Yoga has come a long way to get past the stereotype that it is just for Hippies and Girls. Many professional sports organizations incorporate Yoga into their physical fitness routines.
No matter how much you workout, the truth is, by putting your body through a repetitive routine will eventually lead to muscular imbalance and injury. Incorporating Yoga into your fitness routine may be exactly what your body needs to improve your golf game.
Yoga is for everyone, golfers included. As a golfer, there are so many factors your body depends on to compete at your peak performance. You can do an easy YouTube Yoga Search and do Yoga at home or you go to a class at a local fitness center. We have a few great places in the New Orleans area. The Pilates and Yoga Loft, Audubon Yoga Studio, and Balance Yoga and Wellness are a few we have heard good things about. The great thing about Yoga is there are no specific places you have to be to do it.
So how can Yoga help your Golf Performance?
Strength - Consistently holding your own body weight will give you better strength than any weight-lifting with free weights. Strength in golf is more about muscle recovery and longevity which can help reduce your chances of injuries.
Flexibility - Practicing Yoga will increase flexibility and range of motion. This is especially beneficial for golfers as they require a good amount of torque on the body. Flexibility in general can help to prevent injury.
Balance - In yoga, the balancing poses will help with balance in all that you do, not only in golf but your day-to-day lifestyle. Balance is essential in preventing falls and injury. When you learn how to balance you can bend more easily and not break or fall over. Balance is key to a goof repetitive golf swing
Endurance - Building endurance is essential for any sport. It becomes especially beneficial for sports where you will remain active for long periods of time, such as golf. Whether you walk or ride you need to resist fatigue. Yoga will help you pace yourself, in turn allowing you to maintain a certain level and wear yourself out at any point.
Core - Just about everything you do in Yoga works on core strengthening. A strong core equals a healthy back and healthy body. The strength of the core is essential in all aspects of yoga as well as golf. A strong core will help you with balance and reduce the chances of abdominal and back injuries. Having a strong core will also help in the rotation of your golf swing.
Stability - Throughout a normal workout it is difficult to isolate all the little muscles, known as stabilizing muscles, in the body. Most people and even some trainers do not know how to effectively trigger these little muscles. Yoga helps do just that. Better stability means you can more effectively swing a golf club which leads to better golf and lower scores.
Recovery - Yoga, especially for professional athletes helps the body after injury. By elongating the muscles in the body, Yoga helps counteract the contraction golf puts on the muscles. Plus you are tuning in to your body and giving it the care it wants and needs. Less injury equals more golf you can physically play.
There are some golf training aids out there, like the Proactive Sports F4 Tempo and Flexibility Trainer, but they are more specific to the golf swing and not overall flexibility in your body. If you really want to increase your flexibility and golf strengthening Yoga is a great way to go.
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