By K Lavinder
The basic groups of activities that a club golfer should be doing in order to get fit for golf better can be grouped into five categories:
- stretching for flexibility
- rotational training
- lower back strengthening
- leg strengthening
- hip strengthening
- shoulder strengthening
- stamina building
If you can't do anything else, for golfing fitness you need to work on the last one first. Golfers who have less overall stamina (aerobic fitness) will eventually compensate with adjustments to muscle operation or stance position, and the result will be a swing that reflects those changes. In addition to improving lots of other aspects of the golfer's life, stamina also makes the individual burn more calories, be more alert and have better mental acuity. That's quite a load of rewards for something that needs to be done just for a game of golf.
Before the reader starts getting images of aerobics classes, dancing and jumping around, uptempo music playing and a group of smiling 100 pound sprites gleefully romping while smiling broadly - stop! Building overall stamina can be an easy, painless and enjoyable time, as easy as taking a walk! To work this plan, you don't have to any more fit than the guys who ride the carts around the course and then cruise up after the round to the clubhouse for two or three cold ones! Golfing fitness builds up slowly, and can be done concurrently with the regular golfing outing.
Here's the plan:
WEEK ONE: On three separate days, give yourself a fifteen-minute period uninterrupted by anything else. Stroll for seven minutes. Then retrace your route to your starting point. The key here is to take this at an extremely light pace, just to get you used to the idea of giving yourself the time to make your golf game more enjoyable. While you will be walking and getting some blood circulation to your lungs and legs, it is far more important at this stage to get acclimated to the idea of scheduling time that belongs to you and your golf game. Remember, this is not an aerobic exercise now - it is a habit you are trying to develop.
WEEK TWO: This week, you are going to take your three days again, but this time you are going to be scheduling a twenty-minute period: ten minutes out and ten minutes back. This week, try to walk at least one time in a different route or a different location, so you don't get bored with what could end up seeming like repetition. Remember, you are still trying to get used to the idea of giving yourself some personal time to improve your game!
WEEK THREE: By now, you have spent two weeks doing your walks, and are wondering what all this has to do with making your golf game better. Why can't we get to this faster? I want to have it be better NOW! Well, too many times the average person starts to work on their fitness and jumps headlong into a "program" that works them really hard but does not make their mind start thinking "fitness" as an important part of the daily/weekly routine. We have tried to get you in the proper mental state to accept your fitness program as a part of your regular life, not as a big chore that you must "face" and defeat. Actually, by now you may already be appreciative of your "walk time" as a way of getting some air or removing some stressors from your daily life, and start to look forward to the relaxing feeling that comes from a regular "stroll" a few times a week.
This week, schedule 25 minutes: 12 minutes out and thirteen minutes back. Not much? It's a 25% increase! You're getting better! Don't forget to vary your walk to different routes. Think this isn't much? For most adults, you will have walked more than four holes by the end of your stroll! And your legs, lungs and back are getting good blood flow, which will certainly help keep up your game!
WEEK FOUR: Thirty minutes is your goal. (Those who are really starting to enjoy this may want to go forty, but don't force yourself into the place where this is a chore!) Walk out for fifteen minutes and return in fifteen. By now, you are probably picking up your walking pace without thinking about it, while still keeping the attitude of "just taking a stroll." This attitude is what makes those who make fitness a part of their regular life plan enjoy getting and staying in shape.(And in case you haven't started doing this yet, have your partner drive the cart and tote the clubs onboard while you walk an entire hole! You won't be lugging a heavy bag, and you may appreciate the time to take in the sights on the course! Next week - walk two holes!)
So there's your first step in getting fit for golf! It can be started anywhere, anytime. You can do it early, late or in the middle of the day. It's not the ultimate answer for complete golf fitness, but it is a way to get a good start. And, like any type of improvement program, failure to start and continue working at it is the sure way not to get better! And this hasn't cost you any money for a membership or equipment!
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