Golf and fitness traditionally don’t go hand in hand. Back then, you would never hear of professionals hitting the gym. The old thinking was that bulking up will hurt your golf swing, and the feel in your hands will suffer. Nowadays, we know better.

There is a reason why almost every top professional has a fitness program that they incorporate into their practice regime.

As weekend golfers, we can also benefit from improving our fitness to enhance our performance on the course. Well, not necessarily better scores, but at least more playing years without injuries.

As someone on the larger side, I’m not an expert on golf fitness, but I’m writing this as a guide to help start the year off fitter, with the hope of improving along the way. Now in my mid-40s, I already see some loss in distance, and even when riding carts, I still experience leg cramps after almost every round.

My lack of fitness and the effects I feel as I age are what pushed me to find out more about basic fitness, flexibility and nutrition for golf.

Fitness

While golf isn’t a high-impact sport, we are still prone to injuries. I have dealt with months of lower back pain, as well as shoulder and elbow issues. The first solution to my problems is weight loss, especially for my back. Added weight up front does no favors for our backs.

Strengthening core muscles, back muscles, and overall fitness should help avoid injuries.

Consulting with a professional should be the start of our fitness journey.

Focusing on the right areas and methods for strengthening will ensure that the muscle groups crucial for golf are properly targeted.

Flexibility

As we age and our bodies become stiffer, flexibility and stretching become essential for maintaining a better, longer swing. Just as important as strengthening, flexibility also helps avoid injuries and may even add a little distance to our drives.

A licensed physical therapist or a specialist doctor should be able to help us with a stretching routine that targets key areas like the hips, legs, back and shoulders.

The golf swing, as graceful as it may look, creates a lot of torque and puts our bodies in awkward angles. Being flexible enough can help avoid pulling muscles and further damage.

Nutrition

As I mentioned earlier, I’m on the larger side and often suffer from leg cramps after golf. While weight is certainly a factor, dehydration plays a major role in why I get cramps.

I’ve noticed that when I play on overcast days or in cooler weather, like in Baguio or colder countries, I don’t experience cramps, even when walking the course.

However, during regular rounds in the intense Philippine heat, even if I ride through all 18 holes, I frequently experience cramps later that night.

Stretching has helped lessen the occurrence and intensity of cramps.

Hydration is also key to keeping cramps at bay. Drinking electrolyte-rich beverages during the round and eating potassium-rich foods like bananas can also help prevent cramps.

Using an umbrella or a good hat to shield ourselves from the sun also helps reduce the effects of dehydration.

When playing in hot weather, it’s important to take extra steps to stay properly hydrated.

The start of the year is a good reason to look into and stick with fitness programs tailored for golf.

We are not aiming for six-packs here, just more years of pain-free, enjoyable golf. If we happen to score better after getting fitter, that’s a great bonus.

Happy New Year, fellow golfers!