Golf fitness exercises can be very beneficial as part of your warm up before a round of golf. Especially on those days when you are tight on time. If you rushing to get to the golf course for your weekly round of golf, or struggling to warm-up for your round of golf when you only have 5 minutes to spare. The implementation of some golf fitness stretches could be just what you need before heading to the first tee.

It is well known that in every professional sport athletes perform a series of flexibility exercises and drills to prepare them to play a game. The game of golf is no different. Unseen to the general public, many PGA Tour players perform a series of golf flexibility exercises to prepare them to play golf. It is done prior to hitting the driving range or putting green. It is a process of getting the muscles and joints of body ready to swing a golf club. Most every golfer on the planet understands the benefit of a warm-up program to get the body ready to play golf or any sport for that matter. Unfortunately for us the time required to perform a comprehensive golf warm-up program with golf flexibility exercises is not reasonable. Not reasonable because of time restrictions on our busy lives.

For example, we set our tee time for Friday at 1:30. Our plan when we leave the house in the morning is “I will get to course at 1:00, hit a few putts, chip for 10 minutes, head to the range, and be at the first tee with a few minutes to spare”. Unfortunately, our plans sometimes do not play out as we intended.

We get stuck with a client on the phone, a conference call runs long, we get stuck in traffic. Whatever the case may be we are caught rushing to the golf course, getting to the course with 10 minutes to spare, jump out of the car, tying our golf shoes, get to the first tee with 5 minutes to spare, haven’t hit a shot or putted….Do I need to go on?

Probably not.

It is a situation that happens to us all, and I as am guilty of it as you. However as strong as I suggest performing a good warm-up, and putting yourself in the correct frame of mind for the round, life at times just does not allow us to do it.

What are we to do in such situations?

I first off would suggest not utilizing the “grip and rip it” motto if you get to the first tee without warming-up. I have seen this (myself included) lead to a myriad of problems from the get go.

I can remember a few years ago I took this approach and I think made a triple bogey on the first hole. My drive went left into the rough, second shot to the right, approach shot over the green into the bunker, bunker shot rolled 20 feet past the hole. Need I go on?

Let’s just say I learned my lesson. First and foremost if you are caught in this type of situation lets not panic. Let’s put a plan together to start the round out on the right foot and keep you in a positive frame of mind.

My first suggestion is not to rush and attempt to hit 3 putts, pull out driver take a few hacks, and then tee it up.

Lets take the 5 minutes we have and get the body warmed-up and ready to swing a golf club. How can we do this? Simply by putting together a series of golf stretches to “loosen” you up. Golf flexibility exercises will loosen the muscles and joints of your body. Preparing them to swing a golf club. They are simple to perform and can get your body and mind more ready to play than just a few practice swings with the driver. This will take a couple of minutes to perform, but it will help you get the body ready to swing the golf club.

Once we have got the body “loosened up” lets get the mind in the correct space. I have seen all too often the tempo of a swing is way out of whack when a golfer lacks the time to properly warm-up. Attempt to relax, take a few deep breaths, and get the body to slow down a little. This should definitely help create some better tempo in your swing from the start.

Also, take your time. Once it is your turn to hit, take a little extra time. Take a few extra practice swings, relax, find your tempo, and match your first swing to the tempo of your practice swing. This is a tip I learned from Dean Reinmuth (top 50 Golf Digest teaching pros).

If you are not comfortable over the ball, step away, take a series of practice swings until you find the “right” swing and then perform that same swing over the golf ball. It has done wonders for my game.

I would also suggest continuing to take extra time on every shot until you feel comfortable and have found your swing. This might not occur until the second or third hole, but it is okay. It allows you to relax, make a good swing, and make a good shot.

Finally, when you are rushed I think course management can really help. Think about it for a moment. Why not on the first tee pull out 3-wood instead of driver, even if it is a par five. Hit a nice shot into the fairway, lay-up, and play for par? Again, starting off with par or even bogey is a lot better than a double or triple, both for your scorecard and mental frame of mind.

So if you are rushing to the first tee to get your golf game going let’s review the protocol. First and foremost lets be smart and utilize the time we have at hand. Lets take the 5 minutes we have to warm-up the body for the golf swing. We will do this through the implementation of a series of golf flexibility exercises. These golf exercises will get your muscles and joints ready to swing a golf club. Once the body is ready the next step is taking your time. Take a few extra practice swings with the golf club. This will allow you to find the tempo of your golf swing. Finally lets be smart with our course management skills. Think about what is the best golf shot to make and play within ourselves until our body and mind is ready to go.

