A lot of golf players strain their backs. There are a few reasons, such as not warming up, weak abdominal muscles, poor posture and too much sitting in the golf cart. Here are some things you can do to keep playing golf without back pain.
Stretch and Warm up When your swing your club and hit a golf ball with a lot of force, you are performing an explosive move. Explosive moves will often strain your muscles, including the lower back muscles if you havent warmed up. Why should playing golf be so different to other exercise? You would never sprint down the road at full speed without at least some kind of warm up, like running on the spot. If you get up in the morning and tee off, hitting the ball as hard as you can, without any stretches or warm ups beforehand, you could easily sprain your back muscles. Do these 2 stretches-your hamstrings and shoulders. After doing these two stretches (see below), twist lightly side to side. Now do some practice swings, slow and easy, with your golf club. You should now be warmed up sufficiently.
Hamstring stretch Your hamstrings (the muscles at the back of the upper legs) are important to stretch because they are attached to the pelvis. This means that they pull on the pelvis when they are tight. You need looser hamstring muscles in order to prevent them pulling on your pelvis and lower back. A simple standing hamstring stretch is as follows: Put your right leg in front of your left leg, keeping the right leg straight. You can bend the back leg (left leg) slightly. Bend forward at the hips and hold onto your right shin or ankle. You will feel a stretch down the right leg. Hold this for 15 seconds or so and then repeat on the left side.
Shoulder stretch Any swinging motion such as swinging a golf club uses the shoulder muscles. Like your hamstrings, if they havent been warmed up, the shoulder muscles can be strained by sudden movements. Here is a simple shoulder stretch: Place the right hand at the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades. Your elbow should point upwards. Hold the right elbow with the left hand. Pull gently. You will feel a stretch in the right shoulder. Hold this for 10-15 seconds. Repeat with the left shoulder.
Good Posture If you bend your back when you pick up the ball or your golf bag, the repeated action over a few hours can strain your back muscles. Dont bend your back. Bend your knees. Let your leg muscles take the weight of the bag and not your back.
Strengthen your abdominals The abdominal muscles support your torso. Thats why weak abs often lead to low back pain. Do 5-10 minutes a day of abdominal exercises, such as crunches. Crunches are preferable to sit-ups as sit-ups can put a lot of strain on your lower back. Do 10 crunches a day. Each week, try to increase this number. In addition, do a stability exercise, for example the plank. Hold the position for 15 seconds and increase this time each week.
Walk Golf should involve a bit of walking. Walking will engage the muscles that remain stiff if youre sitting in a golf cart all day. Walking exercises the hamstring muscles, for example, which will mean less chance of lower back pain. Make it your aim to walk the first 9 holes before you start sipping G&T in the golf cart ! Enjoy your golf!
Build your Back, Beat the Pain is a step-by-step plan that anyone can follow to stretch and strengthen key muscles to prevent back pain.
Tags: back pain from playing golf, back strain and golf, exercise, fitness, Golf, golf and back pain, golf and low back pain, golf and lower back pain
