Use Yoga to Target Problem Areas in Your Golf Game

You probably have certain areas of your body you will want to work on.  For example, you may want to increase your core strength.  Yoga can provide you with exercises to work on your core strength.  You will start by conditioning your abdominal area, and continue on with your obliques.  By strengthening your abdominal area they will help strengthen and support your lower back.  These exercises is beneficial to you as a golfer because it will stabilize your body, strengthen your back, give you more power and give support to your spine which help the spine to stay at the proper angle through your golf swing.   Because this is an upper body workout, you will build more strength in your chest, shoulders, arms, hands and wrists.  Breathing is an important aspect of these exercises.  By focusing on your breathing you will assist your body in maintaining its energy and strength.

Yoga can also provide exercises to give your hips more flexibility.  Hip flexibility is another avenue of exercises you will want to start on.  Hip flexibility is important when performing your golf swing.   Your golf swing involves correct hip rotation to create power, speed, and balance from your hips.  The condition of your lower back and stamina on the course are connected to your hip flex and strength.

The yoga positions are designed to increase strength in the group of muscles supporting your hips.  It is important to the golfer to be able to maintain correct during the forceful phase of the golf swing.  The way to determine this is by your ability to maintain correct posture and your core strength.

Your lower back can be painful when injured.  To reduce the possibilities of an injury use the yoga exercises to strengthen your lower back.  This year Americans will spend billions of dollars on back pain healthcare costs.  Many professional and amateur golfers will play with a back injury.  This will go to prove just how important it is to get your body in shape to play golf as in any sport.

With yoga, breathing is an important part of the strengthening process.  Any time you experience a stressful situation on the golf course or off the golf course, it causes your heart rate to accelerate and your breathing to become erratic.  When you learn to control your breathing during a stressful time, it will help keep the mind calm and the body relaxed.  With the yoga breathing exercises you will expand your breath and increase the amount of energy in your body.  Breathing is such an important part of yoga, without the focus on your breathing yoga is nothing more than just stretching exercises. 

Breathing is a natural response and is part of our nervous system, but we can control our breathing in the same way we control movement such as your golf swing and yoga exercises.  Your breath can also be controlled.

There are three basics characteristics in breathing – the inhaling, the exhaling and the withholding of breath.  Withholding your breath is an important part of expanding your breathing and stimulating your nervous system.  In yoga you will only focus on the inhaling and exhaling of your breathing.

The yoga exercises designed to work on your upper body flexibility will help you build strength by uses your body’s weight against gravity for resistance.  They will also incorporate the use of strength tubing and weights to stabilize your core.

Your posture is another area yoga exercises can enhance.  There are several different factors attributed to poor posture, aging, an inactive lifestyle, and ineffective methods, which can cause an imbalance in the body.  Poor posture is sweeping the country in adults and children and is directly linked to billions of dollars spent every year on back pain related healthcare.

Here is a way for you to evaluate your posture.

Stand facing a mirror and let your body to fall into its natural stance.  Look at the line of your shoulders and upper back.  Is your upper back rounded and your shoulders turned slightly inward?  If so, you need to work on your posture.

Your natural posture (the way you sit or stand when no one is looking) is your base you will use to build your dynamic posture.  Just as in a house, the foundation has to be strong enough to handle the structure of the house.  Your natural posture is your foundation in this case.  You will want to start with the strengthening of your core and then work your way up to the posture exercises.  Yoga is a lot like working a jigsaw puzzle; each piece has its own place.  On its own it is nothing, but when added to its proper place it helps complete the whole picture.  With yoga, you cannot put your cart before the horse, as my grandmother used to say.

Now we are going to look at using weights to improve your golf game.   You will be using weights as resistance training, which has been designed just for golf.  The golf specific weight program uses moderate weights with medium repetitions, and in a 30 to 45 minute time frame.  This golf specific program was created to improve your strength and endurance for golf swings, etc.  It is not designed to build muscle.

