machines on the tournament trail to stay in shape and prepare for competition.
The latest trend trainers are emphasizing is strengthening the body's trunk, which can lead to a better golf game.
The body's core --- which includes the abdominal muscles, the obliques (which run down the body's sides), the back muscles and the glutes (backside) --- are what stabilize the body and give it strength to perform golf swings.
Katherine Roberts, a fitness expert who appears regularly on The Golf Channel, said trainers have been emphasizing conditioning the abdominals and back for 20 years, but recently the trend has gotten more exposure.
"You should look for exercises that target the front, sides and back of the trunk," she said, adding that the exercises can and should be done year-round, not just during the golf season.
Rick Grayson, a PGA teaching professional from Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, said developing the body's core will improve a person's swing.
Golfers can also improve their game and ease their stress levels by working on their breathing, Roberts said.
Roberts suggested doing some stretching the evening after a round of golf in order to lessen the stiffness from walking and swinging.
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