Overall Rating:	No Ratings
Quality Of This Article:	No Ratings

Golf And Back Pain

6:01 pm September 9, 2009

Many golfers strain their backs. There are several reasons, including cold muscles (no warm ups), weak core muscles, poor posture and sitting in the golf cart too much. Here are some things you can do to keep swinging your clubs without hurting your back.

Warm up Hitting a golf ball full force is a fairly explosive move which is likely to strain your lower back muscles (amongst others) if you havent warmed up. You wouldnt think of doing a sudden sprint without at least a few stretches and running on the spot to warm your muscles up. So why should golf be any different? If you get up and tee off at 7 in morning with no stretches or warm ups and let rip with your newest and greatest club, you could easily sprain the lower back muscles. Do at least 2 stretches-your shoulders and hamstrings. After the two stretches detailed below, do some light twisting from side to side. Do a few slow swings of the golf club. You should then be ready to play.

Hamstring stretch The muscles at the back of your legs-the hamstrings, need to be stretched. Why? Because these muscles are attached to the pelvis and they pull on the pelvis if they inflexible or tight. By stretching your hamstring muscles, you loosen them and prevent them pulling on your pelvis. This will prevent lower back strain. This is a standard hamstring stretch: Step your right foot forward. Straighten the right leg. You can bend the back (left) leg at the knee slightly. Lean forward from the hips, and grab your right shin or ankle. You will feel a stretch along the right hamstring. Hold this stretch for 10-15 seconds. Then stretch the left leg.

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 abdominal muscles The abdominal muscles are important to strengthen as they support your torso. Weak abs often lead to lower back pain. Do 5-10 minutes a day of exercises like crunches. Crunches are better than sit-ups because sit-ups put a lot of strain on the lower back. Do 10 crunches a day in the beginning and increase this each week. Also do a stability exercise, such as the plank. Time yourself and increase the time you spend in the position each week.

Dont sit in the cart too much Golfers need to walk around a bit. Walking exercises engage the muscles that remain stiff if youre sitting down all day. For example, walking exercises your hamstrings, so the muscles are less stiff and you have less chance of back strain. Walk every second or third hole. Enjoy your golf with out back pain!

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.

“Wait! We Need Your Opinion About This Article – That’s What Makes This Site Different Than The Other Golf Blogs Online…”

What do you think about this article?

Do you agree with any of the points made?

Rate & review it right now in the space below:

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.

Bookmark This Page Now: