Golf Fitness - Chasing Tiger:

You may never play golf like Tiger Woods but you can play better by focusing on your fitness levels. Yesterday, while flipping channels on the TV and occasionally napping, I caught some golf action. Phil Mickelson ended up winning this particular tournament.

One of the commentators noticed a much slimmer Mickelson and also said that his playing partner had lost weight. Its no secret that Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world. Its also no secret that he works hard to stay in shape.

Yes, he works hard on his golf game and is highly skilled and also highly driven. This hard work carries over to his fitness workouts. You can take one look at his physique to see that this is the case. While many golfers have less than impressive physiques - John Daly comes to mind - staying fit has definitely helped Tiger.

Besides adding some power to your swing, doing some strength training will help support your lower back, an area vulnerable to injury. Between the speed of the golf swing and all the twisting, your low back is at risk of injury.

So if you aren't looking to take on Tiger or any of the PGA players you can still benefit from some off the course training. Flexibility is definitely needed and often lost as you get older. Strength is also gradually lost without specific training. Baby Boomers and Seniors looking to play golf as long as possible should consider a golf fitness program.

This would include core training to support and strengthen your back. Simple exercises with dumbbells and/or bodyweight will help with your strength and also help your muscles from getting too stiff. You don't have to start a bodybuilding program and you don't have to spend hours at the gym, either.

You should be doing something to stay healthy and fight the aging process anyway, but if that isn't your priority for whatever reason, it will definitely improve your golf game and reduce your risk of injury. Let's face it.... you can't play much golf if your back is sore.

For more info check out these articles:

joint mobility training, golf fitness, core training for a strong back and abs