Golf Exercises For Seniors: 5 Simple Ideas To Help You Stay Fit

Golf is not the most physically demanding sport, yet players of this beautiful game must maintain certain physical traits such as endurance, body balance, flexibility, power, and strength, to perform well on the course. There is no exception in this regard, even seniors who have passed their prime, years ago, need to maintain a certain level of fitness to enjoy golf. Below are 5 simple ideas that seniors can adopt to stay fit.

Torso rotation exercise

Sit on a chair with a straight back, don’t lean back or forward, and make sure your spine is straight. This exercise is the easiest that can be done without taking any risks. Now, without moving the hips rotate the upper body to the right. Though, turning 90 degrees will yield the best results, don’t unduly strain the body; rotate as much as you can. Revert to the normal position and from there rotate the body to the left, and again to the normal position. Repeat this drill 10 times. You’ll experience a slight pull in your torso muscles and back muscles.

Side lying leg circles

This is a great exercise for hips for the seniors. As age catches up, along with the joints the hips are the most affected part of the body. At the same time, the hips play a crucial role in the game of golf. Hence, to strengthen the hips, follow this routine. Lie sideways on the floor, and keep the supporting arm above your head. Your lower legs must be straight, in line with your body. Now, slowly raise the top leg a few inches, without disturbing your pelvic position, and with your top leg draw small circles. Start this exercise with a small set – just 5 circles, and then change sides.

Windshield wiper exercise for ankles

Golf carts are available in almost all courses; even then there is a fair bit of walking to do while playing the game. Long hours of standing and walking put tremendous strain on the ankles. To reduce pain and keep your ankles flexible regularly perform the windshield wiper exercise. Sit tight on a chair, and plant your feet firmly on the ground. Now, like a car windshield, with your heal pinned down, move the arch, balls, and toes of both feet to the left. Bring back to the original position and rotate them in the opposite direction (i.e.) to the right. The muscles and ligaments in the ankle region loosen up with this routine.

Leg back flex and extend

Equally, important is the quadriceps muscle that along with your ankles bears the brunt of your body weight while standing and walking. To keep them loose and well stretched, stand upright with both feet firmly on the ground. It would be best if some strong, inanimate object is in front of you, so you can hold it for added support. Now, slowly bend your right knee and raise your feet till it touches your buttocks. Hold the position for 10-15 seconds and back to the normal position. Repeat the exercise with your left leg.

Swing exercise

There is no better way to exercise your club swing muscles than to take light practice swings. Assume the proper stance, don’t worry too much about the gap between the feet, for this swing exercise, your stance need not be 100 percent accurate. Now, practice your normal drive. Keep all muscles under your control and swing 5-10 times. This way you’re exercising all major muscles involved in the swing.