Weak muscles are tight muscles and resistance training will increase the blood flow, which will work through a range of motion to maintain flexibility and strengthening the tendons and ligament to protect and support the joints of your body.  Coupled with stretching exercises the training will improve your flexibility.


About The Author
Edward Pena is a Golf fanatic that loves to play golf as often as he can. He runs an informational website to help golf players improve their game. His sites offer free articles on golf and other golf products. To take advantage of all this cool stuff and more, be sure to check out Ed’s site at Senior Golf

Yoga as a Golf Fitness Program

Yoga has some standard exercises or poses, which will help the senior golfer in regaining his or her flexibility.  The good news is “you are never too old” to start these exercises. As in most exercise you have not done in a while, it is always best to start slow.  Yoga includes not only the poses and the movements, but also proper breathing while performing these movements is an important aspect.  It is recommended the exercises are to be practiced four days a week and in the evening just before bed.  It is said by stretching before sleep will help with muscles altering and faster results.  One of the aspects of yoga is it appears to very easy on the outside, but it is very active on the inside. 

Correct posture is important on or off the golf course.  It can be a huge challenge to senior golfers.  There is a simple exercise, which should be practiced in front of a mirror.  Stand as straight as you can and suck in your stomach so your navel is pulled in the direction of your back.  Tuck your tailbone under and raise your ribcage up.  Roll your shoulders back and stretch out the neck for as long as possible.  Then you will breathe deeply for five to 10 breathes.  Relax and do this 5 to 10 times.  By practicing this exercise everyday, you will soon see results on and off the course.

There are many other exercises in the Yoga regime designed to give you flexibility on and off the golf course.  You might want to check into these exercises.  They can be performed in your own home, unless you prefer the structure a personal trainer or group with a trainer type setting.  The only equipment required to perform these exercises is a yoga mat.

Yoga is a balance of body, breathe, and mind.  With yoga you will be working on the flexibility of the body, the strength of the mind and the control of breathe.

While you are exercising your body, you will also need to exercise your mind as well.  You have to push yourself or you will stay the same.  You will need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to excel.   Without pushing yourself mental, physical and spiritually you will become sedentary.  When you are exercising you will need to push yourself, but remember if your muscles feel uncomfortable it is okay, but if they hurt, it is not.

For you to benefit from these exercises, approach them in the same manner you would a good game of golf.  In other words, “whole-heartedly”!

Even though your golf swing is an important part of your golf game, it is useless if you can aim and hit your target.  You need accuracy just as much as distance.  Start by concentrating on your target during your pre-shot custom, but don’t focus in a general way.  Be more specific.  Take for instance, if your target is a tree, don’t just look at the tree as a whole.  Look for a specific spot on that tree, such as a knot or the third branch on the left.  If you are putting into the hole, you might focus on the edge of the hole.  This exercise will not only help you hit your target, but it will also quiet your mind by giving the subconscious something to focus on.

Now you have focused on your target, the next step will be to hit the ball.  So you will look at your ball, take one more look at your target to reinforce the image.  Take a deep breath, and let out your breath slowly as you swing.  Allow your subconscious mind to take control.  Once your subconscious mind has taken over, you will stop worrying, and you won’t over think your shot.  The next time you play, try this exercise and see how it works.

Most talented athletes will tell you mental discipline is just as important as your talent, maybe more.  Your mind can work for you or it can work against you.  Of course you want it to work for you.  To get your mind to work with you, you need to work on your level of mental discipline.  To do this you start with understanding your thoughts.  You will need to be aware of the thoughts you have in order for you to get a handle on them.  To see how they are affecting you on the golf course.  When you first walk up to the ball, you have a custom you perform whether you are aware of it or not.  You will need to stop the negative thoughts and create new positive thoughts.  Since most people can focus on multiple things, a good athlete will narrow his or her focus on only 2 things.  It is a good idea to incorporate into your pre-shot custom seven deep inhalations and the exhalation of seven through your mouth with your lips parted.  During this breathing exercise you will want to choose two things to say to yourself.  Make them positive thoughts.

