| Learn how golf fitness exercises can help you | | | | when you get older, the additional pounds. |
| improve your game as a mature golfer. It | | | | Unfortunately, as you age your metabolism slows |
| happens to all of us, even though we do not want | | | | down. For those of you who are unfamiliar with |
| to admit it. The reality is we all get older. Some of | | | | the word metabolism, think of it as your own |
| you may already know what I am talking about, | | | | internal furnace. It is the rate at which you burn |
| and others may have yet to experience the | | | | fuel (food is fuel to the human body). |
| phenomenon of aging. | | | | When we are younger we tend have faster |
| Those of you who are reading this article and are | | | | metabolisms, and as we get older they slow |
| no longer "spring chickens" get my drift. Even if | | | | down. Well, let me tell you, there are activities to |
| you are one of the lucky ones, still young, let me | | | | speed that metabolism back up. The way to do it |
| fill you in on what happens as the body gets a | | | | is by performing some fitness activities. If you |
| few miles on it. | | | | are active and participate in some type of |
| Probably the biggest thing that we all dislike when | | | | structured activity your body will burn more fuel |
| we creep into our thirties and forties is the extra | | | | and elevate its metabolism during this time. |
| poundage (i.e. weight) we tend to put on. (It is | | | | In addition, if these activities are resistance-training |
| also a lot harder to take off when we get older.) | | | | activities (weights, tubing, light dumbbells, body |
| Unfortunately, because our metabolism slows | | | | weight), then over time you will build some |
| down, we are unable to pound down a burger, | | | | muscle. The great thing about that is the more |
| fries, and a couple of cokes without the bathroom | | | | muscle you have the higher your metabolism will |
| scale hitting "tilt" a few days later. In my mind, | | | | be all the time (translation, you will burn more fuel |
| that probably is the most difficult adjustment we | | | | all day and night). A secondary benefit of such |
| have to make: an adjustment in our nutrition | | | | activities will be greater stamina on the course. So |
| intake as we age. | | | | rather than spraying your shots around on the |
| The second most noticeable difference as we | | | | back nine because you're tired, you can have |
| age, especially for the more active individual, is it | | | | pinpoint accuracy going into the 18th. |
| becomes a little more difficult to get out of bed. | | | | Moving on to our second point, the loss of muscle |
| The back is a little sore, the knees are a little | | | | mass as you age, this one is a tough one to |
| creaky, and, if you workout, the soreness does | | | | swallow. Just think, we actually LOSE muscle as |
| not go away as quickly. | | | | we age. Pretty depressing. The good news is it |
| This is a result of a few things that happen to our | | | | can be limited or stopped. |
| bodies when we get older. Number one is we lose | | | | Before I give you the solution, let's look at how |
| a percentage of our muscle mass on a yearly | | | | this affects your golf swing. Essentially, in the golf |
| basis. After the age of 25 (don't quote me on the | | | | swing you create club head speed. That club head |
| specifics, but I believe) about 1 percent of your | | | | speed is the result of creating rotational power, |
| muscle mass is lost per year. Makes sense now | | | | which we define as torque. To create torque, the |
| why we get a little sorer and getting out of bed | | | | muscles of the body have to be flexible, strong, |
| is more difficult. We simply do not have as much | | | | and powerful. |
| muscle to do the work. | | | | Now guess what? If you have less muscle, what |
| I could go on and on with the depressing facts of | | | | do you think is going to happen to your power |
| aging, but let us look at just one more before | | | | outputs and club head speed? The answer is they |
| moving on. As you get older you become less | | | | will decrease. No wonder they make senior shafts |
| flexible. It takes you a lot longer to limber up for | | | | with a lot of flex. This is the golf manufacturers |
| any sporting activity: golf, tennis, or a pick up | | | | attempt to deal with this problem. |
| game of basketball. Less flexibility predisposes you | | | | It helps to a point, but we have a better solution. |
| to experience more difficulty with certain | | | | How about putting something in your bag that |
| movements: touching your toes, rotating during a | | | | makes you stronger, improves your power, and |
| golf swing, or even reaching down to pick | | | | gets back that lost distance? Sounds good? Well, |
| something up off the ground. Why does this | | | | it can be done if you implement a golf fitness |
| occur? Our bodies, as a result of wear and tear, | | | | strength training program. You can get back that |
| become more tight and less flexible as we get | | | | lost muscle mass, get back that power, and |
| older. | | | | improve your driving distance. This is what we call |
| So there you have it! Some of the great things | | | | the development of golf strength, and it can be |
| to look forward to as you get older (kidding of | | | | done with a program that takes a total of 15 |
| course). So if you're in your twenties and you're | | | | minutes a day! |
| reading this article, enjoy it while it lasts, because | | | | Finally, moving on to the flexibility issue, our bodies |
| the road gets a little more difficult to travel as | | | | lose flexibility as we age. Flexibility is a must when |
| you get older. | | | | it comes to the golf swing. Here is what happens |
| If you are beyond your twenties, I am sure you | | | | when you do not work on your flexibility. |
| can relate to the general results of aging in | | | | A loss of flexibility in the golf swing limits the |
| relation to your golf game. Quite simply, extra | | | | ability of the body to perform the correct actions |
| pounds decrease your stamina (and may affect | | | | to create the proper swing. Essentially, your body |
| your swing plane). Less muscle equals less | | | | won't allow you to take the club back and through |
| distance off the tee, and decreased flexibility | | | | on the correct swing path. This leads to miss hits, |
| tends to make the turn in the golf swing much | | | | slices, hooks, and a whole bunch of other shots |
| harder to perform. An unfortunate situation, but | | | | that are very unpleasant. |
| the good news is that we can slow down the | | | | So how do we fix this problem or not allow it to |
| aging process and limit the effects of aging on | | | | become a problem? The answer is to implement |
| your golf game. | | | | golf flexibility program. This again requires a daily |
| I have given you a some background information | | | | commitment, but the time frame is very little, |
| on what transpires from the aging process. It is | | | | about 5 to 10 minutes a day. So again, ask |
| now time to discuss how we can slow it down | | | | yourself: Is it worth spending 5 minutes a day on |
| and in a sense reverse the aging process. | | | | flexibility to have the golf swing you would like? I |
| How do we do it? It is actually quite simple and | | | | bet most of you would answer yes. |
| only requires a little time out of each day (15-20 | | | | Well, there you have the pleasures, displeasure, |
| minutes) and a little discipline. Sounds pretty easy | | | | joys, and sorrows of the aging process. We all |
| when you think of all the benefits you stand to | | | | get older, but there are things we can do to |
| gain. Remember we can not stop the aging | | | | prevent the displeasures and sorrows. If we take |
| process, but we can sure slow it down. The | | | | a little time every day and perform the proper |
| benefits of slowing down the aging process are | | | | exercises and activities, we can reduce the |
| evident when you see guys in their 50's winning | | | | effects of aging and have a great swing for as |
| tour events. | | | | long as we like. |
| It just takes a little time, some knowledge, and | | | | It becomes obvious after reading this article the |
| discipline. If you are saying, I don't have the time, | | | | benefits a golf fitness program can provide the |
| let me ask you one question: How would you like | | | | mature player. Through a series golf exercises, a |
| to feel 10 years younger right now and hit the ball | | | | mature player can improve their flexibility, |
| farther then you did in your twenties? I imagine | | | | increase their strength, and develop more power. |
| the answer to both of those questions would be | | | | All of which lead to an improved golf swing. All |
| a resounding yes! | | | | that is required is a small amount of time and |
| Let us start with the first topic that we described | | | | effort. |