Golf: A sport for all
Exercise is good for you; whatever your age, whatever your size. However, I know gym classes, weights or team sports are not for everyone and, if you’re returning to sport from an injury or illness, or managing pain regularly, jumping straight back into a marathon is not the best place to start. So what is a good all round exercise?
Golf can be a great sport for your overall health. Why?
Fitness & Fun – a hole in one!
Walking: An average course for a round of golf would see you covering about 5 to 7 kilometres. If you play 18 holes around 3 times a week, you will be doing the optimum amount of cardiovascular exercise for a healthy heart.
Flexibility & Strength: If you are pulling or carrying your own clubs then you are working even harder, burning more calories and will see even more benefits. Add to this, all the muscles used in the swing and you are working all the major muscle groups in your body, improving flexibility and strength.
Mental Health: What’s more, the game stimulates your brain, you are outside in the fresh air and you can play solo or with friends, if you need some social stimulus. The more competitive you are, there are plenty of tournaments and club competitions to enter and exploring courses at home and abroad can expand your network and provide adventure.
What do you need to get started?
- Equipment: It can be daunting to begin with but this link provides some great information on the basic kit required to begin golf Golf Essentials for Beginners – Golf Bag Necessities
- Lessons: Lessons with a golf pro are good for any skill level. They can teach you the basics, help improve your game or adapt your swing for injury or pain. Check out your local golf-club or driving range to see what they offer.
- Warm Up: As with any exercise, make sure you do some sport specific stretching before you undertake any activity. This video provides a great 10 minute set of stretches specifically for golf.
- P3 cream: Apply the cream or roll-on to any painful areas before you head out on the course. You can pop a travel size in a pocket of your bag and reapply as necessary. The cream is perfect as natural pain relief for arthritic joints or aching and sore muscles. The P3 calm with lavender has also received some great anecdotal reviews as a good natural insect repellent; so you get double the product for your money (and less to carry in your bag!). P3 is also perfect for junior golfers; its natural ingredients are safe for all ages and contain no alcohol, methyl-salicylate or diclofenac. Plus the essential oils are great for soothing the skin as well as relieving pain.
- Courses: For those of you just starting out or just returning to the sport; choose an easier course. This article contains some great suggestions in British Columbia 10 Best BC Golf Courses For Beginners. For those of you who would like a challenge or want to create a golfing bucket list, try courses from this top 100 list Ranking: World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.
- Injury Prevention Exercises: It is always better to prepare for a sport and prevent injuries. So here are some links to videos which offer you some great workouts to build strength and stability in key areas. 3 Golfer’s Elbow Exercises or Hip & Glute Exercises for Better Golf or for a full workout check out the video below.
Overall, golf is one of the most inclusive of sports. You don’t need to be ‘athletic’ to play, it is fun for all ages and all abilities and it is as easy to play as a group as by yourself. Golf keeps you fit and healthy in body and mind and there is often a great community built around the golf club.
So get out there and get that golf club swinging with P3 cream by your side.
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