Fitness Together News

Make your fitness resolutions lifelong ones
by Matthew Gagliano

Remember all those resolutions you made? Well, time to find that sheet of paper that you wrote all your new goals on and revisit them before they become as obsolete as the pet rock.

It’s about this time every year in which health clubs start to see that initial surge of well-intentioned exercisers begin to decline and hand the clubs back over to the “regulars,” who at some point already changed their mindset in relation to exercise.

Why does this scene play out year after year and what can you do to change that? First, the good news is that every person with a desire to change has the ability to make their lifestyle changes stick. No matter what your age, gender, or education level everyone can develop habits that can become life-altering. To answer the question at the beginning of the paragraph people don’t stick to those “resolutions” due to mindset, and in order for lifelong change to occur we need to do some serious tinkering with our mindsets.

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POSTURE: Pivotal to performance and injury prevention

You can’t sit in front of the television these days to watch golf without Johnny Miller (no relation) pointing out a golfer’s posture. He’ll bring out the telestrator to further emphasize just how impeccable a particular golfer’s posture is, from set-up to finish, and how vitally important this is to the success of the shot. How vitally important it is to golf! It is folks, trust me, but unfortunately it’s not as easy as just knowing.

The problem with addressing the ball with correct posture is that most of our postures are incorrect to the point where it’s physically impossible for us to do so. Or, if you do manage to get yourself into position, any benefits are lost due to the fact it’s too uncomfortable, feels unnatural, and will ultimately cause more problems than it solves. No amount of coaching will ever solve this. Any tips to get around a postural problem and the restrictions associated with them are just “quick fixes” or “band-aids”.

A life of sitting, general inactivity, and occasionally whacking a golf ball have placed a heavy burden on our bodies. Our shoulders, spine, and hips quickly become out of alignment causing all sorts of ailments and injuries that we never seem to connect to bad posture. The fact of the matter is if you corrected those postural abnormalities, you would be amazed at how pain free you can live your life and how free and easy it can be to swing a golf club.

I might get some flack for saying this, but here it goes. The number one focus for any golf conditioning program should be to improve posture first and foremost. This means leaving the “golf specific” exercises and routines until you’ve corrected your postural flaws and can swing the club with no compensations. In fact, I’ll guarantee that if you focus on nothing else this season, that you’ll hit the ball further and straighter. On top of that, you’ll look, feel, and score better.

“Standing tall and balanced is the foundation of an athletic posture. The body must be in position to turn back and through freely.” - David Leadbetter

Below are a few stretches we find valuable to most all of our golfers. Not everyone is the same, so your unique stretching program may differ depending on your situation. A full postural analysis goes a long way to developing your own blue print for success.

Please keep in mind that with any corrective flexibility program it’s important to only stretch those muscles that are short and tight. And it’s quite possible, even common, that you won’t be symmetrical right to left. If you discover that one side of a particular muscle group (the kneeling hip flexor stretch for example) is tighter than the other then focus primarily on the tighter side to bring both closer to balance. Abnormalities that manifest themselves on one side of the body are far more problematic than those that show up bilaterally.

Corrective Flexibility:

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) defines corrective flexibility as a means to improve muscle imbalances and altered joint motion. It includes static stretching (which everyone is familiar) and self myofascial release (foam roll). Self myofascial release (SMFR) is suggested prior to static stretching for postural distortion patterns and/or prior to activity.

In simple terms SMFR or foam rolling can be viewed as a really inexpensive massage therapist in the way it can release knots and adhesions that can build up in our soft tissue. By releasing these adhesions we begin to restore normal function. It’s not a pleasant experience necessarily when you roll and discover an adhesion, but the technique sells itself with the often immediate results. The time from cursing the foam to loving the foam is fast and you’ll want one for yourself.

Below represents a series of movements with the foam roller. Gently roll and upon finding a tender spot (you’ll know) maintain pressure on the tender spot for 20-30 seconds. The discomfort should dissipate roughly 75% within the 30 seconds.

Lower leg
Roll from just below the back of the knee to above the ankle. Cover all aspects of the lower leg by rotating out and in from the hips. Repeat on opposite side. Maintain a stable core throughout.


