The post 3 simple steps to eliminate back pain at 50 and beyond appeared first on Golf.

The post 3 simple steps to eliminate back pain at 50 and beyond appeared first on Golf.

Raise your hand if back pain has ever prevented you from playing your best on the course?

*In this hypothetical situation, there are tons of hands in the air (and we really do care).*

Back pain, and more specifically lower back pain, is one of the most common issues among golfers, especially as they age. In fact, 84% of GolfForever’s subscribers reported that pain had significantly impacted their golf swing, and as a result, their game.

While aging can negatively affect the body in a number of ways, you can do something about it.

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“About 80% of the aches and pains associated with aging are preventable based on your lifestyle and choices you make,” Dr. Jeremy James, co-founder of GolfForever, a personalized golf fitness and pain relief digital program and app, told GOLF.com.

So how exactly can you manage, reduce and ultimately get rid of your back pain so you can play your best golf forever?

Read on for Dr. James’ shared best advice for eliminating pain from your game.

1. Develop mobility in your upper back

Focusing your efforts to develop mobility in your upper back and shoulders is extremely important when it comes to addressing back pain, especially if you’re feeling it in your lower back. That might sound counterintuitive, but by improving your mobility in your thoracic spine and shoulders with the help of a program like GolfForever you will actually help relieve the pain you feel in your lower back when you swing. 

This is because you are better able to rotate back and through your swing, which alleviates the torque on your lumbar spine, eliminating the cause of most lower back pain.

Instruction

2. Develop endurance in your core muscles

Your core plays a vital role in powering your golf swing. It also plays a vital role in stabilizing your back as you swing,. However, your core can’t properly stabilize and support your spine in the golf swing if you don’t work on your core strength.

According to Dr. James, that means more than doing some influencer’s ab workout you saw on Instagram. Rather, you need to develop endurance (the ability to sustain a muscle contraction over a long period of time). This is where GolfForever’s programming comes in: They use exercises like planks, bird dogs and side planks to develop this endurance through isometric holds.

Simply put, GolfForever is designed to strengthen your core in a way that will stand up to the demands of a violent rotational movement like the golf swing, which is exactly what you need to feel and play better on the course.

3. Dial in your warm up routine

The impact a good warm-up routine can have on your golf swing cannot be understated. You wouldn’t walk into a gym and immediately start running on a treadmill or lifting heavy weights without getting your body loose and warmed up first because you’d put yourself at risk for injury. The same applies to playing golf — getting out of the car and heading straight to the range or the 1st tee without prepping your body is a recipe for disaster.

Whether or not you feel pain when you swing a club, a good warm-up can help you play your best golf. In fact, 87% of GolfForever’s users say the program’s warm-up routines significantly help their on-course performance in part because a good warm-up reduces their pain and prevents injury. If that’s not enough to convince you, give the below warm-up routine a try the next time you play. We bet you’ll feel a difference from the 1st tee to the 18th green.

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The post Follow this 4-step formula to gain more swing speed at 50 appeared first on Golf.

The post Follow this 4-step formula to gain more swing speed at 50 appeared first on Golf.

As you age, your body changes. Your metabolism slows down, you lose muscle mass and your range of motion declines, all of which can negatively impact your golf swing, especially when it comes to your swing speed.

Slower swing speed also means hitting it shorter which tends to lead to higher scores, but you don’t have to get stuck in this frustrating cycle. Phil Mickelson is living proof that you can gain swing speed and continue to bomb it at 50 and beyond.

While there are an infinite number of variables that can help your health and fitness level, when it comes to gaining swing speed you have to commit to getting fit at 50.

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1. Figure out what’s slowing your swing down

We all have limits when it comes to the golf swing, even the pros. Just look at Jon Rahm and his incredibly short backswing if you need proof.

But what the pros do that we average Joes don’t is work to overcome their physical limitations to compete at the highest level. The first step in that process is figuring out what your physical limitations are. It could be that you have limited hip mobility from working a 9-5 for 25 years straight or perhaps you’re coming back from an injury that impacts your shoulder turn.

Either way, a physical assessment to pinpoint your weaknesses is always a good idea at the start of any fitness routine. The good news is, you don’t have to go very far or even leave your home to perform GolfForever’s physical assessment, and once completed you get a completely customized digital program to get your body back in shape and your swing speed up.

2. Fix what’s ailing you

Once you’ve figured out what’s holding your swing back, it’s time to work on it!

