5 Tips to Swing into a Healthy Golf Season!

Dr. Ryan Lorenz PT, DPT, Cert. DN

Don’t start the season in the Bunker.

1. Start with your short game:
   1.  Then progress through your bag into your longer distance clubs. Putting greens and driving ranges can be your body’s friend this time of year as we get ready to knock the dust off.
2. Warmup:
   1. All my patients in the clinic start with a warm up before treatment but should be no different for a round of golf. Simply walk for 5-10 minutes prior to starting the round will get the blood to flow, decrease chance for a tendon injury, along with getting the muscular system ready to perform at its best.
3. Key Golf Related Stretches:
   1. Hold each stretch 20-30 seconds and repeat cycle 3 times after warm up
4. Watch the Scale:
   1. It is not uncommon to add 5-10 pounds over year especially with North Dakota winters, however the added weight will hinder a golf swing by restricting range of motion and adding stress to joints.
5. Improve your cardiovascular fitness:
   1. Surgeon General recommends 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise most days of the week. It is a good way to get into the swing of things for the golf season by getting outside and walking, running, or biking. Get the heart rate up and try to hit that 45 minute goal. This can also be done on the course by ditching the cart and walking.