By practicing yoga, you will use posture to change your body from inflexible to flexible, to change fatigue into strength, and a chattering mind to a quietness you have never before experienced.

Many of the professional golfers are using yoga to better their golf.  Preparing for a golf tournament is an extensive routine.  One needs to tighten the golf swing, run through your short game, put yourself in the right frame of mind, and make sure your body is physically ready for the challenge.  Or you can apply yoga and achieve them all.  Even some amateur golfers needed to increase their strength and flexibility are looking to yoga.  Athlete’s must be trained and maintain flexibility to minimize injury.  Yoga is useful in obtaining that goal.

Many of us think of yoga as an exercise in contortion by placing a leg on the back of your neck.  Not true.  There is more than one style of yoga.  There is the physically active or a more meditative and gentle style of yoga.  When you check into yoga, you will find several beginner yoga classes.  You will also find tapes out on the market, some of the yoga tapes are designed specifically for golfers and the issues they face.  Check around for the style of yoga designed to fit your needs.  You might want to check with the instructor about the instruction.  Ask for specific physical requirements, the length and the level of concentration of the instruction in the class.


About The Author
 
Edward Pena is a Golf fanatic that loves to play golf as often as he can. He runs an informational website to help golf players improve their game. His sites offer free articles on golf and other golf products. To take advantage of all this cool stuff and more, be sure to check out Ed’s site at Senior Golf

Senior Golfers Take a Different Approach To Their Game...

Just because it is believed to be inevitable for a senior golfer to experience a decline in performance, does not mean it has to be that way.  If you are a senior golfer, don’t give up.  The old adage “it’s all downhill from here” will only be true if you let it.

The senior golfer will experience more difficulties in maintaining the same level of performance as he or she did in their younger years, but it is still possible.  The avenue of approach for you now, is your body.  Your body is the main factor in the speeding up or slowing down of your performance as you age.

Have you had the experience recently on the golf course of feeling as if you could not make a full back swing?  Do you feel as though your drives are not reaching the distance as they once did?  Are you experiencing aches and pains in your shoulders, back, hips, or maybe even wrists while you are playing or after you have played?  Then you must improve your body. 

Many senior golfers feel as though they have experience a loss of flexibility as they age.  This is probably true our bodies will lose flexibility as it ages, but the strength of the body will decline just a rapidly as the flexibility.

As a senior golfer you will want to focus on strength, flexibility, nutrition and endurance.  These are important factors needed in a good total golf fitness program.  It is important for the senior golfer to find a golf fitness program designed to fit their specific needs and to progress from their current fitness level.  If one starts on a program beyond their physical limits, it will only end in failure.  This can only be discouraging.  You don’t want to be ready to quit before you have given yourself a good starting chance.  Start off slow and progress forward.

 As a senior golfer looking for a good fitness program, you will first want to decide on your current level of fitness.  You must know your limitations.  This is an important factor because it is at your limitation you will want to start your golf fitness regime, which will in turn help you improve your golf game.  You will want a fitness program to focus on your limitations.

Once you have determined your limitations, you can then go shopping for a program to improve those limitations rather than wasting your time with ones that don’t.  It won’t be as hard to find as you might think because golf fitness programs have become so popular you will be able to find books, videos and even trainers to help you achieve your goals.

Starting golf lessons right now would not be in your best interest.  You will want to wait until you have had an opportunity to allow the fitness program to work.  It only makes sense to start with the body first before taking lessons.  If not, your lessons will only result in frustration and confusion.  You will not be able to practice what you have learned.  By improving the body first, you will be able to see improvement in your golf swing.

You may be considering a gym would be best to suit your needs.  Don’t!  You can create your own golf fitness gym right in the comfort of your own home.  To create your own home gym all you need is a stability ball, hand weights, and some exercise tubing.  Viola!  You have your own home gym with only a small amount of equipment and a minimal amount of money spent.  You will not only save money, but driving time as well.