This doesn’t mean jumping into lifting heavy weights and doing intense explosive movements though. Because our bodies reflect an entire lifetime of habits and choices we’ve made, it’s important to address the root cause of our deficiencies.

For most people that means addressing common problem areas like their hips, thoracic spine, shoulders and more through mobility and flexibility routines first. This is because you need to have appropriate range of motion and strength around your joints before you can truly start adding load. Having more range of motion will also help your body get into better positions in the golf swing.

3. Train smart

Once you’ve improved your mobility, it’s important to start training to counteract the issues that aging presents, mainly loss of muscle mass.

It’s at this stage that you should begin to adding strength training into your training program to help you build the necessary muscle to support your swing. As you build muscle, you will essentially be building a bigger engine to power your swing to new heights, or rather, faster speeds.

While strength training is an essential component to gaining speed as you age, it’s important to do so safely. That’s where an expertly-designed program like GolfForever can come in handy to help you add bulk up in a way that’s appropriate for your body.

4. Improve your technique

Once you’ve addressed the physical limitations that are holding your swing back and started adding some muscle, it’s time to look at your actual swing.

With the added mobility you’ve built up, you will likely be able to get into better positions in the golf swing which will help you generate more speed. And once you’ve you built up your strength, you need to learn how to use it to your advantage on the course.

That’s where swing technique comes in. Whether you work on it yourself or recruit a swing coach, you’re going to see results thanks to that well-balanced and personalized fitness program you’ve been doing.

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At 54, I have entered life’s middle passage, but I can still remember the good old days, when I actually had to do something to get hurt.  In more recent years, it’s been a different story; I’ve barely had to move for the injuries to mount.  My medical record over that period is a sorry document of physical decline.

I have thrown out my back while tying my shoes, strained my neck while looking in my car’s rear-view mirror and tweaked both knees while climbing steps.

Last July, I reached a new ‘athletic’ low when I tried to throw a cherry pit at my son (if you have a teenager, you’ll understand the impulse) and felt a shooting pain in my upper arm, as if someone had stabbed me with a knife and twisted.  With a little ice and rest, I thought I was okay.  But the pain returned when I tried to swing a club.  Weeks passed, and the discomfort worsened. The mobility in my right arm dwindled to next to nothing.

One MRI and a visit to an orthopedist later, and I was given a diagnosis. I had frozen shoulder, an apt name for a condition that is also known as adhesive capsulitis. It involves a thickening and contraction of the shoulder joint capsule to the point where nearly any movement of the shoulder and upper arm causes agony. To call it unpleasant is an understatement. I wouldn’t wish it on Attila the Hun.

In the nine months since, I’ve gone through a gamut of treatments: traditional physical therapy; deep-tissue massage; acupuncture, you name it. But while I’ve made some progress, I’m nowhere close to recovered, and I still can’t take a full swing with a club.

Rehabbing has been what they call ‘a process,’ often frustrating and frequently painful but also educational. Just last week, my colleague Luke Kerr-Dineen, Golf Magazine’s director of game improvement, introduced me to something I’d not yet tried. It’s called GolfForever, a customizable digital golf fitness program. The site’s robust video archive includes an array of instructional classes, led by experts in the field, that help you build your strength, flexibility, power, consistency—everything you need to get your body golf-ready and keep you injury-free over the long haul.

In the short term, I’m just hoping it will help me get back on the course. Though I’ve just gotten started on my road to recovery, the program has already renewed my hope by tuning me in to invaluable fitness fundamentals. Here are three lessons I’ve picked up so far.

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The post 3 essential steps to prevent lower back injuries appeared first on Golf.

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***

You don’t need to look very far in golf to understand that back injuries are pretty common among golfers.

Tiger Woods’ name instantly pops into my mind when I think golf and back injuries, but other big names like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau have also dealt with back injuries at one point in their careers.

All of this to say, back injuries are common among golfers. 

We spoke to Dr. Jeremy James, DC, CSCS and co-founder of GolfForever to find out why back injuries are so common among golfers and what you can do to prevent them. 

Right now, our readers can take advantage of an exclusive deal and $51 off a one-year subscription to GolfForever’s fitness program to help you get in golf shape in time for the start of the season. 

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$99 using exclusive promo code: GOLF99

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Why back injuries occur

According to Dr. James, back injuries are typically caused by repetitive asymmetrical twisting movements a la the golf swing. The violent repetitive motion combined with whatever genetic predispositions to injury you may have is a recipe for injury. 

