SHARKWATCH
FITNESS TIPS
Tip #16: On-Course Warm-Up
Perform your on-course warm-up using the following flexibility exercises. These exercises can be done even while in your golf cart. If you are running late to the practice tee, be sure to at least do the following stretches: seated hamstring, seated club lat stretch, seated low back andgroin, pec neck, standing hip flexor, bow bend, body rotation, andabdominal hollow.
Seated Low Back And Groin
Focus: Lower back and groin
Procedure:
- Sit upright in a cart (or chair) with your legs separated slightly.
- Exhale, extend your upper torso, bend at the hip, and slowly lower your stomach between your thighs.
- Hold the stretch.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Tip: Be sure to exhale as you bend at the hip.
Seated Hamstring
Focus: Hamstrings
Procedure:
- Sit in a cart (or chair) with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Assume a position to allow a little bit of arch in the lower back region.
- While maintaining the arched-back position, attempt to straighten one of your legs.
- Perform the movement slowly, maintaining the slight arch through-out the whole exercise.
- End with one knee more extended while maintaining an arched-back posture.
- Do all repetitions on one side and then the other.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Seated Figure Four
Focus: Hips and gluteal muscles
Procedure:
- Sit up straight in a cart or on a chair with both feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your right foot and rest it on your left knee.
- Place both hands on your right leg and push your knee away from your chest until you feel a gentle stretch in your hips or buttocks region.
- Hold the stretch, relax, and repeat with left leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds.
Seated Crossover
Focus: Hips and gluteal muscles
Procedure:
- Sit up straight in a cart or on a chair with both feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your right leg and cross it over your left thigh.
- Place both hands on your right leg and pull your right leg toward the left side of your body until you feel a gentle stretch in your hips.
- Hold the stretch, relax, and repeat with left leg.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds.
Tip: Stop if you feel pinching in the groin region.
Seated Club Lat
Focus: Upper back
Procedure:
- Sit in a chair or in your cart with your feet resting flat on the floor and your back slightly arched.
- Grasp the bar of the club with both hands and position it behind your head at ear level Gust below the base of the skull). Make sureyour hands are directly above your elbows.
- Rotate your elbows upward (toward the ceiling or the sky), holding the position for three counts.
- Return the elbows to the neutral position.
Duration: Hold for 15 seconds or 5 X 3 seconds.
Tip: Make sure your hands are directly above your elbows.
Pec Neck
Focus: Neck and upper pectoralis major
Procedure:
- Stand or sit with your shoulder blades pulled down and back, as if you were squeezing something between them.
- While keeping your shoulder blades down and backward, rotate your head to the left and hold.
- Repeat on opposite side.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Standing Hip Flexor
Focus: Quadriceps and hip flexors
Procedure:
- In a standing position, place one foot on an elevated surface.
- Roll the pelvis forward (pulling your buttocks in).
- Place your opposite leg behind you. Keep the foot pointed straight ahead.
- While keeping your back straight, lunge forward so that a stretch is felt in the front part of the thigh of the rear leg. Repeat on theother side.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Standing Rotator Cuff
Focus: Shoulders and upper back muscles
Procedure:
- Stand in upright position with feet in split stance
- Hold club in right arm with elbow bent and rotate arm back.
- Reach under with left arm and grab club to support elbow.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Bow Bend
Focus: Outer hips, sides, and shoulder muscles
Procedure:
- Stand in an upright position with the arms elevated over the headand holding a club beyond shoulder-width apart.
- Place the right leg behind the left leg and try to keep the toes pointed straight ahead.
- Allow the right hip to fall or press out to the right. Bend to the left.
- Use your left arm to pull your right arm down, close to the head.
- Repeat on the opposite side by placing the left foot behind the righ tfoot and following the same sequence.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Tip: The stretch should be done in this sequence so that the stretch is felt first in the outer hip, followed by the side, ending with the shoulde rregion.
Seated Spinal Twist
Focus: Hips, abdominal and gluteal muscles
Procedure:
- Sit up straight in your cart with both feet on the floor.
- Keeping feet on the floor, rotate your legs to one side and you rupper body to the other side.
- Exhale and rotate as far as you can by holding onto the seat.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds or 2 X 10 to 12 seconds.
Abdominal Hollow
Focus: To promote trunk stability and activate the abdominal and small muscles
Procedure:
- Sit in the cart with your back straight, knees bent, and feet restingfirmly on the floor.
- Pull your tummy in and up under your rib cage.
- Hold for duration of stretch and relax.
Duration: Hold 20 seconds or 10 X 2 seconds.
Tip: Perform the exercise so that neither the pelvis nor the spine move,but remain stable while doing this type of deep abdominal muscle contraction.
Rotator Cuff Isometrics
Focus: Rotator cuffs and scapula stabilizers
Procedure:
- Hold a club or stick in both hands with arms against your side andpalms facing upward.
- Attempt to pull hands apart while still holding the club tightly(outward).
- Now attempt to push hands together while holding the club tightly(inward).
Duration: Hold for 10 seconds or 6 X 2 to 3 seconds.
Tip: Maintain an erect posture to achieve optimal external rotation.