Now you are ready to put your new home gym to good use.  You may need to find some of those books and videos to help you decide on the correct exercises you need to achieve the results you want.   If you feel more comfortable in asking questions, you may want to talk to a trainer to get an exercise routine for you to follow.  He or she may have some helpful tips on some dos and don’ts. 

Taking action now is important.  Because your mind and body are linked together, you need to envision the kind of golfer you can be and want to be.  You have to want it bad enough to begin working on it RIGHT NOW!  It is not as hard as you might think.  You will need to do is a few of the exercises focusing on strength and stretching a couple of times a week.  There is no need to go to the gym because you can do these exercises at home.   It will make all the difference in your performance on the golf course and in how you feel. 

There is a simple stretching exercise you can do at home.  It is called Lying Leg Crossover*

• Lie on your back with legs out straight
• Raise one leg and bend it at the knee to 90 degrees in knee and hip
• Cross that leg over extended leg, while opposite shoulder stays on the ground
• Go until slight pull in butt and lower back
• Hold and repeat once more
• Switch legs and do the exact same procedure with the opposite leg.*

That exercise was pretty simple.  As a senior golfer, you will notice your range of flexibility is not as it once was.  All you will need to do to correct your flexibility is to perform the exercise as directed above and incorporate other exercises with the same agenda. 

You may have noticed when teeing off, your ball is not reaching the distances it should.  The loss of yards is not good for your game and could make you the butt of jokes for the rest of the game. The cause of this could be the shortening of your back swing.  If your flexibility is limited, it will have a direct effect on your back swing.  Not to mention the soreness in the back, which will accompany the loss of flexibility.  The exercises for flexibility will correct the shortening of your back swing.  It may even help eliminate some of the aches and pains you are experiencing.

Even though golf does not require strenuous activity, it is a good idea to stretch before you play.  Warming up will cut down on the injuries, which can occur.  Golf places such a huge amount of stress on a body; injuries are not as uncommon as you might think.  By doing these exercises a few days a week and then right before you tee off, you are saving yourself from a painful injury as well as improving your game.

About The Author
 
Edward Pena is a Golf fanatic that loves to play golf as often as he can. He runs an informational website to help golf players improve their game. His sites offer free articles on golf and other golf products. To take advantage of all this cool stuff and more, be sure to check out Ed’s site at Senior Golf

The Health Benefits and Injury Possibilities

All golfers who plays golf should be aware of the danger of injuries, which can occur while playing golf, especially senior golfers.  Because the twisting and turning motion of the game, this places an undue amount of stress on the spine, hips, and shoulders.  Since most golfers are inactive during the winter months, injuries such as muscle strains and injuries to the disc are common.

The golf swing includes bending over and then twisting, which is one the worst moves people can make, according to physical therapists.  If the knees are bent and the back is straight it will keep pressure off the discs.  You can also tighten the stomach muscles to help give the back support during the golf swing.  It is a good idea for all golfers, especially senior golfers to do some warm-up exercises before hitting the tee.

There are health benefits to be obtained from playing golf.  A growing number of older American are profiting from the health benefits derived by playing golf.  Here are some tips offered by many of the sports medicine experts for senior golfers.  These tips will make the game more enjoyable and will lower the chances of the injuries connected to the game of golf.

Physical fitness can be improved by playing a round of golf as long as the golfers do not ride around in the golf cart for the entire round.  Walking can be beneficial to the overall fitness by improving the aerobic capacity.  Walking can increase your heart rate to meet the guidelines for aerobic exercise.  Of course these benefits need to be balanced with problems associated with walking long distances such as joint pain, heat related problems among other complications due to the person’s general health.  Carrying your golf clubs is not recommended.  You will be better off using a pull cart instead.  As always the golfer should check with his or her doctor to ensure it is safe for them to walk nine or 18 holes.  


 
About The Author
 
Edward Pena is a Golf fanatic that loves to play golf as often as he can. He runs an informational website to help golf players improve their game. His sites offer free articles on golf and other golf products. To take advantage of all this cool stuff and more, be sure to check out Ed’s site at Senior Golf