Fitness

How you workout also plays a role in creating imbalances in your body. “Most golfer like to do exercises they like and avoid what they don’t like,” Dr. James says. “This creates imbalances that are exacerbated by the asymmetrical motion of the golf swing.”

Just because back injuries, particularly lower back injuries, are common in golfers doesn’t mean you have to suffer through one. So how do you prevent a lower back injury? 

3 steps to prevent lower back injuries

1. Develop as much mobility as you can 

It can’t be overstated how important good mobility is for the golf swing, but mobility of your thoracic spine and shoulders is essential for preventing lower back injuries. 

As Dr. James explains, the more mobility you have in your upper back and shoulders, the better you’ll be able to turn in your golf swing.

If you think about the golf swing, you need to rotate your upper body to get the club to the top of your swing and then unwind through the downswing. If you have limited mobility, your upper body can’t turn as much and you end up using your lower back to rotate back and through your swing. This puts unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine, and can lead to injury over time. 

2. Develop core strength endurance 

Having a six pack is nice, but a strong core is far more important to your golf swing than it is for aesthetics. “You need core strength in the golf swing, but you also need core strength endurance,” says Dr. James. “Endurance is the ability to sustain a mild contraction over a long period of time.”

This makes sense when you think about how long a round of golf can take and how many times you will swing a club over the course of that round. Having proper core strength endurance will help stabilize your back as you rotate through your swing, protecting your lower back from injury. 

How do you develop core strength and core strength endurance? By doing isometric holds of exercises like planks, side planks, and bird dogs (shown below).

3. Wake up your glutes

If you sit all day at your 9-5, you probably have some degree of gluteal amnesia. This happens when your brain loses its connection to a muscle group, in this case with the glutes. This is a problem because your glutes are supposed to be one of the most powerful muscle groups in your body, and are necessary for a powerful golf swing. 

Not being able to fire your glutes correctly also puts immense pressure on your lower back and can lead to injury. To wake up your glutes, you’ll need to work on their flexibility and strength. The flexibility will allow you to move well through your swing and the strength will help support and protect your lower back.

Try doing clamshells as shown below to build strength in these important muscles.

Doing a glute stretch, as show below, will also help you improve your flexibility in your hips.

Working on your mobility, core strength, and your brain’s connection to your glutes regularly will have you ready to hit bombs come spring.

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The post Try this expert-approved warmup move before your next round appeared first on Golf.

***

Most golfers when they hear the words “warm up,” immediately think of making swings on the range. 

If you watch any golf coverage, that is what you most often see as announcers tee groups up before they tee off — players going through their bags and dialing in their clubs. 

And so, there’s a pretty big misconception among amateurs about what a warmup really is and how to do one properly. Unfortunately, this misunderstanding of what a warmup is actually negatively impacts our ability to play our best on the course. That’s because we fail to properly get our bodies mobilized and ready to take on 6,000-some odd yards of golf.

A true warm up is really the 15-60 minutes Tour pros spend working out in the gym or in the fitness truck before they head to the range, a complete routine includes mobility, dynamic stretching, and some moderate exercise. Needless to say, a professional golfer doesn’t simply roll out of bed and start swinging their clubs like we so often do.  

Why not? 

Why pre-range warmups improve your performance

A GolfForever survey of 200 subscribers found that over 86% of those polled think the program’s pre-round warmup routines improve their performance and stamina on the course. 

Fitness

And if you asked PGA Tour players, I’m betting that statistic would be even higher. 

Stretching and mobilizing before your round isn’t just good for your body, it’s good for your game. The more mobile your body is, the more you’ll be able to turn in your golf swing and the further you’ll be able to drive your ball off the tee. That’s because properly preparing your body for a day on the course can go a long way, literally adding up to 45 yards of carry to your driver.

I know from my own experience that the right pre-round warmup routine leaves me moving more freely and feeling confident on the first tee.

Unfortunately, we the amateurs don’t have endless hours to spend on the course, let alone time to spend getting ready to spend hours on the course. So if you’re going to do one exercise to help your swing, choose something that will help you get the most bang for your buck.

And if you’re not sure where to start in terms of building an effective warmup routine, our readers can take advantage of an exclusive deal and get $51 off a one-year subscription to GolfForever’s fitness program (normally $150) to help you play your best. 

