One of the benefits I often hear from my clients is that they lose weight while working to improve their golf games. While not a priority for many who enter into the golf fitness program, it is a welcomed benefit.
The key to a successful golf fitness program is to isolate the anatomical weaknesses identified through the physical assessment. This often entails a combination of specific stretching and strengthening exercises, done on a regular basis, to help bring balance back into the golfer's body. This is essential as the research is now crystal clear that muscle imbalance is the root cause of most swing faults, inefficient golf swings, poor performance, and both acute and chronic injury.
One of the benefits from this pursuit of a better golf game is a loss of body fat. As in any exercise program that incorporates a strength component, muscle tissue is enhanced. Not only does this improve strength, balance, and power, it makes you a better calorie burning machine.
It takes about 2 to 4 calories a day to maintain a pound of fat in your body. It takes about 50 to 70 calories a day to maintain a pound of muscle. That's a pretty significant difference! Muscle is what drives our metabolism and when you increase muscle, you increase the number of calories you'll burn during the day.
Most of us had more muscle when we were kids running around the neighborhood and walking to school, uphill, 6 miles both ways. Then, for one reason or another, we slow down and sit more. This wastes away our muscle and as a result lowers our metabolism. We usually don't alter our eating patterns to make up for the slower metabolism, in most cases the eating patterns get worse, so we put on weight/fat.
When a golfer begins an exercise program to improve their swing efficiency, they inevitably will need to include strengthening exercise to correct the weaknesses they posses (and we all have some). This progressive strength component, usually moderate in intensity, has a positive impact on body composition. As you tone muscle, and this is worth repeating, you raise metabolism and burn more calories. Increase the number of calories expended during the day and you lose weight.
Now be forewarned, muscle is also denser than fat and will weigh heavier on the bathroom scale. So don't be alarmed if the scale doesn't change all that much, but yet you're able to fit into those jeans you haven't worn since high school.
A word about cardio exercise. Keeping the heart and lungs in shape is a must and will help you on the back nine when fatigue can lead to poor shots and an enhanced potential for injury. Cardio exercise is important and should be included. It will burn calories while doing the exercise, and for an hour or two afterward as your body returns back to resting state. Cardio will not, however, do anything for strength development nor will it increase resting metabolism. That needs to come from strength training.
Whether desired or not, exercising to improve your golf swing will have additional benefits for your health. One of these, if you're consistent with your workouts, is a leaner body. This will ultimately improve your ability to burn calories and lose body weight/fat. So not only will your playing satisfaction improve, so, too, will your sense of well-being.
Bob Forman, MS Exercise Physiology, is the owner of GolFIT Carolina, http://www.golfitcarolina.com, and is a Certified Golf Fitness Instructor through the Titleist Performance Institute. He has worked with golfers of all ages and levels.
Bob has established golf fitness programs in the medical fitness center he directs for High Point Regional Health System in High Point, NC, as well as several country clubs in the Greensboro, NC, area, and is the golf fitness professional at the Golf Academy at Barefoot Resort and Golf in Myrtle Beach, SC.
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