Golf, at best, this time of year will be sporadic. If you use multiple rounds per week to improve your health and gain a little fitness effect, a regular winter routine is the ticket to better golf next year.
Many golfers who play regular-season golf are not regular exercisers in the late fall and winter. If that is you, you lose the positive health effects of playing golf in the off-season. Here are some tips to get you off the couch and moving towards better health and golf.
Understand the benefits. When you realize all that exercise can do for your health, brain function, and golf, starting and keeping an exercise program is more palatable. Exercise controls your weight, fights cognitive decline, and mediates conditions like diabetes. You will sleep better, improve your mood, and improve your bedroom performance. Who doesn’t want all that?
Start small. While 60 minutes a day, five days per week, is the goal for health and golf applicability, it is doubtful you will jump to this level the first week. A good progression is 20 minutes every other day for the first week, then 20 minutes a day the following week for five days. After that, add 10 minutes per session until you get to at least 50 minutes per session.
Simple routines are effective. At first, essential “cardio” or aerobic training mixed with weight training is best. Don’t think specificity to golf; think movement. For endurance training, try different exercise modes within the session to find what you like and can tolerate. Ten minutes on the bike, ten on the treadmill, ten on the elliptical. Same concept with weight or resistance training. Get to the line of machines and see if you can go through the whole circuit in 20 minutes. After that, you can add another trip or two around.
Time of day. Whatever time of day you can exercise, that is your time. Research shows that people who exercise at the same time each day are more likely to stick with their program and make it a habit. Morning is best if you have distractions in the day. That two-to-four slot is a great time if your day ends early in the afternoon.
Bang for the buck. A wide variety of clubs and facilities are just $10 a month. Find one, and use that to experiment with all the issues like time of day, exercise preference, etc. After a few weeks, you will decide whether to continue or transfer your routine to home. All clubs have very similar equipment covering essential cardio and strength needs. If you want a cardio piece at home, the best strategy is to try ellipticals, bikes, treadmills, and rowers at your local club. You will find what you like, specific features, and even the feel of the equipment. Then, when you do go to the fitness equipment store, you have specifics in mind that fit your preferences and needs.
Distraction helps. Passing the time on aerobic equipment is a chore starting. Either exercise in front of a television or listen to some sound/music you prefer. The key is to find something that engages your brain. Music, books on tape, podcasts, whatever keeps the wheels turning. Like other things, this will take you two or three tries to determine your best audio/visual strategy.
Using the equipment is easy. Every piece of equipment comes with a QR code to see how to use the equipment. Almost all weight machines have a picture of how to adjust the machine, where to sit or stand, and then how to perform the motion. If you are new to weight/resistance training, weight machines are a good starter as they have a good blend of safety and ease of use.
Simple tracking points motivate. Something measurable that increases over time will fuel your motivation. At first, you stand in front of the mirror and do bicep curls with five pounds. Two weeks later, you are up to 12 pounds. Your first walk on the treadmill was two miles, but ten days later, you are up to three miles. Your mind keeps little progress notes, so use these to reinforce your motivation.
Class support. Your best start is an exercise class if you need some extra motivation. You build a bit of camaraderie, which results in support during exercise. Good classes adjust the levels for all participants so you can go from rookie to pro level in one class. After class starts, your completion is strongly motivated by not wanting to be the one to leave class early.
Golf at best this time of year is going to be sporadic. If you used multiple rounds per week to improve your health and gain a little fitness effect, maybe regular winter routine is the ticket to better golf next year.
Neil E. Wolkodoff, PhD, performs research on golf and sports, and provides programs to improve human performance and health. He has worked successfully with PGA, collegiate and junior golfers over the last 25 years. Neil is the Medical Program Director for the Colorado Center for Health & Sports Science.