Golf is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages, but it’s particularly enjoyable for older golfers. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old: your body and mind will always feel the benefits of regular exercise when playing this fun game.
That is why maintaining golf fitness with the best exercises for seniors can help older golfers to maintain their flexibility.
Below we cover our top choices to help keep you healthy on and off the course!
Best Golf Exercises for Seniors To Add Flexibility
Incorporating golf exercises are a great way to improve coordination as well as strength and endurance. Many seniors have also gained faster reflexes and improved stamina while playing golf, thanks to taking the time for some exercise.
In this section, we take a look at the best exercises for seniors that are designed to keep your mind sharp and your body movement flexible so you can enjoy your later years of golf to the fullest.
Lunge and Overhead Raise
There are a few golf exercises that can help seniors add more flexibility to their joints. One is the lunge with the overhead raise of the golf club
This exercise helps improve balance, which is something important for all golfers but especially seniors who need a bit more flexibility in their joints. Lack of balance leads to a loss in power and accuracy.
You can do this exercise with the overhead raise with a golf club. From a standing position, extend your arm fully and hold club at shoulder height with elbow slightly bent. Then slowly lift the club until it’s directly over your head. Hold for two seconds and lower back down to start position.
To combine with the lunge position do it while moving your left foot forward while keeping your feet flat while raising club then return to start position and do the same on the right side.
Range of Body Stretch Exercises
There are a number of range of body stretch exercises that seniors can do to improve their game. These best golf stretches for seniors include:
- Strengthening the ankles with seated ankle rotations and calf raises.
- Strengthening the hips with squats and lunges.
- Toe touches to arm stretches.
Additionally, yoga is also a good way to improve your game! Yoga helps improve flexibility, balance, and strength which are all important factors in a good golf swing.
Side Bend
The side bend is an easy exercise that can be done on the tee box, fairway, or putting green. It helps free up stiff muscles and prepare for mobility.
You can do this by standing sideways to a wall with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Lean towards the wall until you feel a stretch in your waistline, then hold for 10 seconds before releasing. Repeat 5 times on each side.
How Do Golf Exercises Benefit Senior Golfers?
Golf exercises are great for seniors because they help improve flexibility, which is important for everyone.With adults typically losing up to 30% of their muscle mass after age 50, it becomes increasingly difficult to play golf to the same levels.
However, these exercises can help seniors play better golf, feel freer on the golf course, and maintain swing speed. Furthermore, stretching can help alleviate pain for senior golfers.
Hyperbolic Stretching for Men will allow golfers to achieve balance, improve posture, and increase muscle definition. This program is very easy to follow and it has a natural approach. The exercises are beneficial for seniors because they are all-natural–meaning there is no need to worry about injuring oneself while trying to stay healthy! This is especially beneficial for seniors who often experience pain in their joints and muscles.
Which Muscles Should Seniors Focus On?
Upper Body
Seniors should focus on the upper body to add strength to the arms, shoulders and chest. This will help maintain power and clubhead speed throughout the golf swing.
The rotator cuff muscles help stabilize the shoulder joint and assist with rotation during the golf swing. Keeping these muscles strong will help maintain power and clubhead speed throughout the golf swing and help prevent injuries such as rotator cuff tears.
Core
The core muscles are the nucleus of a golf swing. When these muscles are strong and working together properly, they create a stable base that allows you to rotate around that axis as you swing. This is why a proper golf swing looks as though you are unwinding through the ball—it’s an effect of a strong core.
There are many different exercises that can help seniors strengthen their lower back muscles. These muscles are the most important ones for golfers because they provide stability. With just a little effort, seniors can make significant improvements to their game by focusing on strengthening these key muscles.
Hips
Hip muscles are key when it comes to exercises for seniors. They help with golf swing rotation and maintaining proper form. Additionally, flexibility is important in order to prevent injuries.
Hips play one of the most important roles in golf because they help rotate your body while you swing the club. The stronger your hip muscles are, the easier a swing will be.
Back
When playing golf, it is important to focus on your back muscles. These muscles can easily be pulled during a round as you get older, leading to soreness and pain.
To help prevent this, you can position the driver across your shoulders and twist. This loosens the back muscles for a golfer and is great to do in the clubhouse before a round of golf.
Rounding Up: Should Seniors Complete Golf Stretches?
Golf exercises and stretches are imperative to preventing injury and keeping the body healthy, even if these are not your favorite thing to do! They can go a long way to ensuring that your senior golf equipment can perform to the highest potential.
The exercises above can be done prior to you playing a round as golf warm up exercises or even throughout the day to keep your muscles and joints limber.
The core areas to focus on include your upper body, core, legs and hips. By keeping these muscles active and strong, you can help to prevent injuries caused by stretching and bending during your rounds. In turn this will help with your power and swing speed out on the golf course while maintaining your range of motion as you get older.