12-month GolfForever subscription

$99 using exclusive promo code: GOLF99

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As the managing director of GolfForever, Jon Levy, reiterates in the video below, a lack of mobility is not just bad for your golf swing, but can also cause injury. He also points out how spending a few extra minutes getting loose before a round can help you add some power off the tee. 

If you need proof of the power of a good pre-round warmup, give this exercise a try.

How to warm up your upper body

Diagonal Thoracic Mobility Arm Reach:

Using a chair, bend your knees slightly, hinge at your hips and place both palms on the seat of the chair. While lightly bracing your core, reach up with your left hand, following it with your eyes. This will open up your chest and improve your thoracic spine mobility, which will translate to a better shoulder turn through your back swing. Tip: Keep your low back stable as you rotate your arm.

If you’re serious about making 2021 your best year on the course yet, give this warm up mobility move a try, and check out GolfForever’s complete fitness programming. You’ll surprise all of your playing partners by the time your next tee time rolls around. 

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***

2020 was the year of distance on Tour. With Bryson DeChambeau leading the charge, 350-yard drives became status quo and driving greens became somewhat routine. Underneath that distance, however, is DeChambeau’s commitment to being able to move his joints through their entire ranges of motion. 

This commitment to mobility is the main reason he’s been able to overwhelm courses with mind-boggling drives. 

Whether you’re looking to add distance this season like DeChambeau, or simply want to perform better on the course, mobility is the key to achieving your goal. 

If you think I’m bluffing, just ask GolfForever founders Dr. Jeremy James and British Open champion Justin Leonard why golfers sign up for the digital fitness app’s program.

In a survey conducted of it’s members, GolfForever found that 52% of respondents said improving their flexibility and mobility was their main goal. 

Smart. 

Fitness

That’s because our golf swings are dictated by our physical abilities, so poor flexibility and mobility limits how well you’re able to move through the golf swing. If you can’t get into good positions, your swing will suffer. 

You can fix this by working on increasing the range of motion in joints that are critical to your swing like the shoulders, thoracic spine, hips and ankles. 

If you’re not sure where to start in terms of improving your mobility, our readers can take advantage of an exclusive deal and get $51 off a one-year subscription to GolfForever’s fitness program to help you get in golf shape in time for the start of the season. 

12-month GolfForever subscription

$99 using exclusive promo code: GOLF99

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For a small taste of what GolfForever offers, try the short flexibility routine below. 

A foolproof flexibility routine

Upper Back Rotation: As Dr. James explains, this is such an important exercise to improve your range of motion in your backswing and prevent injury. Start in a kneeling position and place one hand on the ground in front of you, keeping your butt as close to your heels as possible. Place your opposite hand on the back of your head. Starting at the bottom, rotate your elbow away from you, following it with your eyes. This will help open up your thoracic spine. Perform three to five reps on each side.

T Step Lunge: The T-step lunge challenges your balance and range of motion in your hips. Standing tall with your arms bent and your core activated, take a small step into the “T-position” and squat down. Push off of the same leg you stepped out with to return to the start position. This will help you develop explosive hip drive, which is crucial to a powerful golf swing.

Club Rotations: Club rotations are a part of GolfForever’s fundamentals, which are designed to improve your mobility, flexibility, balance and core strength. Grab a golf club and grip it so you have one hand on either end of the club. Pivot your hips and rotate your arms around your body, increasing the range of motion as you get comfortable with the movement. Make sure you are not twisting your lower back as you do this.

If you’re looking to improve your flexibility, and your golf swing, this season check out GolfForever’s customizable programs. You’ll be surprised how a consistent fitness program can help you make 2021 your best year on the course yet. 

NEWSLETTER

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***

The new year is almost here and with it comes a flood of resolutions that can honestly be pretty tough to stick to. 

If you’re looking to exercise more, get in shape, or have some variation of “get golf fit” on your 2021 to-do list, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common New Year’s resolutions people make.

However, as a golfer you need to find a fitness program that will not only help you live a healthier lifestyle, but will also help you play your best.

Enter GolfForever, a digital fitness app developed by sports performance experts that offers a new way to get your body in golf shape so you have your best year on the course yet. Whether your goal is to gain distance, build strength, improve your mobility or just get in shape for golf season, GolfForever has a program suited to you. Right now, you can take advantage of an exclusive deal for GOLF.com’s readers and get $51 off a one-year subscription to help you get your body golf ready.

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As someone who has been going through the program for about two weeks now, I can say that GolfForever feels like I’m getting a virtual personal training session in my tiny New York City apartment every day.