Low Leg	Posterior Thigh

Hamstrings
Roll from just below the glute to just above the knee. Cover all aspects of the hamstring by rotating out and in from the hips. Repeat on opposite side. Maintain a stable core throughout.

Lateral hip/thigh (Iliotibial band)
Cover all aspects of the lateral hip and thigh by slowly rolling from hip towards the knee to find the most tender spot(s) -Don’t roll onto the knee. Repeat on opposite side.


Hip Rotator	Lateral hip/thigh

Warning: If it’s too painful to sustain pressure for thirty seconds try and de-load or hold for as long as possible.

Hip rotator (piriformis)
Slowly roll on the posterior hip area to find the most tender spot(s). Repeat on opposite side. Maintain a stable core throughout.

Adductors (inner thigh)
Lie prone with one thigh extended and the foam roll in the groin region, under the upper thigh. Slowly roll the medial thigh area to find the most tender spot(s). Repeat on opposite side. Maintain a stable core throughout.


Front Thigh	Inner thigh

Quadriceps
Lie prone with foam roll under the thigh. Slowly roll from the pelvic bone to the knee area to find the most tender spot(s). Repeat on opposite side. Maintain a stable core throughout.
Latissimus Dorsi (upper back)
Lie on the floor on one side with the arm closest to the floor outstretched and thumb facing upward. Slowly move back and forth to find the most tender spot(s). Repeat on opposite side. Maintain a stable core throughout.

Upper Back

Static Stretching:

Static Kneeling Hip Flexor/Quadricep Stretch
*Kneel with front leg bent at a 90-degree angle. Internally rotate back leg (move foot out away from knee)* Draw your abdominals in while squeezing your glutes, tucking your tailbone underneath you (posterior pelvic tilt). *Slowly move body forward until a mild tension is achieved in the front of the hip being stretched. *Raise the arm (on the same side as the back leg) up and over to the opposite side while maintaining pelvic position. *Hold side bend position and slowly rotate backward. *Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Make note of whether one side is considerably tighter than the other. If so work the tighter side with a 2:1 ratio
Static Standing Psoas Stretch
*Stand with one leg bent and slightly forward. *Internally rotate back leg (turn heel out). *Draw your abdominals in while squeezing your glutes, tucking your tailbone underneath you (posterior pelvic tilt). *Slowly move body forward until a mild tension is achieved in the front of the hip being stretched. *Raise the arm (on the same side as the back leg) up and over to the opposite side while maintaining pelvic position. * Hold side bend position and slowly rotate backward. *Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Make note of whether one side is considerably tighter than the other. If so work the tighter side with a 2:1 ratio.
Static Latissimus Dorsi (upper back) stretch
*Kneel in front of a stability ball.*Place arm on ball with thumb pointing straight up in the air.* Draw abs in and activate glutes.*slowly lower body until a comfortable stretch is felt.*A posterior pelvic tilt is also very effective at improving degree of stretch.*Hold for 20-30 seconds.*Switch sides and repeat.*

Make note of whether one side is considerably tighter than the other. If so work the tighter side with a 2:1 ratio.
Static seated Piriformis (Hip Rotator) Stretch
*With abs drawn in and sitting tall with good posture cross one leg over the other.*While maintaining posture, gently pull knee towards opposite shoulder as shown in the first picture.*If your knee tends to gravitate towards this position, then gently push the knee towards a horizontal position as shown in picture 2.*Hold for 20-30 seconds.*Switch sides and repeat.

Make note of whether one side is considerably tighter than the other. If so work the tighter side with a 2:1 ratio.
Static Pectoral (chest) Ball Stretch
Kneel on the side of a stability ball with one arm supported on the ground.*Place one arm in a 90/90 position on the ball as shown.*Draw abs in and activate glutes*slowly rotate trunk toward support arm until a slight stretch is felt in the front of the chest and shoulder area. *Hold for 20-30 seconds.*Switch sides and repeat.

Make note of whether one side is considerably tighter than the other. If so work the tighter side with a 2:1 ratio.