The benefits of yoga for golfers
yoga for golfers
Yoga helps golfers improve flexibility, strength, balance, and breathing. It also helps prevent back problems caused by twisting the spine and helps improve range of motion so a proper swing is fully executed. Golfers may be prone to one-sided or uneven muscle development. Yoga poses can strengthen weak areas and help relieve muscle tension. Golf can also put stress on the hips, quads, and hamstrings, so golfers benefit from poses that open the hips and stretch the hamstrings. Additionally, golfers will also benefit from upper body strengtheners like downward facing dog and plank.
According to golf yoga expert Diane Roberts, the benefits of yoga for golfers include:
- Improved flexibility and strength = increased distance and accuracy off the tee
- Increased breath awareness = teaching rhythm and tempo in the golf swing
- Calmer mind = greater ability to focus and visualize
- Improved overall fitness = lower risk of injury and recovery time
- Greater sense of balance = more efficient club control/weight distribution
The prospect of becoming more flexible is what usually draws golfers to yoga. Yoga is an exercise that uses postures and stretches that can improve flexibility, strength, and balance. Practiced properly, yoga breathing can also be relaxing. Beyond the flexibility and strength benefits, yoga can also improve a player’s mental game. Who isn’t looking for a way to calm down on the pitch and easy ways to practice staying focused, both on and off the pitch?
So the next time you’re feeling a bit stiff or just need a way to focus and calm your mind, try attending a local Yoga class.
