Bloggy Health!

Golf fitness exercises can be very beneficial in eliminating lower back problems in the golf swing. Research indicates one out two golfers will incur a lower back injury during their playing career, are you one of them?

Almost every golfer on the planet has at some time or another felt their lower back “tighten” up on the course, after a round, or even getting out of bed. Why is this so? The reason for the high number of lower back injuries in the sport of golf is a result of the golf swing itself!

The golf swing is a rotational movement. It requires you to rotate around a fixed spine. The lower back takes the brunt of the pressure of the twisting and turning.

The rotation and torque can make your lower back very easily fatigued or injured. The question to ask is how to counteract the stresses placed on the lower back?

There are a number of ways to help you “dodge the injury bullet” when it comes to the lower back.

Lower back injuries generally occur because of three different reasons.

1. Poor Swing Mechanics

2. Weak Lower Back Muscles

3. Workloads

The first category has to do with your swing mechanics.

A research study (don’t quote me on the exact %) indicated that the rate of lower back injuries in the amateur golfer was 60% higher than professionals in the sport. The study determined the number was statically higher in amateurs because of the shear forces created in the golf swing.

The amount of shear forces created in the amateur’s golf swing was exponentially higher than the professional. Professionals have a much more efficient golf swing, lowering the shear forces placed upon the lower back compared to the typical amateur.

The second category refers to the physical aqspect of the golf swing.

The lower back is used extensively in order to swing the golf club properly. If the lower back is weak, over time it will become fatigued. Once the muscles of the lower back become fatigued, the ability to swing the club with the same force becomes much more difficult. Additionally, once the lower back is tired, and you continue to perform the movements of the golf swing. The lower back will become sore and eventually you will injure it.

The final reason golfers tend to have many lower back injuries is workloads.

Simply put, workloads are the number of swings you take within a certaintime frame. For example, a PGA Tour player during a competitive week on Tour may swing a club well over 1,000 times. This is the total number of swings over a 7 day period can be defined as the Tour players workloads for that week.

A lower back injury can incur if the workloads for any golfer become too high. Regardless of the efficiency within the golf swing mechanics or the strength of the lower back, too high of a workload will lead to injury. For example, in you were to go to the range and execute 1,000 swings of the golf club in a 3-hour time frame. The likelihood of a lower back injury is very high. Why? Because the workloads are too high within the give time fame for any golfer!

The key in regards to workloads is to match up the efficiency of your golf swing and the strength within the lower back. If you have poor golf swing mechanics and a weak lower back, your workloads should be very low. If you have moderately efficient golf swing mechanics and a fairly strong lower back. The workloads can be higher.

What is the best way to avoid a lower back injury?

Simple, it is a 3-step process.

Number one; develop efficient golf swing mechanics. This can be done through proper instruction, practice, and time.

Number two; implement a golf fitness program into your exercise routine. This type of program will strengthen your lower back in relation to the golf swing.

Number three; monitor the number of swings you make with the club in relation to points one and two.

Golf fitness exercises can assist in the step number two, a swing coach can help you with step number one, and keeping track of your workloads is a step you can do on your own. Putting it all together shoudl go a long way in preventing injury to your lower back this golf season.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

It is well known in professional golf how integral golf fitness exercises are for success at the highest level of golf. Men on the PGA Tour and women on the LPGA Tour understand the benefits of golf fitness exercises in achieving success. Outside the circles of professional golf many questions exist about golf fitness exercises. Questions such as; what are the best exercises to improve golf fitness levels, are flexibility exercises and stretches better than other forms of golf fitness exercises, and what are the benefits of golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer?

These and many questions surround the topic of golf fitness. This article is to provide some answers for you on the topic of golf fitness exercises for woman. It has been well documented in magazines and television how LPGA women such as Annika Sorenstam utilize golf fitness programs to benefit their play on the golf course. Is there a difference between the LPGA player and the amateur woman golfer in relation to golf fitness training? The answer is no. Yes, the women on the LPGA Tour are the best women golfers in the world, but the physiology of the LPGA player and amateur are the same. The skeletal, muscular, and neural systems are the same. The professional golfer has the same number of muscles in their bodies as the amateur. The woman’s professional golfer has the same skeletal structure as the female amateur, and nervous system as well. Granted the LPGA player has more refined and efficient swing mechanics, but the body is the same.

As a result of the body being the same, the principles and structure of a golf fitness program for any woman is similar. Before discussing the specifics of a golf fitness program for women it is necessary to understand a few important principles. The first principle to understand about a golf fitness program is sports specific. Sports specific is a term describing the type of training utilized in a golf fitness program. Sport specific training simply states the program utilized by the woman athlete is geared towards improving them in their chosen sport.

A second principle closely related to sports specific training is cross specificity training. Cross specificity training is the utilization of exercises to develop the woman golfer in the positions, movements, and actions incorporated in the golf swing. The goal of cross specificity training is a transfer of training effect to the field of competition. Simply stated, a transfer of training effect is the ability of exercises utilized to train the female golfer having a direct benefit on their performance during a round of golf.