I’ve done plenty of online and app-based fitness programs, especially during 2020 when my gym shut down due to the pandemic, so I was a little wary of trying another program. However, from the moment I completed the initial fitness assessment, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. 

That’s because GolfForever works a little differently. As mentioned, when you sign up the app takes you through a relatively painless fitness assessment, asking you to do some pushups, planks, balance tests paying close attention to your form, while also asking about your goals for the year — the same thing the best personal trainers and physical therapists would do during your first session. 

Fitness

Based on your performance during this assessment, GolfForever then matches you with one of more than a hundred programs that is both suitable for your fitness level, the equipment you have available and your specified goals. GolfForever then provides you daily workouts to help you play your best golf.

For example, I learned from my assessment that I have a pretty strong core, but my balance is a bit suspect. That tracks with my tendency to sway instead of shifting my weight properly in my golf swing. It also tracks with my goal of improving my mobility, since balance and mobility go hand in hand. 

Based on the first two weeks of workouts I’ve done, it’s obvious the GolfForever program has heeded my assessment and wants me working on my balance. Every day’s workout is broken down into Fundamentals and Rotational Power. One of the most recent Fundamentals routines prescribed for me had a huge focus on balance, especially during the first exercise. So if you struggle with your balance like I do, watch the video below with GolfForever creators Dr. Jeremy James and Open champion Justin Leonard and give this exercise a try.

Neutral Spine March: Lying face up on with a foam roller running the length of your spine, brace your core and slowly lift your legs one at a time to march, keeping your back still. If you need assistance with balance, place your hands on the ground to either side of you. This exercise will also help you learn to move your hips independently of your core which will help you generate more power in your golf swing. Do 15-20 reps, alternating legs as you march.

There’s plenty more balance exercises (and strength, mobility and injury prevention exercises) where that came from, so check out GolfForever and make 2021 your best year on the course yet. 

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***

Think about something you do every single round you play, no matter what. Not just every round, but every hole. It’s become so second nature, at this point, that you don’t even think about it. And you don’t mind either. Truth is, you’re happy to do it.

I’m not talking about your golf swing. I’m talking about the simple act of picking your ball up out of the cup. It may seem like an innocuous act — and in some ways it is. But it can also be a significant source of wear and tear on your body which, if done incorrectly, can cause you pain on the course and shorten your golf career.

I’ve had periodic bouts of lower back pain myself, and the truth is I never once stopped to consider how something like picking my ball up out of the hole could be contributing to that issue.

Here at GOLF.com we’re partnering with GolfForever around the New Year to offer our readers an exclusive $51 off special to the platform. In my ongoing quest for more swing speed this offseason, I’ve been spending time in GolfForever’s digital fitness platform recently, and I must say that I’ve been genuinely impressed by the content. The health-and-wellness focused app and digital platform features video content on a wide array of subjects from various experts, including former British Open winner Justin Leonard. Once you subscribe you’re given a digital fitness assessment so you can have a program tailored to your strengths and weaknesses.

Anyway, you can take advantage of our exclusive offer below.

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One of the experts featured in the program is its creator, Jeremy James, DC, CSCS, the former Director of the Aspen Club Back Institute who has spent decades working with a wide range of professional athletes. He’s the driving force behind GolfForever’s hundreds of videos that make up a golf-focused exercise plan which is unique to each user and provided daily. The program also has a section dedicated to practical tips to help you stay pain free, and in one of them, he explains how picking up your ball out of the hole could be slowly causing you injury.

The Wrong Way: Bending from the back

As James demonstrates here, picking up your golf ball like this puts your lumbar spine in a position where it essentially becomes the hinge between your upper and lower body. The muscles in your lower back become responsible for lifting the weight of your torso into an upright position, which will gradually cause them to break down.

“That can cause lots of problems,” James says. “It puts lots of stress on your lumbar discs, joints and ligaments.

The Right Way: The ‘pendulum’ technique

Instead, James recommends using the “pendulum” technique to get your ball out of the cup. Using your putter for balance, you swing your leg back, using it to counter-balance your torso as you lower yourself down, and then swing it forward gently as you raise yourself back up. (Looks kind of like a single-leg deadlift, right?)

“That keeps the harmful loads from being placed on your lumbar spine,” James explains.

Something to keep in mind the next time you play. This is just a taste of the customized program every member receives to prime your body for the game. For more, head over to GolfForever’s website.

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