It’s backcare week with the theme being golf this year. I see a lot of golfers in the Pilates studio with all of them admitting at some point to never warming up before a round of golf. The majority of golfing patients present with lower back pain symptoms, thoracic tightness and hamstring tightness.
Dynamic stretches for golfers
So here are a few dynamic exercises to ensure you are warmed up and mobile before hitting the course. Each exercise targets key golf muscles and joints. Hold each one for 2-5 deep breaths or to a count of 10.
Standing Pelvic Tilts:
Stand tall with feet hip width apart and tilt pelvic back and forth. Imagine tipping water out the front of a bucket and then out the back.This will mobilise the lower back.
Trunk Rotations with Club:
Stand in a putting position and rotate the body from left to right, feeling a stretch around the spine and into the Oblique waist muscles.
Standing Glute Stretch
Place one foot on the opposite knee and squat back as if sitting down on a chair. Feel the stretch though the hip and into the buttock.
Shoulder Stretch with Club:
Hold club behind neck and pull outwards on it.
Upper Back stretch with Club
Reach forwards with a club, pushing it away from your body
Neck Stretch
Drop one ear to shoulder and apply a gentle over pressure.
So before your next round of golf try these simple warm up exercises and see if you can hit that ball a few extra yards by being more mobile!
Written by Rhea Malkin BSc (Hons) Sports Therapist and STOTT/APPI Pilates Instructor. Rhea runs clinical Reformer Pilates sessions at the Osteopathic Clinic in Croydon.
Rhea specialises in
Sports injuries
Triathlon Functional Rehab – Pilates
Lower limb strength, running, cycling.