Don’t let back pain spoil your game. Golfing is great exercise. It has all the benefits of fresh air, long walks and cognitive challenges. But it also comes with risks, such as lower back pain, knee and shoulder strains – not to mention sunburn.
Many of these problems can be avoided with a little preparation and the right equipment, of course, but golfers know all too well that there are specific issues caused by repetitive swings, bends and carrying heavy bags. For example, a reduced hip range of motion also reduces your swing capacity. All that bending the knee when driving puts a strain on joints and muscles, whilst constantly bending over (in the wrong way) to retrieve those golf balls can hurt your back.
Read on for our tips on the best way to enjoy your summer golf without bringing on aches and pains.
Warm Up and Cool Down
It’s really important to prepare your muscles before any strenuous activity. Golfing looks calm and slow but it needs a warm up too.
- Start by walking briskly for a couple of minutes. This raises your heart rate and sends oxygen pumping into your muscles.
- Lower your chin to your chest and then gently move your head slowly in half-circles from one shoulder to the other.
- Shoulder warm up: holding your golf club horizontally with both hands at shoulder width, start by raising the club above your head, hold for a count of 20 and lower slowly. Then repeat, this time holding the club behind your back with both hands and raising it as far as is comfortable; hold for 20 and lower slowly.
- Torso warm up: with feet apart at shoulder width, bend to the side, sliding your hand down your leg for support. Repeat for both sides – don’t overstretch!
- Extend your arms in front of you with feet shoulder width apart. Gently and slowly turn to each side, keeping the feet facing front. Hold the extension for the count of 20 each time.
- Swing the club without hitting the ball, starting with half-swings and working up to full swings.
Use the same set of exercises to cool your muscles down after play. This helps to reduce the build up of lactic acid, which is the stuff that causes cramps and stiffness the next day.
Condition your muscles and joints
When not golfing, you can prepare for the game by doing regular exercises at home – a study showed that strong core abdominal muscles reduce the incidence of back pain in golfers. Here’s a helpful video to get you started:
https://youtu.be/pxjmzP-BLNQ
Bending – use the Golfer’s Lift
Golfers have to bend and pick up the ball so often that they’ve developed a technique to minimise back strain. When you bend over to pick up the ball, extend one leg behind you as a counterweight and keep your back straight, bending from the hips not the waist. Alternatively, you can reach down with the aid of a split squat – this is done by stepping forward with one leg and lowering the back knee towards the ground, like a lunge.
If you’re bothered by your back when playing and want to be on top of your game, give us a ring and make an appointment for a check up.