Fit for Play
Office
Workouts
Lower your scores and prevent
injuries with these workday
warm-ups by DAVE POND
W H AT ’ S O N E WAY T O P OW E R
THROUGH THE WORKDAY? Lining up
a 5 o’clock tee time. Nothing relieves stress
better than ripping a drive off the first tee
box immediately after clocking out.
Depending on your work setup, you’ll
probably want to pack a change of clothes
(and possibly dinner) on golf evenings. The
biggest drawback, though, is that playing a
round after work leaves precious little time
for swings on the driving range, much less
an entire warm-up routine.
“Stepping straight out onto the first tee
from your car can have negative effects on
your score and health,” said Peter Weisel,
director of instruction at Roanoke’s Hunting
Hills Country Club. “At one time or another,
anyone who’s played the game has said, ‘It
took me a few holes to warm my body up,
but then I started to play well.’
“Introducing a normal warm-up routine
to your life will help you get over that early
slump and start playing well during the
beginning of your round.”
More importantly—for those of us not
participating in late-afternoon or evening
tourney play—health issues can skyrocket
without a proper warm-up.
“We spend lots of time in a seated posi-
tion—at work, at home, and in the car,
we’re sitting down,” Weisel said. “By tak-
ing a few minutes to warm up before you
play, you can lower your scores and help
prevent injury.”
Mobility is an essential component of
a healthy and effective golf swing. If your
muscles are not ready to perform, they’ll
pass some of their workloads off to parts
of the body that can “pick up their slack.”
Unfortunately, these areas of the body aren’t
truly designed for that task.
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1
ARM CIRCLES
For example, tight hips can lead to unnec-
essary pressure on your lower back, and
the potential for back injuries. Thankfully,
Weisel said, you don’t need to be a gym rat
to improve mobility and your golf swing—
which, in turn, will help you lower the risk
of pain or injury.
So, whether you’re at the office, in the
clubhouse, or waiting to tee off on No. 1,
take a moment to run through the follow-
ing exercises. Your early-round scores will
improve, and your body will thank you for
it later.
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 1 9
›› SHOULDER MOBILITY IS KEY
TO ANY SUCCESSFUL GOLF
SWING. THIS SIMPLE EXER-
CISE HELPS WARM UP YOUR
SHOULDERS BEFORE YOU
BEGIN PLAY.
1. While standing in a balanced
position, stretch your arms out
from your sides so that they’re
parallel to the ground.
2. Move your arms in a circular
motion, starting with small circles
and then building to bigger ones.
3. After 15 seconds, switch
directions.
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