Get Your Body Ready For Golf Season – At Home

By Lisa Holtan

Spring is right around the corner and you know what that means-golf season. Golf is a strenuous activity on your body even if it does not seem like it. It’s a lot of twisting, bending, carrying your golf bag, activities you have not done all winter. Before heading out on the golf course let’s take this month to get your body ready for the upcoming golf season.

This workout can be done at home or at the gym. It is designed to get you ready to hit the golf course this spring and reduce your risk of injury. If you are a beginner take it easy and work into the exercises. If you are advanced you can increase the sets or repetitions.

Core Training
1. Plank- On your forearms and toes pull in your navel and hold the contraction for 30 seconds.
2. Single leg balance with rotation- Hold on to the ends of the dumbbell. Standing up straight raise up your right leg. Your knee is bent and thigh is in line with your hips. Start with your arms extended and towards the left side of your head. Keeping your arms straight twist through your torso and bring the weight towards the outside of your right hip. Do this exercise slow and controlled making sure your torso is pulled in and rotating. Do 10-15 repetitions per side.
3. Deadbug-lay on your back on the floor with your arms and legs in the air. Pull your belly button in and press your back into the floor. Lower your right arm and left leg towards the floor (arm goes behind your head, leg towards the floor), bring back to center and repeat on the other side. Do 20 repetitions on each side.

Total Body Training
1. Squat-holding dumbbells at your side sink into a squat. Make sure your heels stay on the ground and your chest is lifted. Do 10 repetitions.
2. Row-hinge forward from the waist and pull the dumbbells towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Release hands back to starting position and repeat. Do 10 repetitions.
3. Hip Bridge-Lay on your back on the floor with feet on the floor and knees bent. Squeeze your glutes and lift them off the floor, lower to the floor slowly and with control. Do 20 repetitions.
4. Chest Fly-lay on the floor or a bench with dumbbells in your hands bring arms up, with palms facing each other. Open arms up towards the floor with a slight bend in the elbow then bring them back to center. Do 10 repetitions.
5. Y raise-using a very light weight (5-8lbs) palms face each other and dumbbell heads rest on your thighs. Raise the weights up to shoulder height making a V with your arms. Do 10 repetitions.

Once you have completed this workout make sure to stretch any tight muscles. You may even want to utilize a foam roller to work deeper into more regular areas of muscle tightness.

This workout will help prepare your body for the upcoming golf season. Having a strong core will help you to drive the ball farther and reduce your risk of injury this spring.

If you are interested in learning more about golf workouts go to www.personaltrainingwithlisa.com.