The Importance of Golf Cardio
Golf and fitness aren’t two words that go together.
At least that is the cliché.
But golf fitness is extremely important for players.
The top PGA professionals all have training and workout regimes that help them play better.
Strength training for golf can improve a player’s tee shot and golf swing.
However, strength training isn’t the only type of workout a player needs.
Golf cardio is also very important, and can make a big difference in a player’s game.
Golf, in itself, can be quite healthy.
A player can walk an average of three to five miles during an 18-hole round of golf.
The walking is great for fitness.
Combined with the movements and swing, the body can experience quite a workout during a day on the golf course.
A full day of golf can burn hundreds, possibly thousands, of calories for a player.
It is the walking and hiking that a golfer does on a golf course that needs to be replicated in cardio training.
While the professionals may use anaerobic cardio training, the casual golfer most likely won’t train in the same way.
The difference is mostly down to the level of golf a player plays.
Anaerobic training is the type in which a person works hard and is out of breath afterwards.
An example of this training is rigorous weight lifting or sprinting.
The casual golfer will most likely use aerobic training.
This is type of training includes walking, jogging and using a cardio machine at a gym.
As players spend much of their time walking and hiking, fitness experts say that golfers should do the same.
Rather than going to the gym and spending an hour on an elliptical machine, it is better to get outside.
Spending an afternoon hiking a trail, jogging in the park or taking a long walk at pace can be far more beneficial than using an elliptical machine at the gym.
Swimming is also an activity that can work out the entire body.
If you do happen to go to the gym, the treadmill is the best piece of equipment a golfer can use.
Walking is a large part of golf.
Treadmills can have the incline increased along with the resistance.
By increasing both, a golfer can mimic a day on the golf course.
Fitness experts also say golfer can improve cardio by alternating jogging and walking.
Not only will it improve the cardiovascular shape of a golfer, but it can prepare the muscles for a day of golf.
Although elliptical trainers aren’t the best cardio machines golfers can use, they can be beneficial.
Elliptical trainers target specific muscle groups such as the glutes and the shoulders.
Both muscle groups give a golfer power in their swing.
Stationary bikes are also popular with golfers.
The only problem is fitness experts don’t recommend them to people who work in offices. Exercise bikes don’t work the body like treadmills and running.
For people who spend much of their day at a desk, a stationary bike doesn’t provide a full-body workout.
Golf Digest has reported that stair climbers are the worst cardio machines a golfer can use at the gym.
Stair climbers don’t replicate the motions a player experiences on a golf course.
In addition, stair climbers create an unnatural motion.
While casual golfers may get most of their cardio training at the gym, the professionals regularly do their cardio the “old-fashioned way”.
Damon Goddard, the man behind Jordan Spieth’s fitness, says professionals rarely use cardio machines.
The reason could be down to the time the professionals have to spend on physical fitness.
Most casual players are fitting their cardio around a job, family and golf.
Therefore, going to the gym to use a cardio machine may be the best chance a casual player has to get fit.
Having better golf fitness can help players improve their game and, hopefully, lower their handicaps. No matter if you are a casual player or professional, getting physically fit and having good cardio is important to be a better golfer.
If you really want to improve your game, consider a Golf Management Degree from College of Golf.
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My husband’s doctor suggested that he do some cardio exercises to improve his health and it’s good to know that golf seems to fit the bill quite well. What with how much walking and jogging is involved in golf while still being relaxing it could be a good exercise and hobby for him that even I could partake in. I’ll suggest to him that we take golf lessons together for cardio and for much-needed bonding between us as well.