Low back pain is the most common injury or complaint among professional and amateur golfers, followed by injuries to the upper extremities such as the elbow and shoulder, says YogaForGolfers.com. These injuries can be easily prevented by improving the flexibility of your lower back and hamstrings through a variety of stretching techniques.
Warm up Before Flexibility Exercises
It's imperative to warm up before flexibility exercises. This increases blood flow, delivering vital nutrients and oxygen to your muscles and tendons to make them more pliable. You may warm up by performing arm circles, bringing your arms straight out to the side and starting with small circles and gradually making them bigger. Do this for about 15 to 20 seconds in a forward direction and then change directions. Jogging or performing any type of cardiovascular activity for about five to 10 minutes are also sufficient ways to warm up the body.
Stretch Your Hamstrings "Statically"
The hamstring muscles that run from your gluteus maximus or your buttocks down to the area just behind your kneecaps can be a major culprit for lower back pain and inflexibility. If these muscles are too tight, they can pull your pelvis backward, causing pain in your lower back. You should perform static stretches, or stretches that you hold for a certain length of time for your hamstrings. By standing with one foot crossed over the other and bending at the waist, you can perform a forward fold and feel this static stretch in your hamstrings. Hold the stretch for about 15 seconds and then switch legs, crossing the other foot in front.
Perform Dynamic Yoga Stretches
Dynamic stretches are performed by using continuous movement. Perform stretches commonly used in yoga, in which you combine breath with movement creating a flow. In the knees-to-chest pose, lying on your back, inhale as you draw one knee to your chest and then exhale as you press that same leg back out. Inhale as you draw the opposite knee in, hugging it. Continue this 15 times. Once you've completed these, inhale and bring both knees to your chest.
In the cat-cow pose, get on all fours, wrists under shoulders and knees aligned to the hips. On an inhale, spread your collarbone wide and drop your belly, bringing the back of your head toward your tailbone. As you exhale, round the spine, drawing your belly button in and drawing your forehead toward your chest in a cat stretch. Continue this 10 times.
In the child's pose, from the all-fours position, exhale and sit back into your heels, pressing your forehead into the floor. Inhale as you come back up to all fours and continue this 10 times.
Swing the Club Gently
Once you're on the golf course, perform some gentle practice swings to warm up and improve flexibility before teeing off. Pick up one of your lighter clubs, starting with one of the smaller irons, and work your way up to the heavier woods. "Swinging a golf club helps warm up the necessary muscle groups and prepares them for the torque and torsion that a golf swing produces," according to Richard Staehler, M.D. and Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., authors of "Preventing Low Back Pain from Golf."
Member Comments