Golf is Good

Ditch the cart for a great workout

Those links aren’t just your escape—they’re a place for good exercise too, especially if you skip the cart and take to the greens on foot. Walking a nine-hole course is estimated to burn 721 calories, and you’ll receive the mental benefits of being outdoors (don’t forget sunscreen!) and get an upperbody workout while perfecting that swing.

But first, make sure your body is prepared for the workout golf provides by engaging in core exercises at least a month before golf season. Other training programs may be helpful as well: “Many of the problems we see in golfers involve the shoulders, so I recommend a rotator-cuff strengthening program,” says Mark McBride, M.D., of Tri-County Orthopedics in Morristown. “Another good thing to do is gain flexibility. There are classes called Yoga for Golfers, which I recommend because in golf there’s a lot of sudden movement that can lead to injuries. If you have better flexibility, the body can take the impact a lot better.” Before each game, be sure to stretch the lower back, where golf causes the greatest stress on the body, followed by the quads and hamstrings.

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