As stated previously, golf fitness exercises are an integral part of a warm up session for golf. Even if you are tight on time, a few minutes spent on a series of golf fitness stretches and golf exercises can greatly benefit your round of golf.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com

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Wanting to work out and exercise on a regular basis is a good idea and a noble goal for anyone; more than just your appearance, exercise is good for your health overall.  There are some good reasons why you might want to join a gym, such as for classes or personal training sessions.  But there are many reasons why you might consider investing in home fitness exercise equipment.

For one thing, weather can be a factor in many areas.  Snow covered roads, heavy rain, and even unbearable heat can keep you from wanting to head out to the gym.  But if you have your own home fitness exercise equipment there’s no excuse regardless of the weather.  Also, it’s very easy after a long day at the office to get home and decide that you don’t want to go back out again, but when you have your own home fitness exercise equipment, again, there’s no excuse not to use it.  All you need to do is walk to the bedroom or basement or wherever you have it set up in order to get your workout.

Many people that haven’t worked out in a while or for whatever other reason may be very self-conscious when it comes to a gym or club.  Thinking that others are staring at you or that you’re going to embarrass yourself if you do something wrong or aren’t familiar with the equipment.  With your own home fitness exercise equipment there’s no need to worry about what anyone else thinks or if they’re even looking at you in the first place.

Another factor you may want to consider is you have to dress appropriately when working out in a public gym.  With a home fitness center you can determine what the appropriate dress is.  If you think going bare footed and in a ragged tee-shirt and shorts is appropriate then who is going to tell you different?  I do recommend that you wear shoes when doing any type of treadmill exercise.  Always keep safety in mind when doing any time of physical activity.

Your schedule might have a lot to do with why you would prefer to have your own home fitness exercise equipment.  If you go to the gym right after work, this might be when everyone else shows up as well.  It’s hard enough to set aside time to exercise, but when you need to spend another half hour just waiting for equipment or feel pressured to let others work in with you, your entire evening can be spent just for even the smallest exercise routine.  When you have your own home fitness exercise equipment, you don’t need to deal with waiting in that line or for others to finish their routine.

And when you have your own home fitness exercise equipment, you can pick and choose what’s going to be right for you.  Maybe you decide that you want to try boxing; you can easily purchase a punching bag, something that’s not always available at a gym.  Many pieces of home fitness exercise equipment have a variety of routines you can use it for and areas of your body they’ll work. 

Joining a gym is great for some people, but for most, investing in home fitness exercise equipment can be a wise choice.  And remember, you only need to purchase your equipment once and be done with it, as opposed to gym membership fees that last a lifetime!

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It can be very discouraging when your child does not want to participate in exercise of any kind. More and more children are becoming slaves to the television or videos games, and they are refusing to submerge long enough to breathe let alone participate in fitness of any kind. Here are kids fitness exercises that can be introduced into your child’s life painlessly though, and they can help to keep your child active for years to come.

A Peer Environment

Some kids do better when they have others that are their age participating in an activity with them. So, try to fine kids fitness exercises that they can do with their friends or even new children that they have never met. For instance, you can enroll them in karate or kick boxing class for boys, and gymnastics or cheerleading for girls. A peer environment also encourages them to try their best and not quit, so they are more likely to stick with that particular form of exercise.

Make it a Game

If you want to find kids fitness exercises that your child will actually take part in, then you may need to look towards the video games that you loath. There is now a new wave of video games for children of all ages that focus on getting your child up and moving. These games are not only for older kids, there are ones for younger children as well, and even you might enjoy getting in on a game every once in a while.

Get Them Interested

Try to find something that your child is interested in. If they have always tried to set and reach amazing goals, maybe you could sign the two of you up for a marathon and have fun practicing together. Or, perhaps they love to watch a particular kind of sports game on TV. Why not sign them up for a season at their school or local community center to see if they enjoy it? The idea is to make the exercise something that they like so that they will continue to do it.

Help Them Get a Job

Believe it or not you can kill two birds with one stone when you are trying to find kids fitness exercises that work for your child. There are plenty of jobs for older children that incorporate some form of exercise, and the lure of money may be too good for them to pass up. Examples of jobs that might contain a fair amount of exercise include dog walking, car washing, lawn mowing, or newspaper delivery. You will be happy because your children are getting exercise, and they will be pleased with some money in their pockets.

There are a variety of ways to incorporate kids fitness exercises into your child’s daily life. Whether you have to trick them into it, or simply find something they like, your child will be happier and healthier thanks to your effort.

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