For example, golf fitness flexibility exercises will attempt to improve the flexibility within the woman golfer. As the woman golfer improves her flexibility parameters in relation to the golf swing. She may be able to create a bigger shoulder turn, which may increase the distance of her drives. This benefit is an example of a transfer of training effect onto the golf course. In summary, the three principles that assist in the development of a golf fitness program for women are; sports specific, cross specificity training, and transfer of training effect. Many additional principles exist that are used as guidelines in the development of a golf fitness program, but these are three essential ones.

Outside of the guidelines governing the development of a golf fitness program for woman. Specific physical components within the body are needed within the body to execute the golf swing correctly. Remember, it is the body performing the biomechanics of the golf swing. In order for the golf swing to be executed correctly and efficiently certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required. These are the actual physical components within the woman golfer a golf specific fitness program looks to develop and enhance in relation to the golf swing.

The golf swing requires the body to move through a long range of motion for an efficient movement to occur. Much of this is contingent upon the ability of the core to coil and uncoil during the swing. In order for these two biomechanical actions to occur efficiently, the development of proper flexibility in the core is necessary.

We utilize flexibility exercises that are cross-specific to the movements in the golf swing to develop flexibility. The majority of these flexibility exercises are rotational and dynamic.

The golf swing is a dynamic movement, indicating that the body is in constant motion. It is crucial to develop a range of motion for the swing in a dynamic rather than a static (not moving) method. The goal of these exercises is to create a range of motion in the core for the golf swing. Flexibility is the first physical component requiring development within the woman golfer.

One needs to maintain, dynamically, a stable body throughout the entire swing. We have all hit balls at the range and know what happens when we do not stay balanced during the swing. Improving the balance and stabilization capabilities of the core translates into a better golf swing. Better Balance equals a Better Swing. Even subtle movements are consistency killers; thus we need to develop and maintain balance for a consistent swing.

Balance is connected to the efficiency of the nervous system and strength of the muscular system working together. The development of greater balance in the core and swing is the result of two types of specific exercise. The first challenges the nervous system creating greater efficiency. The second are exercises that create increased strength in the core. The combination of these two types of exercises permit for the body to maintain posture, promote efficient weight transfer, and create power in the swing. The result is a more consistent, accurate, and powerful swing. This is the second component included with a golf fitness program for women

Remember that the golf swing is a repetitive movement. The mechanics of the swing repeat with each stroke. This process can be repeated hundreds of times in a round of golf. Ever go to the range and hit two buckets of balls? At some point the body starts to tire, and shots scatter.

Proper endurance training enables us to repeat a sound swing. We produce this through a series of exercises developing endurance in the entire body. This nets us a consistent swing through eighteen holes. Increasing endurance leads to lower scores. This is the third physical component of the golf fitness program for women.

Club head speed is a function of power. The more power generated by the body, the greater speed at which a club head impacts the ball. More power to the ball equals longer drives. Developing higher levels of power within the muscular system of the body is achieved through the implementation of power exercises. These types of exercise assist in creating higher power outputs of the muscles involved in the golf swing. Power training is the final component found in a golf fitness program for women.

In summary a golf fitness program for the LPGA or amateur woman golfer is relatively the same. Golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer are sports specific. The exercises contained within the golf fitness program are cross-specific to the movements, positions, and requirements of the golf swing. The exercises within a woman’s golf fitness program induce a transfer of training effect onto the golf course. The golf swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. A golf fitness program for women will look to enhance these physical components of the body. The end result is an improved golf swing equating to lower scores and more enjoyment on the golf course.

It can be very discouraging when your child does not want to participate in exercise of any kind. More and more children are becoming slaves to the television or videos games, and they are refusing to submerge long enough to breathe let alone participate in fitness of any kind. Here are kids fitness exercises that can be introduced into your child’s life painlessly though, and they can help to keep your child active for years to come.

A Peer Environment

Some kids do better when they have others that are their age participating in an activity with them. So, try to fine kids fitness exercises that they can do with their friends or even new children that they have never met. For instance, you can enroll them in karate or kick boxing class for boys, and gymnastics or cheerleading for girls. A peer environment also encourages them to try their best and not quit, so they are more likely to stick with that particular form of exercise.

Make it a Game

If you want to find kids fitness exercises that your child will actually take part in, then you may need to look towards the video games that you loath. There is now a new wave of video games for children of all ages that focus on getting your child up and moving. These games are not only for older kids, there are ones for younger children as well, and even you might enjoy getting in on a game every once in a while.

Get Them Interested

Try to find something that your child is interested in. If they have always tried to set and reach amazing goals, maybe you could sign the two of you up for a marathon and have fun practicing together. Or, perhaps they love to watch a particular kind of sports game on TV. Why not sign them up for a season at their school or local community center to see if they enjoy it? The idea is to make the exercise something that they like so that they will continue to do it.

Help Them Get a Job

Believe it or not you can kill two birds with one stone when you are trying to find kids fitness exercises that work for your child. There are plenty of jobs for older children that incorporate some form of exercise, and the lure of money may be too good for them to pass up. Examples of jobs that might contain a fair amount of exercise include dog walking, car washing, lawn mowing, or newspaper delivery. You will be happy because your children are getting exercise, and they will be pleased with some money in their pockets.

There are a variety of ways to incorporate kids fitness exercises into your child’s daily life. Whether you have to trick them into it, or simply find something they like, your child will be happier and healthier thanks to your effort.