How to stay fit while playing Golf

By Clare E. Urwin

SURABAYA (JP): Golf is great. People of all ages and expertise taking part in a game that is exhilarating and challenging. Golf inspires every player to improve. It doesn't matter if you are a single handicapper or a weekend hack, you want to get better. And if you are competitive, you need to be proper athlete to play good golf.

For instance, strong and flexible muscles are vital to generate the power and speed for hitting the golf ball sweetly. Stamina and endurance are essential to stay focused for eighteen holes. Good posture is required to address the ball properly. Finally, solid mental control is demanded for the long hours on the course.

All players enjoy the game more when playing well. Being fit is a prerequisite for good play. Even golfers with lots of talent, will never reach their true potential unless willing to make the effort to be physically fit. Research has proven that golfers who are physically fit are superior players.

Neglecting your fitness limits your chances of playing the kind of golf you fantasize about. But being fit will make a difference to every part of your game. Regular exercise strengthens your muscles and increases your stamina. It also makes you mentally prepared to concentrate on every stroke.

To play well, a golfer should be in top condition before play begins. So, how does one prepare for this wonderful maddening game in order to get the most out of it? What are some effective methods for improving physical health?

For a start, aerobic strength will allow you to walk the full 18 holes without getting tired. If that sounds too simple, just think about it. Often, unfit players become weary on the inward nine. Initial vigor ebbs, concentration slips and scores become embarrassing.

Work on your aerobic fitness by swimming, fast walking, running, cycling, or by playing tennis, squash or badminton. Exercise regularly using your big muscles (latissimus dorsi) and become slightly breathless. Doing this two or three times a week for about forty minutes will soon make walking even 36 holes easy.

During the golf swing, many muscle groups are required to produce the classic sprung coil movement. Power is transferred from the feet and legs to the hips and trunk into the chest, shoulders and arms, then exploded into the club head. Regular strength training will yield additional power and therefore greater distance when you strike the ball.

It was once believed that lifting weights would develop bulky tight muscles and inhibit the natural relaxed golf swing we all admire. However, recent research and the large numbers of professional golfers who regularly strength train, have proven this theory wrong. In fact, by conditioning the golf muscles, you can dramatically improve your game.

If you are a member of a health club or gym, ask the trainer to plan a golf specific program for you, concentrating on less weight and more repetitions. If you prefer to work out at home, use free weights or your own body weight for strength training.

Golfers endeavoring to improve their skills, should work on increased flexibility. Muscles and ligaments tend to shorten and stiffen as you get older, but stretching and flexibility exercises can relieve this problem. Regular stretching will increase the range of motion through your golf swing.

Allow time for warming up at the practice area when you arrive at the course. Pre-game stretching reduces the chance of injury and improves performance. Already stretched muscles can exert more force than non-stretched ones.

A very valuable ally in the war against fatigue and loss of concentration, is good nutrition. Although often forgotten or ignored, the right foods can maintain your energy, stamina and endurance long after others are dragging their feet and hunching their shoulders. Eighteen holes of golf can be very draining. Eating well before hand gives you a competitive edge.

Large, high fat meals are not a good idea at any time, but tucking into one just before you play, in the mistaken belief that it will keep you sustained and vigorous for the next four hours, is a serious mistake.

Leave that big fry-up alone! Fatty foods take ages to digest, they slow down metabolism and leave you feeling sluggish and fatigued.

Quick releasing carbohydrates like white flour products, junk food or sugary confectioneries are not much better. This type of food will give you an instant boost, but by the time you reach the sixth hole your blood glucose will be as low as the spikes on your golf shoes and so will your energy level.

Whole grains, pulses, vegetables and other slow releasing, high fiber carbohydrates, along with some lean protein, should be eaten about an hour before your game. This will give you a regulated source of sustained balanced energy and stamina for several hours.

If the timing isn't right for a meal, take a small bag of unsalted raw nuts, seeds and dried fruits with you on the course. Eat them before you are really hungry and your play will be consistent on the last nine holes as well as the first. Good nutrition can give you an advantage that will set you apart from the rest.

Drink plenty of water before your game and drink fluids regularly during your game. Because you are outside and in the heat for many hours, it's vital to compensate for fluids lost through perspiration. Don't wait until you are thirsty to begin drinking. By then it's too late because you will replace only 60 percent of your actual needs.

In the tropics, it's common sense to be wary of heat exhaustion and dehydration. On all good golf courses there are refreshment stations or drink carts every few holes, so be smart and use them.

Improving your game doesn't only depend on playing more and more golf. By getting your body in good shape and by eating well, you will have that extra advantage on the course that others envy.

Try these suggestions and improve your golf score while you reap big health benefits. You can improve your resistance to many diseases and reduce your handicap, all at the same time. Good luck.

The writer, clareu@attglobal.net, is a fitness and health advisor based in Surabaya. Questions and comments are welcomed.