Recreational exercise has always been one of my prescriptions for people who want to exercise but don’t want to go to gyms to “work out.” In theory, recreational exercise is excellent because the mind and body are set for enjoyment. Therefore, a person’s physical body is relaxed, and the mind is primed to anticipate pleasurable movement – a better state going in than when you psyche yourself up to run, jog, go to an exercise class or the gym to “work out” with the overhanging tension of sedentary guilt. Such tension can result in misalignment and injury.
When it comes to golfing though, the bending and twisting can strain the back muscles, ligaments and hip joints – unless, of course the golfer is ambidextrous and can switch swing from time to time. I never really thought golfers got a total exercise experience from their game anyway because they rode around in carts, but figured it was a recreational sport done outside in the fresh air, and that was enough to be somewhat beneficial to the body/mind at least. But those golfers who do some warm-up and wind-down stretching to loosen neck, shoulders and back, can avoid some of the strain.
Golfing is basically a sport of horizontal movement. Even though there’s a mid-line twist to the follow through, it still comes down to constant, horizontal motion with a right or left side dominance. (Few golfers
are switch hitters.) There is no (other side) motion to equalize the action, nor is there any vertical movement. To get the maximum exercise value from a recreational sport there needs to be total body action both vertical and horizontal.
If you’re not interested in doing some of the regular exercise routines that the golf pros do to keep in shape, here’s something you can do before and after your game to relax, stretch, and keep you from jeopardizing the back in the twist of the swing:
Standing up straight with feet apart, look upward and reach for the ceiling slow, with alternating arms l6 times, letting your head roll to each side with each vertical arm reach. Each time you do it, concentrate on
reaching high enough to lift the rib cage away from the body to offset the downward gravity pull. Then, with the rib cage still held high, relax, the entire body with the following golfing simulation.
With knees flexed and feet spread shoulder width, head down, weight distributed equally on both feet, hands holding an invisible club, move the legs, hips and arms smoothly from left to right l6 times, simulating the weight shift of a short iron shot. Then reverse the action by doing it from right to left l6 times to reverse the action and equalize the flexibility.
Above all, monitor your consumption at the l9th hole.
