I’m sorry! This post should have gone out yesterday but I had to disappear to London for a long day out. On the plus side I can now bring you some tips specifically for the urban golfers, the big city workers who want to improve their golfing body.
1. Attack those stairs! – Climbing stairs is a great exercise for improving balance, core stability, proper leg function and quite possibly your posture. The usual rules apply here. Stand tall with abdominals contracted. You can go for quick steps hitting every step on the way up, 2 steps at a time or 3 if you’re tall!
March up the escalators as well. These will give you an even better workout as you have the upward motion of the escalator to push against. Don’t think just because you’re at the top the workout stops. Make the effort when climbing down stairs/escalators to lower yourself down each step. This will work the glutes and quads eccentrically and the hamstrings are still working isometrically.
2. Tube surfing! – Next time you ride the underground, bus, train or tram try this. Stand so you are in reach of a pole or handle but try not to use it. Set yourself up in a very very shallow squat, just enough so your bodyweight is on your quads and glutes not just the bones, abs in and try to balance until you reach the next stop. Pause then go again. If that’s easy try it with one leg, try facing different directions or try a slightly deeper squat. Doing this will really help your balance and core stability.
3. Pilates breathing – You can practice this whilst you are sat at your desk, driving to work, or whilst driving to play golf. Doing this really gets your core muscles working properly and makes you aware of them. Refer to Chrissy’s post on Pilates breathing.
4. Fare dodging – Fit Body Full Life in no way condones the theft of free public transportation! ………..But if you want the ultimate urban workout, take a run up, hurdle the ticket barrier, slide down the smooth bit in between the escalators, use your obliques whilst dodging through the crowds, jump on the tube (tube surfing of course), sprint up the escalator and one final hurdle over the ticket barrier to the safety of a crowded high street. OK, so my mind gets a bit carried away sometimes but technically that’s a pretty good workout. Being locked up for resisting arrest won’t help your golf game one bit, though!
On a more serious note, the first 3 will all have benefits to your golf game. Improved balance, core stability and posture all contribute to building a body capable of a strong, consistent, stable swing. Plus it might just bring a bit of fun into the morning commute!
Photo Credit: Photo by Randy Son of Robert at Flickr.