While golf is one of the most exciting low impact sports you can engage in, one thing is for sure. It also requires you as a player to maintain fitness. For starters, it involves walking from one area to the other while playing and you end up covering quite a considerable amount of distance on foot. This is not to mention that you’ll be carrying your golf equipment in your golf bag, and this requires some strength. Additionally, how far and how well you send the ball with your golf club will be determined by your strength and fitness levels. This means that as a golfer, you will need to engage in certain exercises to keep fit and strong.
Why Home Workouts?
Well, especially now that we’re in the middle of the COVID pandemic, home workouts have become more important than ever. In most places, many gyms are closed and the few that open have put restrictions on the number of people who can access the facilities at a go. Fortunately, there are various workouts you can engage in from home without even requiring special equipment. Combined with the right equipment and these must-have golf accessories, improving your fitness levels will help take your golf game to the next level. Training aids, quality push bags, and pushcarts will specifically help protect your golf equipment while minimizing injuries and strains during the game. On the other hand, indoor golf simulators can help enhance your practice, so you can train and better your skills even from home. This having been said, here are a few at-home exercises that will definitely help improve your golf game.
Full Body Turn
It is what characterizes the golf game. Holding the club and hitting the golf ball in full throttle gives you an automatic body turn. This exercise gives you the flex to swing around your body. It will help in stretching the frame around the ribcage, shoulders, and the middle back.
Stand straight with your arms on the sides. Step forward with your left foot, with the right foot toe directly behind it. Put your palms on the ground on the right side of your left foot and hold for some seconds. Rotate your left arm and chest as you point your left hand to the sky. Stretch the furthest you can and catch a bit. Repeat this using the other leg, placing your palms on the other side.
Pelvic Rotation
We are not trying to discourage the newbies, but the pros in the game win. They can easily swing their hips without moving their upper body. This exercise helps in golf by giving the body full stability when hitting the ball with the club. It stimulates the pelvis, lower back, and core. It spurs the S-posture and strengthens the erector spinae muscles.
You can hold your club and bend a little. Move your hips from side to side without moving your upper body. It is a crucial way to improve your stability and mobility. It mainly massages the muscle on the sides of your midsection.
Lunges with Rotation
This one is meant to animate the lower body as it creates separation from the top. If you are keen enough, you will realize that this game is all about separating the lower body from the upper via swings.
The objective of this exercise is to use the front leg to lower and lift your body weight. To do the lunges with a twist, have the back knee lightly on the floor, ensuring that the front knee doesn’t extend past the toes. Make sure to take a big enough initial step to guarantee this.
The fun in the exercise is in the rotation. While at it, straighten the other arm to point at the ceiling, it will create mobility in the thoracic spine mimicking the movement of a golf swing.
Side Step-Ups
One thing for sure about golf exercises is that they are mainly about the upper and lower body. This exercise is to ensure stabilization of the hips. This exercise strengthens the gluteus medius, hamstrings, and quadriceps. It creates a solid base that can transfer into the clubhead through the upper body of the golfer.
Raise your planted toe on a staircase to ensure your weight is on the leg. Engage your leg at the top to thoroughly work the glutes. Once done, work out the other leg.
Squats
Done frequently, squats are great to strengthen your glutes, quads, and core. It is an important strength workout in just about any other game. All you need is to place your legs wide apart and bend your knees with your back straight. Lower your bum until your quads are parallel to the ground. Get back to your original position and repeat this move in sets of ten reps.
Physical fitness makes you more competitive in a golf game. As you can see, lacking fitness equipment is not a valid excuse for not exercising for golf. The above are just a few exercises you can do comfortably at home to take your golf skills a notch higher.